Dear Senate District 48,

– Week Eight – 

Eighth Week of the 91st General Assembly

Remembering Senator James HahnAnother former legislator, Senator James “Jim” Hahn passed away on Sunday. Senator Hahn was serving as our State Senator when I was first elected to the Iowa House. He served two terms in the Senate and had previously served seven terms in the Iowa House of Representatives. People will always remember Jim for his positive outlook and his genuine smile.

Obituary for Senator James Hahn

First Funnel Week is Here!

With our first legislative deadline on Friday, members of the Senate were busy working to get our bills through subcommittees and committees this week. Each day brought a variety of topics, and enough that some committees had to recess for other meetings and return later in the day to finish discussing bills. Because of this deadline, no floor debate occurred in the Senate this week.

Bills Make it Out of Committee

Departments Collaborate to Review Research on Technology UseThere has been much discussion about the governor’s bill on cell phone use in the classroom. On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee unanimously approved SF 237 to help study the effects technology is having on kids in their daily lives. The bill directs the Department of Education, working with the Department of Health and Human Services, to put together a working group to review research regarding the impact of school-provided technology on students’ cognitive function. This review would include recommendations on best practices for the use of school-provided technology in educational contexts and a focus on how to mitigate its negative impacts on social and behavioral development, attention span, mental concentration, and learning ability. While technology has made for a more efficient learning environment and has been a useful tool, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iowa Legislature has a duty to continue to look for ways to improve the quality of our education system and ensure students are in an academic environment beneficial to their success. This bill garnered bipartisan committee support.

A Healthy. Balanced Diet in K-12 Curriculum

Also related to education in Iowa, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed SSB 1158. This bill modifies the K-12 curriculum to include instruction on the nutritional benefits of animal-based protein, and the role of real meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit in a balanced diet. Integrating healthy foods into the curriculum of Iowa’s schools not only promotes a healthy lifestyle with quality food alternatives, but is also another long-term investment in the academic success of Iowa students. A healthy diet leads to improved cognitive ability, physical fitness, and overall well-being. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 11-4 with one senator excused.

Disaster Recovery and Housing AssistanceThe Senate Local Government Committee continued work on SSB 1188, Governor Reynolds’ disaster recovery and housing assistance proposal. This bill would provide funding for disaster aid programs and would provide up to $2 million in assistance for short-term housing and would address damages to city properties and commercial buildings. The state has faced several major natural disasters, and the impacts still linger for those who have been affected. In the last few years, Iowa has endured severe flooding, destructive tornados, and a derecho, leaving Iowa farms and towns ravaged. This plan will help ensure Iowa is well prepared in times of disaster and prioritize safeguarding our citizens from the devastation of unexpected severe weather.

Visitors at the Capitol
Many groups and individuals stopped in to visit our beautiful Capitol and discuss legislative issue with us this week. I was fortunate to be able to meet with most of them even if just for a few minutes.

Announcements are a regular part of the morning routine in the Iowa Senate. It’s a time when legislators announce important visitors to the Capitol, highlight rallies and displays taking place in the Rotunda and make note of other important events happening around the state, in the country and in the world. Sometimes it also includes reading of special resolutions. Wednesday morning included just such a resolution by Senator Annette Sweeney, Senator Bill Dotzler and Senator Jesse Green to welcome the President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te to the Iowa Senate.

Some may claim that legislators are unavailable to listen to constituent concerns. I would tell you that I am an approachable person and one who is willing to have an open and honest conversation both with people who think like me and with those who have an opinion different than the one I hold. I would also tell you that since the start of the new year, I have attended 7 official forums, in 5 different communities and in all 4 of the counties I represent. I have attended a city planning meeting, a Farm Bureau business meeting, a retirement celebration, and two legislative funerals. I have also traveled to Des Moines on a Saturday to speak at the annual meeting of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. These numbers don’t even include all the meetings and speaking engagements that took place between the election and the start of session, late 2024 to early 2025. Additionally, I have spoken with many constituents on the phone, through email and in person and have reached out to various agencies to seek assistance for constituents in need. I hope this gives a little perspective into the amount of time a legislator puts into doing the job they’ve been elected to do. I willingly put in this time because I want to do a good job for the people of District 48 and for all Iowans.

West Liberty Index Article about the March 1st Wilton Forum can be found here.

Best regards,

Mark