We have officially wrapped up our second week of the legislative session, and already things are in full swing! Despite this week being short due to our observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we were extremely busy with subcommittee and committee meetings, as well as our annual Future Farmers of America (FFA) Legislative Symposium. I’m excited to have another week under my belt, and I’m looking forward to what the next few months have in store.
SSB 1018
At the forefront of my week was Senate Study Bill (SSB) 1018, which is a bill I filed and am particularly passionate about. This bill requires county supervisors be elected from single-member, equal-population districts in counties with populations of 125,000 or more (or are home to one of Iowa’s public universities). This bill also requires these same counties to fill vacancies on their board of supervisors by special election, while all other counties must fill the vacancy by appointment. SSB 1018 gives a voice to the people of Iowa, especially those in rural communities whose voices can be overpowered by massive amounts of student populations. Given that I live in rural Iowa myself, I recognize the importance of rural representation. Our votes and our voices matter, and I believe SSB 1018 captures exactly this sentiment. The bill advanced through Tuesday’s subcommittee and the Local Government Committee meeting on Wednesday.
FFA Legislative Symposium
Wednesday (Jan. 22) was one of my favorite days of the legislative session: the FFA Legislative Symposium. This was the 40th year of the Symposium, and I was so grateful to be a part of this important tradition for yet another year! Alongside Representatives Heather Hora and Judd Lawler, I had the opportunity to meet with FFA chapters from Highland, Mid-Prairie, HLV, Lone Tree, West Branch, CCA, English Valley, Iowa Valley, and Williamsburg high schools. We discussed various parts of the legislative process and how students can get politically involved at the high school level, as well as relevant legislation for this session. Hands-free driving and cell phone regulation were especially prominent areas of interest!
We also talked about various agricultural issues that students were concerned about. We concluded our discussion by emphasizing the importance of community involvement and I was especially impressed with the passion and care for their communities these students exhibited in our meeting. I know the future of Iowa, and the future of Iowa’s agricultural industry, is incredibly bright. To top off our day, the students and I traversed to the dome of the Capitol building for some views of Des Moines, then stopped by Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer’s office before the students headed home. It was an honor and a privilege to spend time with these FFA members!
Finally, with subcommittee and committee meetings starting to pick up, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you might have regarding legislation. My door is always open.
Senator Driscoll (District 46, including Big Grove Twp., Swisher, and Shueyville) serves as the Chair of the Agriculture Committee and also serves on the Commerce, Local Government, State Government, Ways and Means, and Workforce Committees.