Confidential settlement agreements with former state employees continue to be discussed in the Iowa Senate. A story reported last week in the Des Moines Register revealed employees received money to keep the details about the termination of their employment private. This resulted in a backlash because the state used taxpayer…

When America was founded, our founding fathers envisioned a country where the states were “laboratories of democracy.” This meant they wanted to give states the flexibility to experiment in the governing of their state. They believed the best ideas would rise to the top and states would adopt the best…

The tremendous turnaround in the financial strength of Iowa has been well documented over the past few years. A huge budget shortfall in 2011 turned into a huge surplus through three years of sound budgeting principles and tough decisions. Currently, Iowa has over $850 million in our ending balance. This…

Each year, the governor introduces his agenda at the beginning of the legislative session. He usually focuses on two or three major items each session, along with several other smaller issues. This year, the Governor focused on three major issues: An anti-bullying bill, connecting Iowans by expanding broadband internet coverage,…

This week marked the second funnel week in the 2014 legislative session. This means that in order to stay alive, a bill must have passed a full vote of one chamber and must be out of committee in the other chamber. The second funnel is a very important week as…

ANKENY – Community leader, small businessman and state lawmaker Jack Whitver officially announced today his intentions to seek re-election in Iowa State Senate District 19. Whitver, first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2011, filed his candidacy paperwork Wednesday morning with the Secretary of State. He represents Polk County, including…

Three and a half years ago, I made the decision to run for the Iowa Senate. It is always a tough decision to put your name on the ballot to be voted upon by your peers, but I did so because I knew we could do better as a state.…

Following the conclusion of funnel week, many bills finally came to the floor this week for a vote. The overwhelming majority of these bills were non-controversial bills, covering a range of topics. Most of these bills passed unanimously. One such bill was Senate File 2201, which made the kidnapping of…

This week was the first of two funnel weeks at the Capitol. The funnels are designed to streamline the legislative process and narrow down the agenda for the remainder of the session. During the first funnel, a bill must pass a full committee in either the House or the Senate,…

One of the biggest concerns I have with the federal government is the amount of debt we are accumulating. The federal government is over $17 trillion in debt, and just this week, Congress voted to extend the debt limit ceiling until March of 2015. This could drive the debt to…