It has been another great week of representing the people of District 95. As week eleven comes to a close, here are the highlights.
This week, the Iowa Senate passed two important health care bills that will now head to the Governor for her signature. These bills support Iowa’s hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers, and ensure lower health care costs for Iowans. House File 2521 ensures that Iowa’s taxpayer funds are not being gouged by temporary staffing agencies charging health care entities unnecessarily high costs. House File 2200 provides Iowans with the option to enter into direct health care agreements with health care providers.
Last week, the Iowa House voted to pass Senate Joint Resolution 9, a constitutional amendment addressing the qualification of electors in the state. The resolution has now passed the House and Senate with unanimous support. SJR 9 is a straightforward resolution that changes article I and II of the Iowa Constitution. Under the current language, voters must be 21, even though the legal age was lowered to 18 many years ago.
The resolution changes the age to vote to 18 and clarifies that only citizens of the United States are eligible to vote.
While the language changes are small, they are important to ensure our state Constitution remains up to date and to protect voting rights. A change to the Iowa Constitution can only happen if the language passes both the House and Senate in two separate general assemblies and then is approved by voters. SJR 9 will have to pass both chambers in either 2023 or 2024 and then will be on the ballot for approval in November of 2024.
We would also like to highlight the Gift to Iowa’s Future day celebration that was held on March 23. This event honors landowner contributions to conservation and outdoor recreation.
In Linn county, Marjorie Andrews and Cindy & Kevin Burke were both recognized. Thank you for your generous donations!
It is an honor to be in Des Moines representing District 95 and the people of Iowa. I encourage my constituents to contact me using my legislative email ([email protected])with any comments, questions, or concerns. I look forward to another great week of representing the people of District 95!