Sunday Talk: Rowley on Measures Addressed by the Iowa Senate

This week, the Iowa Capitol saw visits by the American Physical Therapy Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and a class visit by high school students from Harris-Lake Park. Wednesday evening saw Senate Republicans gather for dinner to honor our retiring colleagues, whose efforts to serve the people of Iowa are tremendous. Thank you to Harris-Lake Park and all schools who have made these trips possible for their students to see government in action this session.

Here is a brief recap on some bills of interest from this week:

• HF 2591, a bill which states that a student who enrolls into a new school is ineligible to compete in varsity interscholastic athletics for the first 140 calendar days of enrollment was sent to the Governor on Tuesday.
• SF 2219, a bill that requires schools to exempt student absences for activities like FFA passed the Senate unanimously on Wednesday. This ensures students who miss school for an agricultural club or event are considered exempt from school. School districts are required to allow the student to make up any work they miss because of this absence. We’ve worked hard to address student truancy and understand the importance of students being in the classroom. We also know that not everything is learned from the inside of the classroom. This is a plus as a lot of school activities teach student leadership skills and public speaking skills that are beneficial in preparation for future careers.
• SF 2189, a bill related to vehicle registration has been passed by the House and sent to the Governor for signing. This is common sense policy permitting snowbirds to register their vehicles in Iowa when they are back in Iowa. Out of state residents who own property in Iowa and may keep a vehicle in Iowa for use may now register that vehicle.
• SF 2463, regarding uniform administrative rules was signed by the Governor. This bill rescinded various uniform rules on agency procedure cuts through redundancies, is efficient, and streamlines the process.

I want to thank all of you who have contacted me this week and I look forward to serving you this session.

My best form of contact is email at dave.rowley@legis.iowa.gov or by cell (712) 330-5596.

Make it a great week!

Senator Dave Rowley, District 5
Serving: Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Palo Alto, Kossuth, and Winnebago