Government : Greetings from Under the Golden Dome

While we continue to work on bills and put the budget together, we are also monitoring COVID-19.

At the time of this article most of the cases are isolated to Johnson County and were all older adults (61-80 years) and were on the same Egyptian cruise. Another case in Pottawattamie County is a middle aged adult (41-60 years) and had recently traveled to California. We continue to be vigilant in monitoring and isolating. No one knows how expansive this could become. I know many senior care facilities are taking serious precautions as well as our colleges and universities. It is best to be over-cautious in situations like this. Wash hands often and stay home when you don't feel well.

I continue to work on Transportation, Agriculture, and Natural Resources bills.

While doing research on a Transportation bill, I discovered Iowa law states if you do not possess a valid driver's license, you are restricted to driving an implement of husbandry no further than two miles down the road. Current law exempts from driver's licensing requirements a person operating a farm tractor or implement of husbandry to or from home farm buildings to any adjacent or nearby farmland for the exclusive purpose of conduction farm operations. Senate File 2061 strikes "adjacent or nearby" from the exemption, thereby exempting a person operating a farm tractor or implement of husbandry to or from home farm buildings to any farmland from driver's licensing requirements.

We passed this bill 45-1 on Wednesday to allow our farmers to better able access their farm ground. We apparently have one anti-farmer in the Senate.

Tuesday night some of us met with the Iowa State Fair Board to discuss new projects. A new 4-H building will be open for Iowa State Fair 2020. As citizens of Iowa become further removed from the farm, they also are more interested about where their food comes from and how it is produced. 4-H and FFA exhibits, as well as adult entries in different competitions in vegetable, crops, and livestock production and demonstrations, all bring the rural and urban communities together.
The Iowa State Fair is an excellent venue to help bridge the gap between town and country.

Some of us met with a major plant that is developing a processing plan for industrial hemp, including CBD oil. The standard the company has established for itself is admirable and I hope to see them get going this year. This has been several years in the making. However, we want to get this right.

I would like to give a recognize all of the athletes around the district who competed in high school sporting competitions. It is always good to see our youth excel and it is fun for us to support them.

Pictured with members of the Benton County Farm Bureau