This week was a busy week of floor debate as the House prepares for our 2nd legislative funnel deadline next week. I spent most of my week working on HF699, which would align Iowa with 46 other states by decriminalizing test strips for fentanyl and other drugs which has been shown to prevent overdose deaths. While we weren’t successful this session, the bill made it farther along in the process than ever before.

• Iowa Financially Supports the New USS Iowa Submarine

Last general assembly, the legislature passed HF 2147, a bill to appropriate funds to support the christening and commissioning ceremonies of the new USS Iowa submarine. The Christening Ceremony is scheduled for April 5, 2025 in Connecticut. There will be many watch parties throughout the state that can be found here.

According to the USS Iowa website, this submarine is the 4th U.S. Navy vessel named “USS Iowa,” but the SSN 797 will be the first Virginia class submarine to bear the Iowa name. It’s also the first Navy submarine built specifically to accommodate both male and female service members onboard.

• Enhancing Election Security

Iowa House Republicans have remained diligent in ensuring Iowa’s elections remain safe and secure. It is essential that Iowans can continue to trust the results of our elections. This has been the case, in part, because Iowa House Republicans are always looking for ways to improve our election system and pass swift action to prevent any bad actions we see taking place in other states from happening here in Iowa.

One area we have known needs improvement in our election system is the way we conduct recounts. This week, we passed House File 928 to establish a uniform, fair, and common-sense system for conducting recounts in Iowa elections. The second bill we passed this week regarding election security was House File 954.

• Distracted Driving

This week, we passed Senate File 22 to make our roads safer for all Iowans. We all know the dangerous distraction our phones can be. We have all seen drivers driving down the road distracted by their cell phones, endangering themselves and others.

Currently, Iowa law prohibits texting and driving. But there are many other reasons drivers may be using their phone. In addition to being completely unsafe, this makes the texting and driving law almost entirely unenforceable for Iowa law enforcement. SF 22 changes Iowa’s texting while driving ban into a ban on using electronic devices while driving. Drivers can use their device hands-free.

• Refocusing SNAP Benefits on Nutritious Foods

This week we passed HF 970, a bill that changes what foods are eligible to be bought with SNAP dollars, funded by the Iowa taxpayers. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. However, right now taxpayer dollars are being spent on items that are far from nutritious and don’t do anything to alleviate hunger. It is estimated that 20 cents of every dollar was spent on sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar.

Iowa currently ranks 11th in the nation for adult obesity, a condition linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancers. Under the current system, taxpayers are funding Iowans’ bad eating habits and, in many cases, the resulting health care issues through Medicaid.

This bill incentivizes better eating habits. It doesn’t ban anyone from purchasing pop, candy or chips with their own money, but it does limit their ability to purchase those items with taxpayer dollars. These changes would put some reasonable guardrails on what SNAP dollars can be spent on. House Republicans do not believe tax dollars should be purchasing things like skittles and monster energy drinks within a program that is supposed to help alleviate hunger. This bill also allocates $1 million to the Double Up Food Bucks program once the SNAP waiver is approved at the federal level.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work hard on your behalf this session in Des Moines! Please reach out to me about any questions, concerns or suggestions at brett.barker@legis.iowa.gov.

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Brett Barker (Republican Party) is a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, representing District 51