Warme

I set a new personal record this week at the Capitol, leading four Health & Human Services subcommittees in one day. The meetings were on three different levels of the building and covered a broad range of topics including encouraging a strong pipeline of PAs, improving utilization of subacute mental health facilities, making physician licensure more efficient and optimizing services for elderly Iowans. Public input informs my policy discussions and reminds me why being accessible and present matters so much. I truly value the conversations I get to have with individuals from home and across the state.

A major focus this week was affordability, something I hear about often from constituents and a priority for Senate Republicans. Over the years, we’ve worked to make Iowa a more affordable place to live, work and raise a family. That includes eliminating the inheritance tax, ending taxes on retirement income and implementing a 3.8 percent flat income tax. We’ve also passed multiple property tax relief bills to help address the rising cost of government at the local level. Property tax relief remains a key focus this year, with proposals coming from the Senate, the House and Governor Reynolds. One bill moving through the Senate, SSB 3001, prioritizes Iowa taxpayers and aims to make homeownership more affordable and achievable so more Iowans have the opportunity to build their lives and their futures right here.

Education is a key component to bright futures, and it was meaningful to welcome visitors from four school districts in District 26 this week and hear their passions and priorities. In the coming weeks, both the Senate and House will begin the process of setting funding levels for K-12 education. As Senate Republicans have done for the past nine years, we will again lead with sustainable and responsible funding for all students. Since 2017, every dollar promised by the state to public schools has been delivered, and that commitment will continue this year. Iowa schools receive meaningful increases in state funding each year, and we remain focused on making our schools the best in the country by providing reliable funding, raising teacher pay to among the top ten in the nation, and keeping a strong emphasis on reading and math fundamentals so students are best positioned to succeed.

This week I also accompanied Governor Kim Reynolds as she received the YSS Champion for Youth Award. It was wonderful to reconnect with former coworkers from YSS and see so many familiar community partners who invest in important work every day. I also joined the Governor in speaking with teen girls in a substance abuse treatment program, encouraging them to take things one day at a time and reminding them that their futures are worth fighting for. Occasions like this are a beautiful affirmation that everything we do at the Capitol is about people. I’m so blessed to have a seat at the table for these interactions.

On Monday, Feb. 2, Republicans and Democrats across the state will gather at 7 p.m. for the 2026 Iowa Caucus. While we don’t have the pomp and circumstance, or media attention, of a presidential year, these meetings give you a chance to meet local candidates, discuss party priorities and elect county convention representatives. If you’ve never been, I encourage you to get involved. The weather forecast looks much better than 2024! For Marshall County, all precincts for Republicans will meet at Iowa Valley Community College District Dejardin Hall and Democrats at Marshalltown High School. Story County Democrats will be at Ames High School and Republicans have a few locations–you can find a statewide listing on the Iowa GOP website here: www.iowagop.org/2026_iowa_caucus_to_convention. I’ll be at Gilbert High School and hope to see many of my Gilbert and Franklin Township neighbors there.

As always, I’m here to listen, to learn and to work on your behalf. Thank you for trusting me to represent you.

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Kara Warme, a Republican from Ames, represents District 26 in the Iowa Senate.