The legislature has finished week 11 of the session, we are busy working on bills sent over from the Senate and preparing appropriations bills for the final weeks of the session.

Nearly every year during the session we deal with legislation that to one degree or another seeks to end the requirement that local government notices be published in the local newspaper, opting for publication on local government websites instead. While discussing just such a bill with some of our small-town newspaper owners they made an interesting observation. Readership in that paper increased by 150% in just the last two years. More surprisingly, the increase was not older readers, it was younger readers. The publisher said their youngest subscribers tell them that in this digital world they are becoming overwhelmed by it, and that they appreciate the simplicity and convenience of having all relevant information in one, tangible place, their local newspaper. I’m heartened to hear that our local newspapers are experiencing this upsurge, and that younger readers are the ones making this connection about the simplicity and convenience of a local newspaper. I too find that in many areas the information we need is far too scattered on the internet. A newspaper becomes the “one stop shopping” venue for school, city, and county information along with other news of the community. I will continue to oppose efforts to remove the requirement to publish legal notices in our local newspapers.

The latest findings from the 2026 Cancer in Iowa Report offer encouraging information on health within our farming communities. According to the report from the Iowa Cancer Registry, Iowa farmers who participated in the long-running Agricultural Health Study experienced a 13% lower cancer rate overall when compared to the general population. While farmers are often on the front lines of environmental exposures, the study suggests that these exposures are not a significant factor in cancer rates. The combination of lifestyle factors, including lower rates of smoking and alcohol use, and the high physical activity required to be a farmer, contribute to these lower incidence rates for many common cancers like lung and colorectal cancer. Work will continue on these studies.

This week the House passed Senate File 2220, a bill that aims to improve how Iowa identifies and supports high-achieving students. Under this bill, school districts must use multiple data sources–including standardized tests, student achievement, cognitive and creative ability, and parent/teacher input–to identify gifted students. It also ensures that schools are identifying students across all populations, including special education and English language learners. School boards must develop an advanced mathematics pathway designed to increase the number of students who complete higher-level math courses in grades 9-12 and enable students to be prepared for algebra I as early as middle school and complete it no later than the end of 9th grade. Students who score at an advanced level on the statewide math assessment, or meet other indicators, are automatically enrolled in advanced courses. In Iowa, we want to maximize the potential of our students by removing barriers to advanced coursework and ensuring that high achievers are identified and challenged.

As always, I look forward to seeing you at the Capitol or in the district.