On Friday I had the honor to help welcome home 175 Iowa National Guard soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division after successfully completing their mission with Operation Inherent Resolve. A total of 575 brave Iowa soldiers are making a phased return to the United States following critical work alongside coalition and regional partners to significantly reduce the capabilities of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, helping make the region safer.

As I chatted with families in the Des Moines hangar, I met young sons awaiting their dad’s return, parents whose child was completing his 8th and last deployment, a mother with a daughter and son together on the mission, and two babies preparing to meet their dads for the first time. Moments like these are powerful reminders of the sacrifices our service members and their families make. After months away from home, seeing those reunions and the pride in the room was incredibly moving. Iowa is proud of these men and women, and we are deeply grateful for their service to preserve freedom in our country and around the world. We continue to pray for the soldiers still overseas and the families of those we have lost.

While those meaningful reunion moments were happening across the state, work at the Capitol continued as well. This week we passed Senate File 2428, which focuses on protecting teachers and helping maintain safe and productive learning environments in Iowa classrooms. The bill allows schools to address both violent and nonviolent disruptions that interfere with learning. If a student causes a serious disruption, they may be removed from the classroom and placed under the supervision of the principal or another designated staff member. The student may only return with the teacher’s consent or after a review by school staff. This bill came at the request of many Iowa educators, and our goal is to support teachers while also helping students get back on a path toward success.

We also continued conversations this week around child care and supporting working families across Iowa. In the Health and Human Services Committee, we passed House File 2514, which would codify the Child Care Assistance workforce pilot project that began in 2023. The program allows employees who work at Iowa childcare centers to qualify for childcare assistance regardless of income. This helps providers recruit and retain workers while supporting the families who care for Iowa’s youngest residents.

One more meaningful bill I led through subcommittee and committee this week helps Iowans who are blind, visually impaired, or have other print disabilities. HF 2585 was introduced by Representative Brett Barker and passed the House unanimously before coming to the Senate. The bill directs the Iowa Board of Pharmacy to adopt accessibility standards so individuals can access prescription labels, bag tags, and medication guides in formats that work for them. I want to thank Representative Barker and everyone who took the time to attend the subcommittee and speak in support of the bill. We do our best work with the input of Iowans!

——-

Contact Kara Warme at

kara.warme@legis.iowa.gov