Warme

Many people have asked why we had to go 34 straight hours to finish the 2026 legislative session. Some have even suggested it’s evidence of poor leadership. I see exactly the opposite. I saw 150 legislators and a governor who had made commitments to the people of Iowa and were not willing to leave until the work was done. In our final weekend, we reached bipartisan passage of two of the biggest priorities and focus areas this session: property tax reform and water quality investments. The property tax bill should save taxpayers $4 billion over the next six years, and our water quality plan invests more than $300 million with impactful programs for the next decade. Add to that new dedicated funding for pediatric cancer research and fresh produce for low-income Iowans, multiple bills to prevent human trafficking and assist its victims, and critical updates to public safety, and there is nowhere else I would have rather been.

As with last year, the legislative all-nighter to end our session was deeply humanizing. It made us feel more like a family with some disagreements than legislators on opposite sides. Our high school pages had an intense poker game, and many legislators and lobbyists had their children with them at various points. Near midnight, I was throwing paper airplanes off the rotunda balcony with one visiting child. We taught a whole crew of Des Moines DoorDash drivers to find the west steps of the Capitol, and I discovered a balcony with lovely morning sun to watch the livestream of my church’s Sunday morning service.

As we debated and voted on a bill to help victims of sexual assault, there was a woman visibly weeping in the gallery. It was an emotional reminder that while we might work on hundreds of bills through the session, there are many that are individually the most important thing to one or more Iowans. Another topic that made an emotional impact was our efforts to make animal torture a felony. We know that those who abuse pets are more likely to do the same to humans in their household, and that neither one can be tolerated. Alongside property taxes, the companion animal torture bill was one of the issues I heard about most often from constituents, and I was grateful we were able to get it across the finish line.

With this year’s legislative finish line behind us, I am grateful to have more time to spend in our district listening to constituents and learning about issues we may need to address in the future. I hope you’ll answer your door when I’m there knocking, and if you have a group or event you would like me to visit, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s an honor to represent you, and I can do that best when I hear from you.

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