People often think legislators get a “break” after session, but I have quickly found out that is not true. The work continues as I use this summer to meet with constituents and stakeholders to better understand their issues and concerns and to prepare to hit the ground running when session ...

Among several issues that Americans report as their highest priorities, a strong economy usually tops the list. That makes complete sense. After all, a strong economy means bigger paychecks, more jobs, and greater opportunities for families, farmers, workers, and businesses in Iowa and ...

I now have passed the four-year mark leading the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce. On Aug.  2, I marked that milestone, a reminder of how long economic development can take to gain traction yet how worthwhile that persistence is once momentum builds. Today the economic energy in ...

Last week, politicians, including Senator Joni Ernst, and a few handpicked business owners in Cedar Rapids held a roundtable to celebrate President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” as a win for small business. It should be noted that the participants in these types of press events are ...

What if the federal government captures in real time the contents of every telephone call, email and text message and all the fiber-optic data generated by every person and entity in the United States 24/7? What if this mass surveillance was never authorized by any federal law and tramples the ...

I’ve been struggling with nausea ever since cancer treatment began, which is over a year ago. And I’m sick of it! LOL. Of course, the docs have given me nausea medication, two different kinds: one that dissolves under my tongue, the other a pill that I swallow. Neither of them worked for ...