Representative Dan Huseman

Week nine of the session is over, which means we are right at 60 days completed with 40 to go. This was another busy week as we are passing around 15 bills per day. Next Friday will be the last funnel, so I hope floor debate will slow and we can focus on the budget.…

At this writing, week eight of the session is drawing to a close, and when it does end we will have passed around 60 bills. Most of the bills passed were non-controversial, so there was not much debate or discussion. Some of these bills can be completely disposed of in three or four minutes since…

This was the first week after the funnel, so the House of Representatives debated and passed around 35 bills. Most of these were non-controversial and received unanimous support. A couple of bills carried a little more controversy and passed pretty much along party lines. All of this legislation is headed for the Senate, and they…

The first funnel week is behind us, and it has been a very busy week. House bills needed to pass from a House committee by the end of the week in order to remain eligible for debate on the floor. Anything that failed to clear a committee is most likely dead for the session. Exceptions…

Week five of the session has been hectic as we have had both committee work and floor debate. Next week is the first funnel, so sub-committees and standing committees are pushing bills forward in order to beat the deadline and threat of elimination for the session. As I mentioned, it can be hectic, but good…

The Iowa caucus season is over except for the shouting and, this year, the counting. As of midafternoon on Wednesday, the Iowa Democratic Party was still tabulating results; this is too bad. Voting and counting should be a simple process! I am a Republican, but I really do feel bad for those Democrat candidates who…

The Governor gave her Condition of the State address on January 14, 2020. She also released her proposed budget for FY 2021. By law, the Legislature has 30 days to come up with a dollar amount for K-12 schools. House Republicans are working toward that goal as this is being written. We are proposing an…

The unfavorable winter weather continues throughout the state, and some lawmakers are worried about making it home for the weekend. Poor road conditions also make it hard for constituents who want to visit the Capitol. Wednesday was Veteran’s Day here on the Hill, and although the crowd was pretty good, it was definitely smaller than…

The second session of the 88th General Assembly was gaveled into order by the Speaker of the House, Linda Upmeyer, at 10 am on January 13, 2020. Besides the usual pomp and ceremony of an opening day, there were special duties which needed tending to. Speaker Upmeyer has decided to retire from her leadership position,…

With the 2019 legislative session in its final hours, lawmakers are pushing hard to complete the state budget for next fiscal year. Total spending has been agreed to, and now we are putting in the details. The final budget will spend $7.643 billion dollars, which is an increase over last year, and our reserve accounts…