Representative Dan Huseman

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…

Week 14 of this session is finished, and lawmakers are heading home to celebrate the Easter holiday. We are scheduled to adjourn in about two weeks, but most people would like to make a run for the finish line next week. This will be difficult, but it is possible. We have an agreement with the…

On Thursday morning, someone in our caucus asked what the soil temperature was. One member answered it was 44 degrees today, but 53 degrees on Monday. He said when the soil is dry and 50 degrees, planters roll in Jones county. Also, April 11th was the official date set by Crop Insurance to start planting…

The second funnel week is over, so the list of bills eligible for debate continues to shrink. More importantly, by next Monday, we will be past day 85 of a 110 day session, so time is growing short. The good news is that some legislation is being thrown overboard and will not be debated this…