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Rep. Upmeyer focuses on child care access and affordability and high speed internet to under-served areas

Linda Upmeyer (right)
The following is a legislative update from GOP Rep. Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake, Speaker of the Iowa House:

The First Funnel Week

The Legislature’s first funnel was this week, which means our focus has been narrowed to bills that have a better chance of being debated on the floor and signed into law.

What is the funnel? It’s a deadline when House bills are required to pass at least one House committee to remain eligible for discussion and vice versa for the Senate. If a bill fails to advance through a committee, it is considered “dead” for the session and is tabled. Oftentimes, a bill is not moved forward because it lacks support or needs more discussion over the interim. Many of the bills passing out of committee will continue to undergo improvements.

I have chosen a couple of legislation priorities that remain alive following the first funnel.

Child Care Access and Affordability
(House Files 2041, 2083, 2171, 2175, 2270, 2271, and 2424)

The Iowa Legislature has introduced a wide-ranging package of legislation this session to improve access to affordable child care for families. Several committees have advanced common sense solutions to make child care more affordable The House is also continuing to work with the Senate to expand eligibility of the child care tax credit program by doubling the household income threshold.

Expanding High-Speed Internet to Under-served Areas
(House Files 2023, 2107, 2213, 2242, and 2459)

House Members have also made the expansion of high-speed broadband to under-served parts of the state a top priority this session. Reliable internet has become a necessity in today’s economy and both employers and workers are depending on a steady connection to conduct business online or work from home. To help this expansion, the Commerce committee has passed multiple bills to improve internet access and bring faster speeds to Iowa’s rural communities. House Members are continuing to work closely with stakeholders to find solutions and help spur broadband development to each corner of Iowa.

World-Class Schools
(House File 2243 and 2245 and House Study Bill 598)

In addition to providing Iowa’s K-12 schools with record investment this year, the Iowa Legislature has been looking for additional ways to make our schools better for students, teachers, and parents. Building on previous efforts, lawmakers continued to bring down rural school transportation costs and reduce per pupil inequity this session. Members from both parties have also worked together on legislation to help educators deal with disruptive behavior in the classroom to keep students and staff safe as well as get students the support they need.

Besides the focus of funnel week, I had the pleasure of having a young lady job shadow me for a day. Kira Strashko is a freshman at West Fork High School, and she has had an interest in politics for as long as she can remember. Kira sat by my side and attended all of my daily events with me. As a state legislator, I am always impressed by the involvement and dedication of young people in our society, especially in politics.

I would once again like to thank all of my constituents back home who have allowed me the privilege and honor to serve as their voice in the Iowa House.

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