As we close out Week 4 of the legislative session, we pause to honor the life and service of Representative Graber, who passed away suddenly last Friday. All of us at the legislature extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, and all who knew him.

Our normal cadence in the Senate is to spend Monday-Thursday at the Capitol, and leave Fridays open for meetings with constituents in our districts. Last Friday I had a fun and full day, joining 6 other legislators to tour the Brain Health Retreat Room (and pop into my daughter’s World Studies class) at Ames High School and attending the YSS Recognition Luncheon with my mentee from Gilbert Schools. I also paid tribute to Chief Michael Tupper of the Marshalltown Police Department at his retirement party after 32 years of service in law enforcement (thank you!!), and joined Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Representative David Blom at Lillie Mae Chocolates in Marshalltown to hear how they craft delicious, memorable treats using locally sourced ingredients. It’s always inspiring to see local businesses thriving and contributing to the heart of our communities.

It’s been a busy week full of productive committee meetings and valuable conversations with numerous constituents who shared their thoughts and ideas. In the Health & Human Services Committee, we advanced four pieces of legislation with unanimous bipartisan support. Two that stood out to me are Senate Study Bill 1016 which improves response times on prior authorizations in health care, and SSB 1012 which appropriates funds to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative for the Double Up Food Bucks program to assist those on SNAP to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables sold at farmers markets and grocery stores. I am hopeful this helps build healthy habits while supporting our small-scale farmers.

Speaking of supporting farmers, one of the significant bills under discussion is SSB 1051, which addresses “duty to warn” labels on pesticide products. This issue was raised last year under the leadership of my predecessor, Senator Jeff Edler, and remains a critical part of protecting Iowa’s agriculture industry. The reason behind bringing the bill forward is out-of-state trial lawyers suing companies for the labels on their products despite those companies following federal regulations on exactly what needs to be on the label. It’s important we continue to support the agricultural community and ensure they have the tools they need to succeed. Further attacks on this industry and the tools they use could have dire consequences for consumers.

I will continue to do everything I can to protect our farmers and farm economy. At the same time, I recognize there is still much for me to learn. One opportunity I had this week was at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Summit, where I attended a panel on the future of liquid fuels and how providers will navigate low-carbon markets.

I also wanted to provide an update on SSB 1065, the bill focused on phone-free school days. The bill passed out of Senate subcommittee (!!), and I want to thank everyone who took the time to attend and provide valuable insights. We heard from several individuals who spoke up very convincingly, and their contributions were crucial in moving this bill on to the full Senate Education Committee.

As always, I remain grateful for the opportunity to serve and represent you in the Senate. Please don’t hesitate to reach out at anytime. Together, we will continue to move Iowa forward.

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Kara Warme, a Republican from Ames,

represents District 26 in the Iowa Senate.