Thanks to Sue Cahill, State Representative, for the comprehensive list of bills passed and proposed in the Iowa State Legislature this year. The state motto which states “our liberties we prize…..” seems to be lost in many of the actions taken and proposed. While one of the main duties of government is to keep our citizens safe and educated, things such as oversight over health facilities, hotels and schools, to whom taxpayer money is going, has been diminished while there is much handwringing over what bathroom someone uses and who someone marries. Exactly whose rights are being maintained, I am not sure.

I have watched over the past few years as commissions, boards and task forces have submitted reports and recommendations to our state leaders only to have them discounted and ignored. Expertise in a field doesn’t seem to mean much and many representatives seem to go with their feelings about a topic and personal agendas instead of facts.

I sincerely hope that we can soon return to a two-party state government where compromise is necessary and will better serve all Iowans.