One of the most unusual aspects of sports is the referees, and the way these human beings are treated. People who go to a game are thinking about the teams and players. They just take for granted that some people will be there to enforce the rules.
My favorite part of watching sports, other than the action itself, is the team names and uniforms. The games would be a lot less exciting if everybody wore a plain uniform, and their team names were only the town, city, or state where they’re from.
Most kids who go out for a sport would obviously rather play than sit on the bench. The only game I have any personal experience to draw upon is basketball. It’s the only sport I went out for when I was in school at Schleswig. And, other than being an assistant a few times, it’s the only sport I’ve ever coached.
Nearly 220 million American adults turn to their local newspapers regularly for news and information they need to stay informed, feel more connected to their neighbors and improve their lives and communities.
It’s no secret that recent years have been tough on small businesses and on newspapers. A bipartisan bill, the Community News & Small Business Support Act, that has been introduced in Congress would offer relief to both newspapers and local businesses. For too many newspapers, help can’t come soon enough. Economic challenges have resulted in too many communities seeing their local newspapers being forced to lay off staff, cut back on publication days or — worse yet — close. On average, two newspapers are closing each week.
We just finished week 15 of the Iowa legislative session, and we are nearing completion of our work for the year. In this edition of Freedom Watch, I will highlight legislation passed this week, and what is likely to come before the end of session. Senate File 496 – Parent Empowerment
The Governor recently signed Senate File 482 into law. I floor-managed this legislation to passage in the House out of concern for student safety and privacy. The bill addresses student privacy in bathrooms, changing rooms, and on school trips. In this edition of Freedom Watch, I will provide a non-legalistic, simple explanation of this legislation, in response to questions I have seen and inaccurate information being advanced. For more legal terminology, please visit the link at the bottom.
Question: What basic information should I know about Senate File 482?
Over the last few days, the issue I have heard about most in messages left on my phone, in texts and in emails, is stopping the use of eminent domain for the CO2 pipeline projects. The common question is, “what more can we do to get the Senate to pass HF565?” Good question. HF565 was overwhelmingly passed by the House, and creates strong protections against the use of eminent domain for the CO2 pipeline private economic development projects. Unfortunately, it was not advanced by the Senate before the final funnel deadline.
A late session surprise issue was introduced in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. One of the tasks of Senate committee chairs is to spend time outside of session finding problems and looking for solutions that are bold and innovative. With Republicans chairing Senate committees, taxpayers are protected in this system. I’ll start by introducing two tax programs involving corn producers.
