Wulf Roundup: Week 4: Survival of the fittest for legislation

By Representative Derek Wulf  

    With only two weeks until first funnel, the point at which a bill has to have made it through a committee to stay alive for the session, much legislation is being discussed to determine its fate. There are several key deadlines to legislative session in Iowa with only 100 days from start to end in a session and it truly does become a survival of the fittest race.  Although there is no way for me to recap everything in a short newsletter this week, I will highlight a key priority for the Iowa House Republicans as well as a brief recap of topics that  will shape the House Ag Committee.  

First, a recap of what is to be discussed in Ag. It's no surprise that much of the legislation this year in Ag focuses on fairness to farmers, cutting regulation, incentivizing and funding the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, and making sure that we have the freedom to operate our farms and ranches in a manner consistent with generations of knowledge to feed our world. Here are some bills that were introduced this week to do just that:  

- HSB 684 - A bill to allow and assist farmers to remove costly and burdensome diesel emissions systems from agriculture equipment without penalty and with the assistance of equipment manufacturers.  

- HSB 657 - A bill requiring the DNR to identify specific sources of pollution when identifying impaired waters in the state via DNA testing to identify species or source of actual contamination.  

- HSB TBD - A bill to prevent climate related lawsuits for farmers and ranchers for “perceived greenhouse gas release” as has been accused recently in several other states from environmentalists who want to blame methane release from cow digestion or biofuel production for rising greenhouse gas emissions. It seems to be craziness that we have write  legislation to protect cow flatulence, but after four years in the State House nothing amazes me  anymore.  

This past week we also passed the Iowa Farm Act out of committee which now moves onto the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration. To be noted, one of the most robust pieces of legislation to come through the Iowa Legislature for some time was a bill that includes positive policy for farmers, Iowa Agribusiness, Iowa biofuels, our livestock industry and our direct-to-consumer farms was passed 16 to 6. All of the opposition came from Democrat members on the committee which is perplexing to say the least after zero feedback came from the Democrat caucus prior to committee consideration.  

The Iowa Skilled Workforce Act  

This week, we introduced the Iowa Skilled Workforce Act - a common-sense plan to  bridge the gap between our state’s available jobs and the skilled workers needed to fill them.  At its heart, this bill is a strategic partnership between the state, our schools, and the trades.  The deal is simple: The state provides the funding and the flexibility. In return, Iowa’s industry  leaders shape and train the next generation of workers. This legislation focuses on two core  pillars:  

1. State Funding: Investing in Growth- This bill increases the 84E Apprenticeship Act  funding from $3 million to $4.5 million. This funding provides annual financial assistance to  existing Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs across the state. It also creates the Career  Training Physical Expansion Program. This provides the financial backing to build new, state of-the-art facilities at community colleges and within both union and non-union private sector  programs. If you have the drive to expand training in high-demand fields, the state is going to  be your partner.  

2. Local Flexibility: Empowering Experts - We are giving schools and programs the  flexibility they need to move at the speed of business. HSB 674 removes red tape for teachers,  allowing veteran tradespeople with 3,000 hours of experience to lead classrooms. It empowers  community colleges to set the financial aid parameters for the Last-Dollar Scholar program, 

ensuring they can adapt to the specific needs of their local high-demand industries. This bill  encourages pre-apprenticeship programs in K-12 schools to show students a clear path to  success before they even graduate. And it codifies the 3:1 ratio for plumbing and HVAC to  match the electrical trade, creating a consistent, proven framework for safety and quality.  

From the plumbers and HVAC technicians who keep our homes safe, to the electricians  and builders who power our growth, the "trades" are what keep Iowa running. In the Iowa  House, we’ve worked to shift the focus and state resources to these educational programs that  Iowans can actually use, meeting real, urgent needs of their fellow Iowans. This is a partnership  built to last. It’s an investment in the Iowan who wants to work with their hands, and a  guarantee to the taxpayer that their investment will result in a stronger, more prosperous state.  This weeks “Did you Know”  

The Iowa Legislature was designed in the 1800s around a pretty plain philosophy, lawmakers should live like the people they represent. Most early legislators were farmers, merchants, or small-town lawyers. They needed a session that wrapped up before planting  season, didn’t require moving permanently to the capital, and forced lawmakers to stay  focused and go home so sessions were short, intense, and seasonal by design.  

Feel free to reach out via email:  

Derek.Wulf@legis.iowa.gov