Nine years ago, on January 31st, 2016, tragedy struck the Root family. 21-year-old Sarah Root, who was driving home to celebrate with her family and friends after graduating from Bellevue University in Nebraska, was hit and killed by an egregiously drunk driver. Instead of answering for his crimes, Edwin Mejia—an illegal immigrant driving three times over the legal limit—posted bail, fled our country, and was not seen from again. 

March is finally here, and that means we’re chomping at the bit for planting season. On my farm and those around me, we’re making sure everything—and everyone—is ready to roll as soon as the weather and the crop insurance companies give us the green light. The seed is being delivered, the grease and oil applied, the fuel tanks filled. We’re gearing up. Spring is always a season of possibility and hope for farmers. We’re eternal optimists.

Last week it became shockingly evident that the nuts are running the asylum. Trump and Vance were bawling out Velodymyr Zelenskyy because he was begging for more weapons without showing enough gratitude. I haven't talked to our kids like that for 30 years.

The core principle of the American Republic is that it functions at the will of, and with the consent of, the people of the United States. This is outlined in the preamble of our Constitution. It’s a deeply American principle that the rest of the world has admired since our nation’s birth. In the 119th Congress, the people are making their voices heard.

I try to stay informed about public opinion. One way is through Facebook. Dawn posted over 600 songs on there for activity directors to share in the nursing homes that locked her out during Covid. That's what got me started. I think what I do is called “lurking.” I don't post anything unless it is a classified ad.

Like the rest of the Trump administration, our new EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, is already off to a roaring start. Last week, he announced the EPA’s newest initiative – “Powering the Great American Comeback.” The five pillars of this plan outline the administration’s intent over the first 100 days to restore American energy dominance, bolster our own domestic production, and reduce our reliance on foreign energy resources.
 

Week 4 of the 2025 legislative session began on a solemn note as Brigadier General (Retired) and Iowa Representative Martin L. Graber passed away suddenly on Jan. 31, 2025, at Fort Madison in southeast Iowa. He was laid to rest on Tuesday, so no Iowa House subcommittee or committee meetings were held on Feb. 4.

If you follow the minutes of the Board of Supervisor meetings, you know that January was full of discussions about wage increases for employees and elected officials for FY2026.
Before I go any further, let me remind you that our budget years run from July 1 st – June 30 th , so the Supervisors were discussing and deciding on wage increases that will not take affect until
July 1 st , 2025.

I heard from fellow Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement members up in Worth County their Board of Supervisors recently passed an ordinance that enacts common-sense protections from hazardous liquid pipelines. That’s the eleventh county to pass an ordinance pushing back against Summit’s proposed CO2 pipeline.

There’s no denying that the United States has an opioid crisis. Unregulated, deadly drugs have found their way into our urban centers, our suburbs, and even our rural main streets. Every year, these fatal substances indiscriminately kill hundreds of thousands of Americans regardless of age, race, or creed. There is no questioning what needs to be done.

ALGONA—-- For only the second time this year it was the Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs girls basketball team that was on the losing side of a game.The No. 11. Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs lost to the No. 8. Algona Bulldogs 36-32 on Feb. 7. Hampton-Dumont-CAL is now 19-2 on the year and both losses have been to Algona.
 

Whether it's about general funding or fentanyl traffic, national security, or the “level playing field for US industry,” tariffs still dominate public dialog.
Policy is force. tariffs are a tax, it's not a magic wand. I heard a friend say, “How dare Trump put tariffs on our wonderful friends in Canada?” We will all pay the tariffs to the government.

We’re back at it with more budget talk and information.  Last week we talked about the different departments within the county organization, both state mandated and those that aren’t mandated.  This week we’re going to look at all the different funds the county has.  Before we go any further, let’s talk about what a fund is…the easiest way to think about is like this…a fund is a bucket of money that the county has.  Some buckets or funds are f

Earlier this month, I joined more than 120 of my colleagues in introducing H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. In 1791, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by Congress. One of our great Founding Fathers — James Madison — believed that the security and longevity of the American Republic depended on free, well-armed citizens.

On the evening of Wednesday January 15th, I hosted my first of several telephone town halls for 2025. Nearly 6,000 Iowans joined us to ask questions about topics important to them and to learn more about my work in Congress for our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities.