I had two very best friends in grade school, as most kids do. What made us special wasn’t just our secret handshakes or shared lunch table, it was something written in the stars. Our birthdays fell three days in a row, January 20, January 21, and mine, January 22. Every year, without fail, we celebrated together. Three birthdays, three cakes, three rounds of wishing and dreaming.

We’re continuing our discussion regarding budgets this week. Of course, the main way for a local government to bring in income is through property taxes. Property Taxes have taken quite a few turns in reform the last 5+ years. It’s a topic that is a clear as mud, but if you recall, I did try to explain the process the best I could back on July 14th .

As a child I lived in Southern California. The common way to put this is grew up. But I was simply alive there and grew up when I met Dawn in Dumont, Iowa. She's worth it.

At the end of this year, significant portions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was signed into law in December of 2017, officially expires. That means that – absent congressional action – taxes for Iowa families, farmers, and businesses will increase.

The other night, my husband Travis and I went out for dinner—just the two of us. A rare happening, as we usually have at least one of our four kids in tow. We’d been out Christmas shopping and needed to refuel before returning to the chaos of the December night. BBQ wings sounded like the perfect fuel.

Reading about the recent round of layoffs at John Deere’s Ottumwa plant got me thinking about the future of farming and the critical role of farm policy. Nearly 2,000 Iowa workers laid off in the past year is a lot of job loss, but sadly not terribly surprising.

Last week I began sharing with you the process that the Supervisors & Department Heads go through during the budgeting process, here at Franklin County. Continuing with that
this week, let’s talk about the funding of outside entities.

All our friends have exceptional grandchildren. I've always thought they were a bit over the top. I made fun of them for fawning over their grandchildren.
People can make fun of me and I don't mind at all. Laughter is good. Now, I'm one of those people who have exceptional grandchildren. As I write this I even wonder if I should capitalize grandchildren, because of Henry.

 
"Let's put it this way: if you are a novelist, I think you start out with a 20-word idea, and you work at it and you wind up with a 200,000-word novel. We, picture-book people, or at least I, start out with 200,000 words and I reduce it to 20." - Eric Carle
 

On November 5 th , 2024, the American people delivered a mandate for our government by electing President Trump and Republican majorities to Congress. Like me, our families and neighbors want secure borders, safe communities, a strong economy, and an affordable cost of living. It is now our responsibility to honor the will of the voters and get our country back on track.

It's really pretty hard to describe the feeling I get doing the Salvation Army bell ringing. Maybe it's like seeing my favorite sports team win. But, nah. Selling corn a week before the bottom drops out of the market? Nah.
 
I'm just not like that. I'm like a cow. Herd instinct makes me comfortable around other people. It's the main thing.
 

2024 was a busy and successful year representing our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities in Congress. I made over 320 stops on my biannual 36 County Tour, launched the second iteration of my Feenstra Agriculture Tour, held several town halls with Iowans, and advocated for our shared values on Capitol Hill.

 As 2024 wraps up, I’m reflecting on the past 12 months. What memories did our family make, how did things go on the farm, and how are things going in my community and across the state?

Based on a 2021 analysis, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) recently determined that it would remove 36 Aids to Navigation (ATONs) along the Missouri River north of Blencoe, Iowa. The removal process is projected to be completed by May 2025, and if implemented, this would be devastating for our farmers, businesses, and manufacturers that rely on the Missouri River to ship their goods and serve their customers in an efficient and effective manner.

As I write this, it is the anniversary of the death of Ralph Bunche. Mr. Bunche was a truly unique individual in that he favored diplomacy over war. He was instrumental, while working as an assistant to the UN special council, Folke Bernadotte, in bringing peace to the Middle East in 1948. When Bernadotte was assassinated by Jewish terrorists, Bunche was promoted to chief negotiator.