I know this is a hard time for everyone, and I want to help keep you as informed as possi-ble. There are reliable links to very informative websites from experts at both state and fed-eral levels. Please go to these websites for facts...don't rely on rumors and opinions. Thank you for what you are doing to care for and serve our commu-nities in so many ways.

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected pretty much every aspect of daily life, but few industries have been disrupted as much as the film industry.
Basically everything is on hold right now as studios delay their theatrical releases due to not having any theaters to release in.
This has resulted in some drastic steps to recoup some of those theatrical losses.

We've been dividing our paper napkins into four instead of two. We've had a tradition here that Dawn and I would pull a napkin apart unless we had ribs or some really great tacos.

It was so refreshing to hear a story about second-degree theft on the radio this morning. I needed a break from COVID-19.

Thanks to the spread of COVID-19, people across the state are discovering that they have an unexpected amount of free time and fewer options to fill it. Staying home means staying home, which is apparently new territory for a lot of people.
Don't worry though. I'm here to help.

It has been an exhausting week for many Iowans as we make immediate lifestyle chang-es to protect our families, workplaces and communities from the COVID-19 outbreak. Our jobs, schools, routines and plans have all been impact-ed.
As a legislator and fellow citizen, I am doing what I can to ensure this time of uncer-tainty is as short lived as pos-sible.

As you know by now, the Iowa Legislature suspended session late on March 16 for 30 days. It may be necessary to extend it further, but we will be back to finish our work when it is safe to do so. It was important to lead by example as the Governor made her deci-sions on keeping Iowa as safe as possible. If anyone has questions, please let me know.

More and more of the world is getting put on hold every day in response to the spread of COVID-19.
Movies are being postponed, including "The New Mutants," which just can't catch a break. This is a movie that finished filming in 2017 and has been delayed six times since then. It almost feels like a time traveler is trying to keep this movie from ever coming out and utilizing increasingly extreme measures to do so.

Iowa faces a workforce short-age and over the last several sessions, House Republicans have made it a priority to ad-dress this challenge. Over the years, legislators have worked in a bipartisan way to pass the Future Ready Iowa Act and Last Dollar Scholarship pro-gram to help Iowans access career training programs and advance in their careers. The next step to ease Iowa’s work-er shortage is addressing the issue of child care.

Iowa has been one of the worst states for protecting pets, but the Legislature is finally acting.

In the men's room at the Windsor Theater in Hampton reads a sign instructing employees to wash their hands. Then under that it says, “Actually, it is probably a good idea for everyone to wash after using the bathroom.” Wise advice.

This week marked the 50th day of the 100-day legislative session. The first funnel dead-line has passed and the second funnel is coming up soon. De-bate is picking up in both chambers as the House and Senate work to advance priori-ty legislation.
Here is an update on where House Republican priorities currently stand:
Child Care
HF 771: Expanding the child care tax credit to more families – Passed House in 2019

Iowa needs more health care providers, especially in our rural areas. Two bills will in-crease access to health care by expanding eligibility for the Rural Iowa Primary Care Loan Repayment Program.

So, have you heard about the Coronavirus?
I'm being silly. Of course you have. Everybody has. It's all anybody is talking about.
The viral spread of COVID-19, aka Coronavirus, started late last year in China. Shockingly, the Chinese government's policy of pretending that the virus wasn't spreading did little to slow its spread, so now this young viral upstart is taking its act global one cough at a time.

In a previous column I mentioned that I had “fled” Cali-fornia. Yes, it's true. Am I a pansy, or do I have too much self respect?
The house I lived in was on a busy one-way street with a German Shepard on the other side that liked to start barking about bedtime; my bedtime anyway.