Week six of the 2023 session remained busy in the Iowa Senate as we welcomed guests, met in committees and subcommittees, and worked on new solutions to help better our state.
Tuesday was Iowa Trucking Industry Day. I had the opportunity to visit with trucking company representatives from my Senate district. I also was able to experience the driving simulator used to train truck drivers. Tuesday was also the University of Northern Iowa Day at the Capitol. This gave me an opportunity to learn about all the great, innovative programs offered by UNI.
Wednesday was ABATE of Iowa Day on the hill. I am member of ABATE of Iowa, so I enjoyed meeting with members from across the state, as well as from my district. ABATE of Iowa provides motorcycle rider training at various locations throughout the State of Iowa. Their instructors are Iowa-licensed, MSF-certified, and are all experienced motorcyclists. ABATE of Iowa’s Share the Road is a motorcycle awareness program ABATE of Iowa offers to reduce accidents by educating motor vehicle drivers. This training is intended to help drivers see, respect, and understand a motorcyclist’s needs and rights on the highway.
During her Condition of the State address, Governor Kim Reynolds shared her priority for making government “efficient, effective, and small again,” putting forward a major plan for realignment of departments this year. This week, SSB 1123 continued making its way through the legislative process. It has already had several subcommittees to ensure affected parties can speak and senators can receive public input.
We also had floor debates this week. One notable bill, Senate File 75, creates a new license for hospitals, called rural emergency hospitals (REH). A rural emergency hospital means a facility that provides rural emergency health services 24/7 and does not provide any inpatient acute care. This designation would help stabilize rural hospitals that may be struggling, continue to provide much needed medical services to rural Iowans, and help bring in more money through Medicare.