Hello, Iowa House District 84 from the State Capitol!
This past Monday, January 12th was the second Monday of the month, which every January means the start of the annual session of the Iowa State Legislature. We are now in the second year of the 91st General Assembly.
On Monday, January 12th, Representative Wendy Larson from house district 7 was sworn in as our newest member. She replaced Mike Sexton, who was appointed by President Trump to serve as Iowa State Director of USDA Rural Development.
Tuesday evening was Governor Kim Reynolds’ annual Condition of the State Address, which was her last, since she will be retired in a year. A couple of the main highlights of the speech were property tax reform and modernizing the Iowa veterans’ benefits system. Both the house and senate republicans will also have their versions of property tax legislation, and it’s way too early to know the final version.
A very impactful and moving moment was when family of Iowa National Guard Staff Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown were recognized and honored. Howard and Staff Sergeant Edgar Torres-Tovar of Des Moines were the two soldiers killed by ISIS in Syria last month. Torres-Tovar’s family were unable to attend.
Wednesday was the annual Condition of the Judiciary Address given by Chief Justice Susan Christensen. One of her big priorities for the legislature is to raise the salaries for judges and court-appointed attorneys across Iowa. Christensen stated there were only five applicants for a district judge position in 2025.
On Thursday, Major General Stephen Osborn gave the Condition of the Guard Address. He highlighted the valuable support of the National Guard to our nation’s military, providing 40% of the Army and 30% of the Air Force as part of our operational force.
If you’d like to read the transcripts or watch the video from each address, here are the links:
https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/iowapress/condition-state/special/13636/2026-condition-state
https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/iowapress/condition-state/special/13638/2026-condition-judiciary
https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/iowapress/condition-state/special/13639/2026-condition-guard
I also had a nice visit with a constituent on Tuesday! Calli Torres of Vinton is a senior at Vinton-Shellsburg High School and visited the Capitol promoting ISTEP – Iowa Students for Tobacco Education and Prevention. You can find out more at https://www.facebook.com/IowaSTEP/mentions or https://hhs.iowa.gov/health-prevention/tobacco-use-prevention-control/youth-prevention-istep. Keep up the great work by promoting a healthier Iowa, Calli!
Jim Magdefrau 