Under the Golden Dome, Too

By: 
Linda Upmeyer

Upmeyer: Government transparency always a top legislative priority

 

     I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and you're continuing to enjoy the Christmas season. Between the hustle and bustle of shopping and parties, be sure to take a moment to appreciate what we're celebrating and enjoy the simple pleasures that make this time of year so blessed and special.

     On Jan. 12, we will begin a new legislative session. Naturally, my thoughts turn to what I've been hearing from you. One of the things I've consistently heard from you since taking office is that you would like to see more transparency in state government. I couldn't agree more and in an effort to do just that, last session we passed legislation to make a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate website available for Iowans to find information about the fees charged by state agencies to the public. The information can be found at https://iafees.iowa.gov.

     HF 2274, which passed the House by a unanimous vote of 98-0, required the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to work with all of Iowa's state agencies to collect the data and make it available for the public in one location. Visitors to the website can filter their search based on agency, fee type, amount, description, and fee period. The website, which is designed to be mobile-friendly, also allows individuals to subscribe to changes in fees and to receive an e-mail or text message if a fee has been added.

     According to the OCIO, this may be the first website of its kind that allows for an easy search of service fees charged by all state government agencies in one simple-to-use location.

     In other news, I've been enjoying seeing the news coverage of the awards given for this fall's 4-H projects. The students' vast knowledge of a variety of topics, from animal science to the arts, never ceases to amaze me. I'd also like to congratulate our schools' athletes and coaches on a very successful fall sports season. So many awards and honors were given to our football, track, and volleyball student athletes. I look forward to following the success of our winter sports teams.

     It is always impressive to see the many newspaper pages devoted to recognizing our outstanding youth! Many of these students will be the future leaders of our cities and state. To all of our students involved in extracurriculars, teachers, coaches and volunteers – thank you for your incredible contributions to our communities.

     As we approach the next legislative session, please don't hesitate to contact me with any issues you may care about. I can be reached anytime at linda.upmeyer@legis.iowa.govor 515-281-4618.

     Have a very merry Christmas!

Hampton Chronicle

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Hampton, IA 50441
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Fax: 1-800-340-0805
Email: news@midamericapub.com

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