I avoid saying I grew up in California for two reasons. First is that I didn't have to grow up until I met Dawn, who married me when I grew up. Second is that I don't want people to laugh at me.

The Legislature’s first funnel was this week, which means our focus has been narrowed to bills that have a better chance of being debated on the floor and signed into law.

It’s become clear in recent years that Iowa law does an injustice to homeowners living in manufactured housing com-munities – also known as mo-bile home parks.

Can we talk about Star Trek?
I'm dying to talk about Star Trek.
With the premiere of "Star Trek: Picard," CBS has gotten me to re-subscribe to their dedicated streaming service. Their non-Trek selection remains anemic, but if you want to boldly go where no man has gone before CBS All-Access is where you have to do it.

You say you didn't buy a swimming pool? You bought a six-lane swimming pool and an irrigated soccer field in Baghdad at the 104-acre U.S. Em-bassy.
Back on New Year's Eve, Iraqis stormed the embassy and set a fire as a way to drive the invaders from their country. I wonder how we would like a foreign power patrolling our streets uninvited.

This week the Capitol was busier than usual with groups from all over Iowa, educating members on bills they do (or do not) support. Sub-committees are being held to prepare for the first funnel week (more about that topic next week.)
The House held its first floor debate of the session this week, passing three important pieces of legislation to support Iowa’s K-12 schools and victims of significant flooding across the state.

That sound you heard this weekend was Jeff Fowler breathing a sigh of relief.

He had to be tense. As the director of the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Fowler received the brunt of the… let's call it "constructive criticism" as the collective movie-going population reacted to the nightmarish CGI model of everybody's favorite hyperactive hedgehog.

Schools have been in a tough position for years, grappling with inadequate funding to meet student needs. There still is a chance we can do better for them this year though.
On Monday, I voted to increase school funding by a modest 3 percent for 2020-21. Unfortunately, the proposal was defeated in favor of a spending level that will shortchange our schools by about a third.

With the Iowa Caucuses complete, our coffee shops are a little quieter and our conversations are back to basketball and wrestling. I am so thankful for all of the volunteers who helped the candidates, and for the candidates who spent so much time getting to know Iowa. Both parties had a great turn out and many first time attendees.

Iowa is in the middle of a child care crisis. It’s tough on fami-lies, businesses and communi-ties.
Members of the Iowa Women’s Foundation recently visited the State Capitol to share with legislators their ide-as for expanding access to child care.
Iowa’s child care challenges include:
• Making care accessible to ALL Iowans, including those in rural areas.

To the editor:

To the editor:
As educational leaders in the NIACC region, we know firsthand the positive economic impact North Iowa Area Com-munity College has in our communities each year. NIACC has been an integral part of the community since it opened in 1918 and now it's our turn to be there for them.

It's a match made in heaven, or maybe the other place.
In Taiwan, the mobile game "Arena of Valor" has teamed up with KFC for an unusual cross-promotional event. With the purchase of a specific meal combo, KFC customers have the chance at receiving a code that unlocks Colonel Sanders as one of the game's playable characters.

The house our kids were raised in was the oldest house in Ingham Township. It had a shallow footing for the main walls and a separate cellar un-der the original part of the house. The footing was shal-low so the settlers could quick-ly build it in time for winter. The cellar was added later, the dirt carried up the stairs and out. It offered food storage and protection from Indians.

This week I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to our nation's capital to witness the historic signing of The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). I had a great time visiting with law-makers from all over the United States, but it was a particular delight to catch up with our very own senators from Iowa.