Summer bird feeding

Now that warm, summer weather is here, many people have taken down their bird feeders. But, summer bird feeding can provide you with just as much enjoyment as feeding the birds during the winter. And, the birds you get at your summer feeders are not always the same birds as you see during the winter months!

The sixteenth week and last week of the 2026 Iowa legislative session saw many bills considered in the Senate. Several major bills and topics were brought up as legislators worked to finish up the session. Here is a brief recap on some bills that may be of interest from this week:

Sine Die

This week, the Iowa Capitol saw the Volunteer Iowa Awards Ceremony and the Purple Star school designation ceremony. Thank you to Wayne and Connie Finnern for making the trip down to Des Moines on Thursday to explore our beautiful capitol building. My secretary, Teegan Jones, had a wonderful time meeting with them and showing them around.

Iowa House passes bill empowering parents, strengthening school choice

Last week, the House passed a bill that empowers parents and strengthens school choice options in Iowa. It helps public schools, preschools, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and homeschool families.

Every year, especially in the spring and early summer, we get calls from well-meaning people wanting to know what they should do with the little “orphaned” bird or mammal they have just found.  Many people are surprised by our usual answer. We usually tell them to leave it just where it belongs—in the wild.

This week, the Iowa Capitol saw visits by the American Physical Therapy Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and a class visit by high school students from Harris-Lake Park. Wednesday evening saw Senate Republicans gather for dinner to honor our retiring colleagues, whose efforts to serve the people of Iowa are tremendous.

House passes apprenticeship bill

On Wednesday, House Republicans passed a priority workforce bill. SF2168 focuses on making sure our Iowa students have the opportunities they need to successfully enter the workforce while also filling positions Iowa needs.