Helena Hayes Capitol Update January 22, 2026
Week Two Recap
FFA Day at the Capitol!
It is always a fun time when visitors come to the Capitol, but FFA students are a favorite. It was wonderful to talk to the students and learn their love for agriculture and farming, plus share my own love of chickens! Hundreds of students filled every nook and cranny of the Capitol this week, including student leaders from Oskaloosa and Pekin Community School, accompanied by their FFA advisors.
4-H Day on the Hill
Mahaska County 4-H County Council Leaders shared their “why” stories; from communication skills, generational blessings, to the multitude of project areas, each on of these young ladies knows exactly why 4-H matters to them!
Congrats to our local 2026 Honey Queen and 4-Her, Brie Marshal, who will promote the value of the honeybee, beekeeping, and the consumption of honey. She will represent the Back to Basics Beekeeping Club in Mahaska County and is available to speak and teach on this valuable resource.
Protecting Landowners from Eminent Domain Abuse
The first bill that passed off the floor of the Iowa House was to protect landowners from abuse of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines. Iowa landowners have been clear: private property is a fundamental right, not a convenience for private corporations. House Republicans have passed bills on this issue repeatedly since 2023. HF2104 simply prohibits eminent domain for the purpose of carbon dioxide pipelines. This is not about opposing the pipelines, but about opposing the use of eminent domain to construct the pipelines. We aren’t telling companies they can’t build; we’re telling them they must negotiate fairly with Iowans instead of using the heavy hand of government to take what they want. We are hopeful that this year we will be able to get protections for landowner rights across the finish line. Representative Holt lead the way, yet again, on this important issue that could affect all land owners in Iowa.
The Process of a House Committee
A standing committee is a group of legislators chosen by the leadership of each chamber to examine all bills relating to a specific subject area. Examples of standing committees in Iowa are Education, Commerce, or Agriculture. This session, I am on five committees: Education, Labor and Workforce, Veterans Affairs, International Relations, and the Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee.
A typical committee meeting includes reading a summary of each bill that has been assigned to the committee, then the chair of that committee will assign those bills to subcommittees. After that, the committee will discuss bills that have come out of the subcommittees and take any action needed for recommendations.
Who is in charge of committees? The Speaker of the House appoints the committee leadership. There is a Chair, Vice Chair, and Ranking Member. The Chair and Vice Chair will be members of the Majority Party (currenlty the Republicans), and the Ranking Member will be from the Minority Party (currently the Democrats).
Committee meetings are open to the public to attend in person or via online live stream. You can visit the Iowa Legislature website to view both the Senate and House Committee Schedule.
If you are following a specific bill, you can see what committee it was assigned to by looking at the “House/Senate Journal” on the home page as well. If you plan to visit the Capitol for a committee meeting or any other reason, please send me an email so I know you are coming! I would love to meet with you.
Teachers and Educators
Teachers with the Professional Educators of Iowa Organization traveled to the Capitol to testify and lobby for improved classroom safety, joined by students from across Iowa. I especially enjoyed the visit from education students at William Penn University who shared how Oskaloosa Community School District is leading by example in their effort to recuit and attract new students by providing a partial stipend during their four month student teaching period. This fantastic recruitment tool is effective for retaining new teachers in small rural areas by offering financial security that make rural teaching jobs more attractive and feasible.
A Message from AARP Iowa
The AARP Community Challenge grant program is now open for its 10th year – this initiative funds quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and more.
Key Details:
· Application Deadline: March 4, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. CT
· Submission site: www.aarp.org/CommunityChallenge
· Project Completion Deadline: December 15, 2026
· Eligibility: 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations, government entities, and other organizations on a case-by-case basis
