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Week 14 of the 2026 legislative session brings us to the near end of this General Assembly. The Iowa Senate continues to work through the list of gubernatorial appointments waiting for approval and recognizing the accomplishments of those senators who will retire this year. The Senate legislative focus has narrowed, and we are working toward a few crucial legislative priorities.
With 150 diverse members of the legislative body, we work hard to represent our districts, while also working to produce legislation that considers all of Iowa.
Legislation highlights
The Senate addressed the issue of mineral rights this week. Iowa’s current laws are antiquated in this policy arena and currently benefit the exploration companies. Senate File 2490, passing the Senate this week, sets guardrails for mineral exploration and makes certain Iowans benefit from the resources found within its borders. The bill draws on what other states have done successfully over the years, especially with the oil and gas industry.
Contemporary science and technology has companies considering exploration in Iowa for minerals and gasses they believe to be abundant under our soil. Some companies have already begun to explore for large reserves of hydrogen miles under Iowa’s surface. Hydrogen gas is a critical mineral used for petroleum upgrading, steel manufacturing and fertilizer production.
As technology and energy sources improve, hydrogen uses and demand continue to increase. The guardrails in this bill will ensure that Iowa and its citizens will benefit from the taxation, accessibility, and production of this valuable resource.
Many bills were filed this year to address the abuses and unregulated uses of artificial intelligence. One of those bills, Senate File 2417, passed both the Senate and the House and is on its way to the Governor for signature. This bill prohibits operators from knowingly and intentionally causing or programing a conversational AI service to make a representation or statement that would lead a reasonable individual to believe that the conversational AI service is designed to provide professional psychology or behavioral health services. It is intended to protect unsuspecting Iowans from harm and to give notice to the industry to limit the scope of their conversational AI products.
Visitors to the Capitol
This week my office received the best thank you notes from third grade students in Chariton. They were all illustrated and handwritten in wonderful penmanship. I directed a contribution to the classroom project to supply comfortable flexible seating chairs for the students to relax while reading.
Last year I learned about a program called DONORS CHOOSE that allows teachers to list special projects or needs for their classrooms and donors can contribute toward the project. It’s like a GoFundMe specifically for schools. I would encourage to check out the website: www.DonorsChoose.org. The notes were the highlight of my week!