The 2019 Iowa legislative session has come to an end, and area lawmakers feel it was very productive.

State Representative Chris Hagenow, (R) District 19, says one of the biggest victories during the assembly was the bipartisan effort regarding a children’s mental health program, which was signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds. Hagenow adds, there were several more controversial bills that have also made it to the Governor’s desk, though many of those were dramatically scaled back from their original versions. Overall, he was pleased with how the session turned out. “The things that we set forth as major priorities for the year, we were able to get those all done. We got a lot of work done, I think, in regards to education, some rural initiatives, healthcare, and some really good pro-tax payer pieces as well. So (we had) a lot of success on a lot of fronts. So there’s always more work to be done next year, but I feel very good about where we ended.”

Looking ahead to next year, Hagenow says they will take a look at some bills that didn’t make it through this session, such as the felon voting rights amendment, as well as some new issues, like reviewing state tax credits. He emphasizes that much of the time between sessions is spent in conversation with constituents, so he encourages people to contact him regarding their concerns.

To hear more from Hagenow, listen to yesterday’s and today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County programs at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.