It’s been a few weeks since the first legislative funnel of the 2025 Iowa legislative session.

House Representative for District 23 Ray Sorensen says that looking back on the funnel, there were several bills that were cut from consideration, as they hadn’t been reviewed by both sub-committee and committee. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio of a few he wishes would have made the cut.

“One was a bill aimed at expanding mental health resources in schools that would have provided more funding for counselors and mental health training for teachers. With the youth mental health crisis we’re seeing, I think it could have made a big difference for Iowa kids and I was disappointed to see it stall out. Another one was a proposal to increase tax credits for small farmers adopting sustainable practices. I thought it was a smart way to support our ag community while tackling some environmental concerns, but it didn’t get any traction either.”

Sorensen mentions that there were a lot of bills that were introduced this session, meaning that several would not make it through the first funnel, so he realizes some needed cut so that the legislators could focus on the priorities of their constituents.