Week three was busy in the Iowa Senate as it was our first full week of subcommittee and committee work.
The week started with the Iowa Prayer Rally for Life on Monday to celebrate the successes of the pro-life movement and the achievements we have had in Iowa in protecting life.
Thursday was iJAG Legislative Day at the Capitol. It was a pleasure to meet with these students and teachers and talk about what this program has done for them, what they have achieved, and how legislators can help with their mission.
We continue sorting through policy bills and moving ideas with enough support through the legislative process. This week the Senate moved SSB 3069 past the first step in the legislative process.
 SSB 3069 directs Iowa schools to implement evidence-based reading curriculum to teach elementary school students. It requires kindergarten through third grade students be taught using evidence-based instruction, including phonics, and prevents instruction which teaches kids how to read based on context, visual cues, or memory. It also requires teacher preparation programs to focus on evidence-based instruction. 
Reading scores of Iowa students are near the national average. However, when students fall behind after third grade, most do not recover. The goal of SSB 3069 is to improve student achievement.
After listening to feedback from Iowans, the Governor announced that she plans to amend her original AEA bill proposal (HF543/SSB3073). While we (legislators) have not yet seen the amendment language, the understanding is that it will restore Ed Services and approved Media Services that was previously removed in the original bill language. I fully expect further changes to the bill as it works its way through the legislative process.