Iowa Republican Representative Tom Moore, from Griswold, spoke about with KJAN News today (Monday), about several matters, including the protests and riots over the death of George Floyd, the upcoming primary and legislative session. With regard to the protests over the death of George Floyd, Moore said “Very simply, we need to separate the difference between protest and rioting. We have both going on.” He said also, “It’s an unusual situation for law enforcement to handle.”

Moore says the overwhelming peaceful message he’s heard from protestors (and from Floyd’s family), is, that the riots are unacceptable.

With regard to the Primary Election on Tuesday, Moore – who is running unopposed on the Republican ticket – said it’ll be important to see how people respond to the Secretary of State’s efforts to mail absentee ballot request forms to all registered Iowa voters in an effort to provide for their safety, as an alternative go showing up at the polls (in response to COVID-19).

Tom Moore says the Legislature and Governor have been working over the past three or four years, to make sure “We have a legitimate, legal, accessible ability to vote.” The Legislative session begins June 3^rd. Moore says they will pick up where they left off before the COVID-19 pandemic sidetracked the process. He says there will be safety precautions in-place when the chamber doors open again.

And, the legislature, he says will have unprecedented transparency measures in place

He says the new procedures will make it more difficult for the lobbyists, in that they will have to submit written public comments, e-mails and phone call information on various issues to come before the legislative body. The legislature he says, will be working on policy issues, and the budget, when they reconvene, Wednesday morning. The includes a focused list of priorities as the “Second funnel week” begins.

Many of the priorities include child care, EMS (Emergency Medical Services), and broadband internet expansion. Other, less essential bills to the time frame, will be taken up as time allows. Moore says the budget will definitely be a “huge issue as well.”