An Open Letter to Iowa Lawmakers

These are a few things that make me feel that the state of Iowa is simply out of touch with the times.

It’s a lot less about liberal politics than it is about common sense policies. So I ask you to think about these three things, and then tell me: am I wrong? Or are Iowa Conservatives a little out of touch?

Daylight Saving Time is a waste of time. But Iowa legislators keep pushing off doing anything about it. To be fair, most everyone in the U.S. is slow to do anything about it. Spring forward, fall back...for what? It’s really quite silly if you think about it. It's far time to simply do something about it - so let's just pass a  new law that says we’re not gonna participate anymore. No regrets, just do it! Trust me, the sun will still come up tomorrow.

Bottle returns and deposit laws are another out of touch idea. How many people do you know who simply throw out their empty bottles because they are “too busy to take them back for a refund“? It’s a lazy way to deal with trash, and nowadays it's pretty much a non-issue with better recycling efforts. But Iowa and Michigan (along with a handful of other states) are simply wasting time and money by continuing to support deposit bottle laws. Ask any grocery store employee how they feel about it.

Medical marijuana restrictions. While neighboring states are legalizing recreational use of weed, Iowa is ringing its hands worried that someone may request an increase in THC levels for medical marijuana usage. Iowa is really one of the most backwards thinking states in the union, and is missing out on wonderful farming opportunities, and revenue generation simply because a small handful of old-timers won’t step up to more forward thinking.