Each year children die because drivers fail to obey school bus laws. A bipartisan bill in the Senate aims to keep Iowa kids safer when getting on and off their school bus.

This legislation was proposed after the tragic death of Kadyn Halvorson of Northwood. Kadyn was killed while crossing the road to board her school bus.

Current law prohibits drivers from passing a stopped school bus that has its lights flashing and the stop arm out. Yet every year, hundreds of drivers violate this law and endanger the lives of children heading to school and home.

Major General Orr, Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, brought good news when he gave his Condition of the Guard address to the Legislature on January 18. General Orr reported that almost all Iowa Guard personnel are home, and no units are currently deployed overseas.

Over the last 10 years, many in the Iowa Guard have been deployed. Last year, Iowa’s 2nd Brigade, Task Force Red Bulls, was sent to Afghanistan. With 3,000 members, this was the largest deployment of Iowa soldiers since WW II.

Among their many duties, the Red Bulls helped with transition plans for parts of Afghanistan; developed demonstration farms; assisted Afghan veterinarians in treating nearly 40,000 head of livestock; planted more than 70,000 trees for orchards and reforestation; and trained hundreds of Afghan men and women on tree nurseries, orchard planting, greenhouse growing and row crop production.