Speaker Pat Grassley (file photo).
House Speaker Pat Grassley has established a new “Information Technology Committee” in the Iowa House, to address broadband issues and cybersecurity.
“There are a few things in there that won’t be the most exciting things that capture all the headlines,” Grassley says, “but they’re things that the state needs to be mindful of.”
That includes an examination of the technology infrastructure in state government as well as incentives that help more Iowans gain access to a high-speed internet connection. Grassley says just like roads and bridges, broadband is part of the state’s critical infrastructure and it makes sense to have a committee working exclusively on information technology issues.
“I think this pandemic has shown us there are a lot of connectivity and security issues that we all need to be mindful of,” Grassley says.
Jack Whitver, the Iowa Senate’s Republican leader, says there are existing committees in the Iowa Senate that have addressed IT issues and will continue to do so when the legislature convenes in 2021.