One of the final panes in the legislature’s “glass ceiling” has been broken. Members of the Iowa House of Representatives formally elected the first woman to serve as the speaker of the House during Monday’s opening day of the 2016 Iowa legislative session. Late this summer, House Republicans held a private vote to elevate Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake from her role as the second-ranking Republican in the House, but the move was ratified in a public vote Monday morning.
*
Upmeyer, who is 63 years old, has a master’s degree in nursing. She was elected to the legislature in the year 2000.
*
Upmeyer’s late father, Delwyn Stromer (STROH-mer), served in the Iowa House for 23 years. In the early 1980s, he served as speaker for two years.
