By The Iowa Statesman According to Reuters, two police officers were shot and wounded during a protest rally in Ferguson, MO, early on Thursday, hours after the city’s police chief resigned in the wake of a scathing U.S. Justice Department report finding his force was rife with racial bias. […]
By The Iowa Statesman This morning, Gov. Terry Branstad announced the launch of the administration’s use of a mobile application that allows individuals to live-stream events through their account. Meerkat uses mobile devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, to broadcast events live to the account holder’s […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor For decades, the Republican Party of Iowa has hosted the Iowa Straw Poll as a means of winnowing the field in advance of the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucus. And, ever since the very first Straw Poll was held in 1979, it has been held on the […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Tuesday was a fairly wild day in the Iowa Statehouse, but on Wednesday, in the Iowa House of Representatives cranked the intensity up another notch. The House remained calm through the first three of four bills it debated, House File 447, House File 468, and […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The Iowa Senate Republican Caucus can now sympathize with Alexander Cooper, the protagonist in the classic children’s bo-turned family film “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” Wednesday was a not-so-good day during afternoon floor debate of three bills, two of […]
From Press Release In an effort to keep Iowa retirees from relocating to tax friendly climates, Senator Roby Smith, R-Davenport, introduced legislation to phase out taxation on pensions, annuities and retirement accounts. “Iowa must step up to prevent losing our retirees to other states,” Senator Smith said. “The […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s latest California earthquake forecast, the estimated chance of that state experiencing a massive earthquake within the next 30 years has nearly doubled. In a press release Tuesday, the USGS said the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, or UCERF3, […]
Bob Eschliman Editor Now that the first funnel dead has passed for the 2015 session of the Iowa General Assembly, the number of new bills being created will slow down substantially. The bill count this session now stands at 1,598. Most of the new bills created this week were […]
By The Iowa Statesman In a press release issued Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced it was walking back on a proposed plan to remove the exemption for “green tip” AR-15 rounds used for sporting purposes. The statement said the formal commenting period […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor With 24 bills on the tentative debate schedule, Tuesday promised to be an exciting day in the North Wing of the Iowa Statehouse. The Iowa House of Representatives didn’t disappoint. The first bit of fireworks erupted during morning debate over House File 194, which proposes […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to Judicial Watch, U.S. Air Force documents reveal the Obama family’s 2014 Christmas vacation to Honolulu, HI, cost taxpayers $3,672,798 in flight expenses alone. Costs for the trip to Hawaii, to the West Coast, and to Martha’s Vineyard last year, cost nearly $3 million alone […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor As the fireworks were popping in the House of Representatives chamber, the South Wing of the Iowa Statehouse was seeing some political pyrotechnics of its own. The pugilistics began during debate of Senate File 1, which creates a second opportunity for Iowa-based companies that come […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to Reuters, President Obama earlier this week signed and issued an executive order, declaring Venezuela a national security threat and ordering sanctions against seven officials from the oil-rich country. But the move stes tensions between Washington and Caracas just as U.S. relations with Cuba, […]
By The Iowa Statesman After the wild day the Iowa House and Senate had yesterday, legislators are back to debating bills again today. Between the two chambers, there are 23 new bills scheduled for debate. In the House, which is just now convening for the day, the tentative debate […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Los Angeles Times, the number of Central American children and families illegally crossing the southern border, particularly in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, is likely to be smaller this year than last, but large enough to overwhelm shelters and courts, new Border Patrol […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Ocala Star-Banner, someone may soon have digestive issues. The newspaper reported Monday that a truck loaded with $85,000 worth of cargo was stolen Sunday from a parking lot in nearby Summerfield, FL. The precious cargo, enough shredded mozzarella cheese for tens of […]
By Iowans for Tax Relief Last week a pivotal point in the Legislative session was reached. The first legislative funnel is a dead for Legislators. In order to be eligible for consideration later in session, a bill must be passed out of a Senate or House Committee during the […]
By The Iowa Statesman Question: What percentage of individual bills introduced so far this legislative session in the Iowa General Assembly have been signed into law? The answer is coming, but first, a little explanation. Anyone who has ever been involved in the process to turn an idea into […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Washington Times, Obamacare exchange customers are about to see spikes in their premiums, the Congressional Budget Office predicted Monday, saying insurers that offer plans are facing twin pressures from the government and the marketplace that will mean hikes of than 8 […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A major policy proposal made during Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s Condition of the State Address in January could find its way to floor debate in the House or Senate soon. House File 490, which is a successor bill to House Study Bill 39 offered at […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to the National Review, starting in 2017, the Social Security Administration expects that thousands of undocumented immigrants will begin collecting from the Old-Age, Survivor’s, and Disability Insurance program as a direct result of President Obama’s “executive amnesty.” In a letter to U.S. Sen. Ron […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Last week, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s bill to facilitate broadband access in targeted areas of the state advanced out of a key House of Representatives committee. House File 576, a successor bill to House Study Bill 104, passed out of the House Commerce Committee last […]
By The Iowa Statesman The Iowa General Assembly has a busy day ahead of itself today. Nearly 50 bills will be debated and put up for a vote today in both chambers. In the Senate, which just passed 12 bills with overwhelming majorities yesterday, there are 23 bills on […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to our good friend, Todd Starnes at FOX News, a chaplain who once ministered to Navy SEALs could be thrown out of the military after he was accused of failing “to show tolerance and respect” in private counseling sessions in regards to issues pertaining […]
By The Iowa Statesman Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s e problems aren’t going away like I think she had hoped. And soon, we’re likely going to hear about another “vast right-wing conspiracy” meant to knock her out of running for 2016. If only that were true. If you […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to Politico, a group of Republican senators gave Iranian leaders — and the president — a refresher on the constitutional balance of power. In a highly unusual move, a group of 47 Republicans in the upper chamber has written to Iran’s top leaders to […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A bill offered last week in the Iowa Senate wants to explore a potential new source of income for casinos – which would, in turn, be a new source of revenue for the state. Senate Study Bill 1256, proposed by the Senate Committee on State […]
By The Iowa Statesman Remember when teenagers might stay out late at night on the weekends, engaged in harmless fun that only occasionally escalated to the level of soaping windows? We’re pretty sure Pepperidge Farm isn’t the only one that remembers. According to The Sming Gun, a trio of […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Wall Street Journal, President Obama said during a televised interview this weekend the U.S. and other world powers have offered Tehran “an extraordinarily reasonable” nuclear deal after efforts during the past week to move the negotiations forward and shore up support among […]
By The Iowa Statesman The Hill, the newspaper of Capitol Hill, has updated its list of Top 10 “most vulnerable” senators who are up for re-election in 2016. With Republicans defending than twice as many seats as Democrats, it should come as no surprise that the GOP dominates […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Hill, U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the chairman of the House select committee investigating Benghazi, said that there is a period of missing Hillary Clinton es from her time as secretary of State spanning several months. “There are gaps of months, and […]
From Press Release A great education includes knowing how to make smart, responsible financial decisions. As part of a statewide effort to improve students’ financial literacy skills, Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education today announced they will host an Iowa Financial Literacy Summit […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Financial Times, the president of the European Commission has called for the creation of an EU army in order to show Russia “that we are serious about defending European values”. In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Jean-Claude Juncker, who leads […]
By The Iowa Statesman Shock of all shocks, last week, the student government at the University of California-Irvine voted 6-4 (two abstentions) to prohibit the display of the U.S. Flag, and all other flags, from its lobby because they are “symbols of patriotism or weapons of nationalism.” According to […]
By The Iowa Statesman Yesterday, President Obama joined thousands of Americans at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL, to honor the sacrifice and bravery of the men and women who to part in the first of three marches for equal voting rights that to place […]
By The Iowa Statesman Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and to celebrate, students at Iowa State University enthusiastically support a women’s rights petition. But, as is the case these days, it’s pretty clear they didn’t know what they were supporting. Jake Dagel, Iowa Field Coordinator for the non-partisan Turning […]
By Joel Kurtinitis Correspondent The Iowa Ag Summit at the Elwell Family Food Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines has already provided plenty of fireworks, and it got started in the first few moments of the event when Iowa ag leader Bruce Rastetter kicked off his […]
By Joel Kurtinitis Correspondent Taking the stage with Iowa ag businessman Bruce Rastetter, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a likely Republican presidential candidate, was immediately asked about the “elephant in the room,” his steadfast opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard and the wind energy Production Tax Credit. He […]
By Joel Kurtinitis Correspondent Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush had his shot at the spotlight Saturday morning at Bruce Rastetter’s Iowa Ag Summit. While his interview with Rastetter didn’t’ register much applause and lacked the laugh s presented by earlier candidates, Bush was clearly comfortable with the crowd and […]
By Joel Kurtinitis Correspondent Iowa ag leader Bruce Rastetter kicked off his Iowa Ag Summit with an apparent swipe at Texas U.S. Senator and outspen Renewable Fuel Standard critic Ted Cruz. Rastetter spe of Iowa’s responsibility to feed the world, declaring the agriculture industry to be of supreme importance […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to CNBC, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has informed Congress that unless it takes action, the U.S. will hit its debt limit on March 16, but his department intends to begin taking “extraordinary measures” to finance the government on a temporary basis before that. […]
By The Iowa Statesman The Justice Department is preparing to bring criminal corruption charges against New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat, alleging he used his Senate office to push the business interests of a Democratic donor and friend in exchange for gifts According to CNN, which quoted anonymous […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Hill, a number of conservative Republicans, long wary of a lack of commitment on the part of Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) regarding GOP efforts to undo several of President Obama’s policies, have openly considered a coup in an attempt […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to The Hill, dozens of children and their parents to to Capitol Hill Thursday afternoon to protest a controversial sledding ban. Capitol Police have refused to lift the sledding ban, but some parents organized a “sled in” on the west lawn of the Capitol […]
By The Iowa Statesman Hillsdale College is now offering one of its required undergraduate courses on the U.S. Constitution on. “The U.S. Constitution: A Reader” features 113 essential primary source documents, and is divided into eleven sections with introductions by members of Hillsdale’s Politics Department faculty, readings cover the […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The long-promised personhood bill in the Iowa Senate was introduced Thursday just hours before the last opportunity to be considered by a committee. It did not pass out of committee prior to today’s funnel dead. In January, state Sen. Rick Bertrand (R-Sioux City) announced he […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A pair of bipartisan bills offered this week in the Iowa House seek to make substantial changes to the way Iowa Code deals with child support matters. House File 429, offered by state Reps. Deborah Berry (D-Waterloo) and Walt Rogers (R-Cedar Falls), would allow the […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor State Rep. Bruce Hunter (D-Des Moines) has offered two bills this week aimed at increasing scrutiny over law enforcement activities in Iowa. House File 495, the expansive of the two bills, would prohibit a security agent or law enforcement agency from engaging in racial […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor State Sens. Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale) and Jerry Behn (R-Boone) have offered a bill this week that would direct the Iowa Board of Regents to prohibit the establishment of a tenure system “for any employee” at the universities under its oversight. Senate File 380 also provides […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor State Rep. Dan Kelley (D-Newton) offered than a dozen bills this week in the run-up to the first legislative funnel dead. Many of them are related to environmental concerns, but two in particular target large-scale animal feeding operations in Iowa. House File 483 would […]
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