By The Iowa Statesman The end of open, unrestricted Internet access and content is about to end. Tomorrow, the Federal Communications Commission is about to assume broad authority over the Internet in the U.S., treating it as a regulated utility, in what proponents call “Net Neutrality.” The proposal is […]
By The Iowa Statesman Illegal immigrants who are able to obtain Social Security Numbers and work permits as a result of President Obama’s “executive amnesty” could reap huge financial windfalls, at taxpayer expense. According to Caro May of Breitbart.com, a recent Congressional Research Service report backs up the Internal […]
Bob Eschliman Editor Legislators in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House of Representatives have now offered than 1,000 bills this session. This week alone, 184 bills – 83 in the Senate and 101 in the House – were added to the Bill Bo. To read individual bills, click […]
By The Iowa Statesman After spending than an hour in caucus, the Iowa Senate immediately to up SF 257, the gas tax increase bill. You can watch the action live by clicking here.
By Bob Eschliman Editor State Rep. Dan Kelley (D-Newton) has never been shy about his concern for the environment. Now, with two new bills offered last week in the Iowa House, he’s taking action on those concerns. First, in House File 309, he proposes to require a school district […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor It’s not often that the text of a legislative bill is shorter than its own explanatory statement. But such is the case for a bill offered by a group of House Republicans last week. House File 312, offered last Tuesday by state Reps. Sandy Salmon […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A group of Iowa senators is concerned about the well-being of kids in Iowa, and he wants several departments of state government to get together to discuss the matter. Senate Study Bill 1208, offered by the Senate Committee on Human Resources, chaired by state Sen. […]
By The Iowa Statesman The nation’s governors may not have any plan to deal with the fallout of a Supreme Court ruling that strikes the ObamaCare subsidies, but U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch says he’s got that covered. According to the Associated Press, the Senate Finance Committee chairman, who is […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A pair of bills offered last week in the Iowa Senate would reclassify marijuana and THC if approved and signed into law. Senate File 282, offered Thursday by state Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City), would reclassify marijuana and THC from a Schedule I controlled substance […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Under a bill proposed by an Iowa House of Representatives committee last week, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of police officers and their immediate relatives would be considered confidential information that could not be disclosed to the public. House Study Bill 162 was offered […]
By The Iowa Statesman Ever the per player when it comes to what he will or won’t do with pending legislation, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is now leaning toward offering an alternative to the House-approved Department of Homeland Security funding bill that would pulled out the […]
By The Iowa Statesman The U.S. government asked a federal judge Monday to lift a temporary hold on President Obama’s executive action to protect millions of immigrants from deportation, Fox News has confirmed. According to FOX News contributor Judge Andrew Napolitano, Justice Department lawyers requested a “stay” to ay […]
From Press Release Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds announced today that she is embarking upon a statewide tour to celebrate “National Women’s History Month” in March. The Lt. Governor will be traveling to several communities to meet with female leaders and highlight how women are positively impacting Iowa with […]
By The Iowa Statesman Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today they would continue their annual 99-county tour of Iowa beginning Friday. The schedule for this week’s tour stops include: 8:30 a.m. Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds visit Shelby County, tour STEM Acceleration […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Under a bill proposed last week in the Iowa Senate, anyone 65 years of age or older would become tax-exempt. Senate File 261, offered Thursday by state Sen. Mark Chelgren (R-Ottumwa), would exempt anyone 65 years old or older from the Iowa individual income tax. […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Two Iowa senators have requested a legislative council study of the impact eliminating Iowa’s income taxes would have on the state. Senate Minority Whip Jack Whitver (R-Ankeny) and Sen. Mark Chelgren (R-Ottumwa) offered Senate Resolution 11 last Tuesday, requesting the Legislative Council establish an interim […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A group of Republican senators has filed a resolution requesting that a Convention of States be called to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Senate Joint Resolution 7 was offered last week by state Sens. Dennis Guth (R-Klemme), Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale), Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig), Mark […]
By The Iowa Statesman Millions of people could lose health insurance subsidies in the coming months if the Supreme Court sides with opponents of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. And one thing was clear this weekend as the nation’s governors gathered in Washington: Many of the states that […]
By The Iowa Statesman Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker backed a surprise move Friday by Republican legislators to quickly vote on making Wisconsin a right-to-work state, an action the likely 2016 presidential candidate initially said should be ayed to avoid re-igniting massive pro-union protests. According to an Associated Press report, […]
By The Iowa Statesman Democrats are struggling to answer a simple question — “What’s a Democrat?” — and must do a better job of explaining their core values to voters, according to a task force formed after the party’s dismal showing in the 2014 election. “I am here to […]
By The Iowa Statesman Somali terrorists urged Muslims in a video Saturday to attack shopping malls in the U.S., and other countries, specifically naming the Mall of America in Minnesota. U.S. Homeland Security officials, however, don’t seem to be taking the threat seriously. According to the Associated Press, the […]
By The Iowa Statesman When House File 214, which seeks to repeal independent private instruction in Iowa, was filed, The Iowa Statesman sought an explanation from the group of House Democrats who sponsored the bill. Over the weekend, one of those legislators responded. State Rep. Marti Anderson (D-Des Moines) […]
By The Iowa Statesman Senate Democrats are likely to filibuster a Republican bill to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The vote, which is expected to come late this afternoon, will likely leave Senate Majority Leader with “messy options,” according to a report over the weekend by Politico. […]
By The Iowa Statesman If you don’t believe the “settled science” of man-made climate change/global warming, prepare to endure the wrath of the liberal-socialist-progressive-statist intelligentsia. That’s the message The New York Times reinforced Saturday when it smeared astrophysicist Willie Soon. In its report, The Times suggested Soon’s skepticism was […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Iowa has than 112,000 road miles and nearly 25,000 bridges, ranking our state 10th and fourth, respectively, in those categories. And, with the intersection of two of the nation’s busiest Interstate highways, I-35 and I-80, we see a large volume of traffic, about 31.5 […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor When there are dozens of bills filed on a daily basis – there have been than 1,000 offered already this session – it can be difficult to keep up with every one of them. So, many reporters who cover the Iowa Statehouse focus their […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A bill offered last week, and which has advanced out of subcommittee to the House Committee on Human Resources, would create the practice of “telehealth” – healthcare provided remotely – in Iowa. House File 218, authored by state Rep. Dave Heaton (R-Mount Pleasant), would allow […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor State Rep. Mary Mascher is on a roll. The Iowa City Democrat has gone after homeschoolers, non-registered in-home daycares, and now she’s picked on a new target: motorcyclists. House File 267, which she offered yesterday, would require the use of safety helmets by operators and […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor An Iowa House Democrat is going after in-home daycares that are not registered, nor are they required to, by the state. State Rep. Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) offered two bills in the House this week intended to increase the pressure on small in-home daycares. House […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Penalties handed down by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or by its affiliated conferences, are rarely the subject of legislative scrutiny, but a bill offered in the Iowa House of Representatives may change that. House File 220, authored last week by state Rep. Megan Jones […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor If an applicant for a certain public position has been convicted of a felony in the past, should the officials considering hiring him or her know about the circumstances surrounding that conviction? A group of House Democrats thinks maybe you shouldn’t. House File 301, offered […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Editor’s note: This article has been updated as new information is confirmed in this developing story. A bill that proposes a 10-cent increase in Iowa’s motor fuel taxes, as well as other changes to transportation funding, passed the House Ways and Means Committee on […]
By The Iowa Statesman Iowa House Republicans did not help their own re-election efforts today when Speaker Kraig Paulsen removed two members of his own caucus from the Ways and Means Committee to advance the proposed 10-cent gas tax increase bill. Voters across the state, outraged by the move, […]
By The Iowa Statesman Foreign affairs reporters and conservative members of the blogosphere won’t have State Department speswoman Jen Psaki to kick around much longer. Psaki, frequently the butt of Internet memes and self-inflicted negative attention, is getting a new job soon. Today, the White House announced she will […]
By The Iowa Statesman President Barack Obama’s nominee for attorney general is defending her office’s handling of a money-laundering investigation involving British bank HSBC, saying the deal carried stern penalties even though no individual executives were prosecuted. According to the Associated Press, Senate Republicans have ayed a vote on […]
By The Iowa Statesman As much of the focus on donations to the Clinton Foundation of late has focused on donations accepted from overseas governments, including, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and even Canada, another donation has perhaps opened the eyes of quite a few conservatives. According […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Last year, Suvir Mirchandani, a student at Dorseyville Middle School in Pittsburgh, PA, calculated that by making one small change, he could save the federal government millions of dollars a year. Now an Iowa senator wants to see if it can save Iowa taxpayers, too. […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A bill offered this week in the Iowa House of Representatives would open the door to providing temporary driver’s licenses to illegal entrants who are in possession of “consular identification documents.” House File 305, offered yesterday by state Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines (D-Des Moines), is […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A group of Iowa Senate Republicans has sponsored a bill this week that would reinstate the death penalty, by lethal injection, under very specific circumstances. Senate File 239, authored by state Sen. Jerry Behn (R-Boone) and co-sponsored by eight of his Republican colleagues, would provide […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor With the House and Senate already at odds over education funding for the next two years, a number of new education bills are making the rounds in the General Assembly. House Bills In the House, a wide array of bills has been offered in […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A bill trumpeted by Senate Republicans and offered yesterday with all 24 GOP senators signed on as sponsors has a number of families in Iowa scratching their heads. Senate File 240, a bill to provide education savings grants for students in grades K-12 who don’t […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The proposed 10-cent increase in motor fuel taxes is moving forward in both chambers. The Senate Transportation Committee approved their version yesterday, and the House Transportation Committee is set to discuss the bill at 3 p.m. today. The Senate bill – renamed Senate File 257 […]
From CNS News The United States has “a long tradition of welcoming refugees,” and it expects to welcome thousands of them from Syria in 2015 and 2016, despite concerns about foreign fighters, the State Department said. “The United States has admitted 524 Syrians since 2011. We’re likely to […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to California health officials, the strain of measles currently spreading through that state may not have been caused by anti-vaxxers — parents who refuse to vaccinate their children over concerns about the safety of vaccines — after all. In a report filed last week […]
Bob Eschliman Editor The following is a summary of the bills filed during the past week in the Iowa General Assembly. To read individual bills, click their links below: House File 209 – an act to allow for the sale of unpasteurized milk or milk products produced at […]
By The Iowa Statesman An Iowa telecommunications professional has giving a bruising critique of the broadband measures currently being considered in the General Assembly at Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s request. At the heart of her criticism, however, is the fact that the bills call for appropriations of $2 million […]
By The Iowa Statesman Just within the past half-hour, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a federal judge has granted an injunction against the U.S. government, prohibiting the execution of any part of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, also known as President Obama’s “executive […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor It’s not uncommon for Christian conservatives to lob the accusation that liberals are attempting to “redefine marriage,” but a new bill filed in the Iowa House of Representatives – by a liberal Democrat – appears to do exactly that. House File 253, filed today by […]
By The Iowa Statesman As little as a week ago, it seemed President Obama’s pick for Attorney General was sailing smoothly to a U.S. Senate confirmation, much to the astonishment of conservatives in the Republican Party, which now controls that chamber. Things have changed a bit in the last […]
By The Iowa Statesman That’s right, we’ve had our fifth Cantoreasm over “thundersnow” — a weather phenomenon not too uncommon in Iowa — posted to The Weather Channel’s YouTube channel. As he indicated in his celebration, which former New Hampshire Gov. Howard Dean deemed “blase,” this is the fifth […]
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