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   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 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 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 […]

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 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 Bob Eschliman Editor   Since it was proposed last year, Dallas, TX, based Energy Transfer Partners’ 30-inch diameter pipe that would cross diagonally through Iowa has been met with stiff opposition. The proposed 1,134-mile pipe would carry up to nearly 24 million gallons of crude oil daily. The oil […]

By The Iowa Statesman   Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad was a guest on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program over the weekend. During the taped interview, the governor told moderator Dean Borg and panelists O. Kay Henderson of Radio Iowa and Kathie Obradovich of The Des Moines Register he felt […]

By Bob Eschliman Editor   The proposed 10-cent increase in Iowa’s motor fuel tax may be on a fast track to passage, in spite of overwhelming public opposition. Identical study bills – House Study Bill 129 and Senate Study Bill 1168 – were offered Tuesday in their respective chambers’ transportation […]

By Bob Eschliman Editor   Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include from NICHE president Justin LaVan.   Due to a negotiation over school spending increases two years ago, Iowa now has some of the most open education freedom laws in the country. But a group of Democrats […]

Bob Eschliman Editor   If you have ever read our coverage of the Iowa General Assembly, you have likely seen phrases like “House File” or “Senate Study Bill,” and in doing so, perhaps you wondered what that means. Well, we’re going to help you out with that today. As we […]

Bob Eschliman Editor   Despite a self-imposed moratorium on bill filings by individual legislators after the fourth week of the session, there were 178 new bills offered in the General Assembly in the past week. The total for the 2015 session is now up to 751 (and growing). To read […]

By The Iowa Statesman   The Iowa Senate passed six bills today to substantially increase education spending for preK-12 school districts in fiscal years 2016 and 2017, while also shifting some of the burden away from property tax payers in those years. Senate File 171, Senate File 172, Senate File […]

From Press Release   Gov. Terry Branstad, First Lady Chris Branstad, and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today rallied with than 100 Iowa students at the Iowa State Capitol to call for passage of the Bully Free Iowa Act of 2015. The students and Sioux City School District Superintendent Dr. […]

By The Iowa Statesman   The Iowa Senate is scheduled to begin debate on education funding at 11:30 a.m. today. You may watch the debate live by clicking here. State Sen. Tod Bowman (D-Maqueta) will lead the series of debates on all six education funding-related bills. Senators will debate the […]

By Bob Eschliman Editor   For Iowa Republicans, 2014 was certainly a year of highs and lows. It started with egate stacking and a retaking of the reins of party leadership by the Gov. Terry Branstad-led establishment, and it ended with a thorough trouncing of Democrats in many statewide races. […]

By The Iowa Statesman   In an interview with The Washington Post, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said he “wouldn’t bet” on him seeking a seventh term in office. In the report posted to WaPo’s website today, Branstad said he’s continuing to groom Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds to be his successor. […]

By The Iowa Statesman   It’s no secret Iowans For Tax Relief is adamantly opposed to the proposed 10-cent increase in Iowa’s motor fuel taxes. The group recently released a document that offers some alternatives to gas tax increases. “The high-pressure push for a 10-cents per gallon gas tax increase […]

From Press Release   At least four potential and likely presidential candidates have confirmed their participation in the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators’ eighth annual “Homeschool Day at the Capitol” on Thursday, April 9. “We’ve invited a number of Christian conservatives to hear from Iowa’s home educators about issues […]

By The Iowa Statesman   When the popular ride-share business Uber moved into Des Moines last fall, it created quite a bit of controversy, because it does not employ licensed taxi-cab drivers, as is currently required by city regulations. A bill offered yesterday in the Iowa House of Representatives is […]

By The Iowa Statesman   A bill offered yesterday in the General Assembly would completely scrap the way certain businesses are licensed and regulated by the State of Iowa. Senate File 168, offered by state Sen. Matt McCoy (D-Des Moines), seeks to regulate all businesses that “possess or control” non-agricultural […]

A bill now being considered in the Iowa Senate would create a new breed of police officer in the state. These won’t be you typical “rent-a-cop” types, either. Senate File 163, submitted Thursday by state Sen. Matt McCoy (D-Des Moines), would allow the governing board of any hospital to commission […]

By The Iowa Statesman   Today state Rep. Dean Fisher (R-Garwin) and Secretary of State Paul Pate held a press conference to announce the Safe At Home Act, which will provide address confidentiality, via the Secretary of State’s Office, for victims of domestic abuse and others who are concerned for […]

From Press Release   Gov. Terry E. Branstad has ordered all flags in Iowa be flown at half-staff from 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, until 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 9, in honor of Centerville Assistant Fire Chief Michael Cooper, who was killed in the of duty serving in the […]

By The Iowa Statesman   A number of House Republicans have decided to offer a new proposal to meet the state’s road construction, maintenance, and supervision needs. House Joint Resolution 5, offered yesterday by state Rep. Walt Rogers (R-Cedar Falls), aims to amend the Constitution of Iowa to provide […]

By The Iowa Statesman   A key component of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s staff has announced she is departing state employment tomorrow. Brenna (Findley) Bird, who has served as the legal counsel for Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds since they to office in 2011, is taking a job in […]

By The Iowa Statesman   Most legislators take their oaths of office seriously. And it is the Oath of Office of one member of the Iowa General Assembly that resulted in a new piece of legislation yesterday that is making national heads. Senate File 148, also known as the Fourth […]

By The Iowa Statesman   Maj. Gen. Timothy Orr, Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, spe today before a joint session of the Iowa General Assembly to present his Condition of the Iowa National Guard speech. The full text of that speech follows:   Good morning Ladies and gentlemen […]

By The Iowa Statesman   It’s no secret the Iowa Democratic Party is married to organized labor in the state. And, while Democrats often propose legislation that would be beneficial to unions, a pair of bills offered yesterday in the General Assembly were surprising. House File 164, offered by Todd […]

By The Iowa Statesman   An Iowa House Democrat has proposed a new bill that would require most food producers to add a new label to their products sold in Iowa. House File 147, offered by state Rep. Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City), requires food items to be labeled with information […]

Via Press Release   Senate Democrats denied a second attempt by Senate Republicans to work in a bipartisan manner to bring common ground legislation to the floor for debate. Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix (R-Shell Rock) proposed the bipartisan solution last week in the Senate Rules Committee which would allow […]

If you read enough of the Iowa Code, particularly those sections that apply directly to the criminal code, you will notice the word “person” is used a lot. A new bill offered last week in the Iowa House of Representatives aims to define that phrase in a very specific way. […]

As promised, the Republicans in the Iowa House last week announced they were planning to unveil a bipartisan gas tax hike bill. While that bill has not yet materialized, another House Republican has put up a plan for a phased-in, six-cent increase in Iowa’s motor fuel taxes. House File 144, […]