Bob Eschliman Editor As the 2015 legislative session winds down to its final weeks, the number of new bills being created as slowed down tremendously. But, the number enrolled bills – those adopted by both chambers and sent to Gov. Terry Branstad for his signature – has substantially increased. […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Local school districts with larger numbers of immigrant students will soon see funding from the State of Iowa – at the expense of districts that do not. Senate File 472, if adopted, would increase the additional weighting of English Language Learner students from 0.22 […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The Iowa House of Representatives unanimously adopted a bill that amends the process by which the compensation of county officers is established. Senate File 167 was amended and adopted by the Iowa Senate last week, and prohibits county boards of supervisors from authorizing separation allowances […]
By The Iowa Statesman Again taking to his page, Dr. Ben Carson “clarified” his previous Easter statement with the following: “In my opinion, being tolerant of someone else’s beliefs is not a denial of faith in Christ as our Savior. Through our example of acceptance and , we […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is seeking details surrounding the decision to hire a U.S. Marshals Service (U) contractor after the Justice Department failed to dispel concerns over claims of a quid pro quo agreement. In March, Grassley asked […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is asking for details of disciplinary actions taken against Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employees who were involved in Operation Fast and Furious. While some personnel have been discipd for misconduct, some agents […]
By The Iowa Statesman Businessman and likely Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will be returning to Iowa tomorrow to speak and meet with conservative leaders in the state. He also announced additional hires to his Iowa campaign staff. Trump will be in Iowa to meet with Warren County GOP […]
By The Iowa Statesman Following the announcement that U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has officially entered to the 2016 presidential race, the other mainstream Republican in the race — so far — congratulated his friend and said he was loing forward to the primary campaign that lie ahead. “I am […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) spe to a packed room in Leton, KY, this morning and ivered a lengthy and star-studded opening salvo in what most political observers say could be one of the most electrifying presidential primary processes in modern history. Advancing a motto […]
By The Iowa Statesman Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has announced he will sign Senate File 227 at 1 p.m. Friday on the west steps of the Iowa Statehouse. SF 227 establishes Aug. 23 as the earliest school start date, with the exception of elementary and middle schools with year-round […]
From Press Release U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the leaders of the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today announced the witness list for the caucus hearing on the quota system used to manage controlled substances in medicine in light of a recent report from the […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is about to officially announce his candidacy for President of the United States. The speech, which is being held in Leton, KY, is being broadcast by C-SPAN. Click here to watch live.
By John Marini University of Nevada-Reno Editor’s Note: The following is adapted from a speech ivered on March 3, 2015, during a conference on the films of Frank Capra sponsored by the College’s Center for Constructive Alternatives. Reed by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College. “Frank […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The Iowa Senate unanimously approved a bill Monday meant to provide local school districts with greater flexibility to leverage their construction debt. Beginning with the upcoming school year that starts July 1, Senate File 485, if adopted, would allow school districts to impose a Physical […]
By Iowans for Tax Reform The 2015 Legislative session met another important milestone last week with the completion of the second funnel dead. The second funnel usually marks the point in the session when Legislators get serious about priorities and it becomes clearer what legislation has a serious chance […]
By The Iowa Statesman State Rep. Sandy Salmon (R-Janesville) has released her weekly Capitol Corner legislative update. She discussed school funding proposals in the General Assembly, as well as a number of misconceptions about school funding she has heard. Capitol Corner may be read in its entirety by clicking […]
By The Iowa Statesman Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), is returning to Iowa for a two-day swing this week. The 2012 winner of the Iowa Caucus will visit the Des Moines area, as well as Mount Pleasant. During his stops, he will be holding private meetings with concerned […]
By The Iowa Statesman Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, seen by many as the candidate to beat in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination process, committed a felony when he filled out his voter registration form in 2009. According to a report by the New York Times published this morning, […]
Heather Stancil Earlham While many Iowans support anti-bullying measures, I doubt many would support the anti-bullying bill that passed the Senate last week. After reading it, I am deeply concerned about its removal of parental rights, the extension of school authority into private events and locations including the family […]
By The Iowa Statesman Last month, The Iowa Statesman reported on a number of bills being considered that would alter or amend Iowa’s individual income tax provisions. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Tom Sands (R-Wapello) issued a statement this week that one of those provisions moved out of […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Friday, the Legislative Service Agency released a special audit report of the Iowa Department of Public Health that found need for process changes in four semi-autonomous boards under IDPH’s authority. The audit, conducted by the Auditor of State’s Office and reported to the LSA in […]
From Press Release Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today that they will lead trade missions to South Korea and Brazil respectively. Both trips are aimed at expanding trade and investment opportunities and are being coordinated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Brazil is Iowa’s […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Using procedural processes to ensure they survived the final legislative funnel for this session, the Democrat-led Iowa Senate and Republican-led Iowa House of Representatives protected 52 bills this week. Thursday, the Senate quickly moved 16 bills to the unfinished business calendar. They were: Senate File […]
By Patrick Wyett Guest Commentator In the world of political ambition, the desire to appear “tolerant” oftentimes overrides common sense and has people talking on topics that they have insufficient knowledge or understanding of. Case in point, Ben Carson just gave us his Easter thought, reminding us that Jews, […]
From Press Release Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) released the following statement in observance of Easter: “He is risen! “Heidi and I are in Charleston, South Carolina, where we attended a beautiful sunrise service. “As Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded of the […]
By The Iowa Statesman Is Dr. Ben Carson’s presidential campaign already sunk before it’s begun? According to several grassroots Christian conservatives in Iowa, a statement he made this weekend on social media may have torpedoed any chances he had in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. The probable Republican presidential candidate […]
By U.S. Rep. David Young (R-IA 3) One of my top priorities in Congress is to provide oversight and demand accountability on behalf of hardworking Iowa taxpayers. We can have policy debates and disagreements, but we must demand better management of our federal government at every level. One way […]
From Press Release Former Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Senator, and Chairman of Patriot Voices Rick Santorum issued the following statement in response to the nuclear framework agreement negotiated between the United States, its allies, and Iran. Rick Santorum said: “Trust but verify is a common refrain in foreign policy, […]
From Press Release The Iowa Army National Guard’s finest warriors gathered at the Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center March 20-22, 2015 to compete in the annual Best Warrior Competition. The three-day competition tested the Soldiers’ physical, mental and professional skills. Eleven privates first class and specialists competed for […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas released the following statement in response to President Obama’s agreement with Iran: “President Obama’s agreement with Iran, the details of which he has largely kept secret, is as he said ‘historic’ because of the catastrophic risk it poses to the security […]
By The Iowa Statesman As the only announced and officially filed mainstream candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to advantage of the opportunity to unveil his first political TV spot. “Blessing” will run on cable and local television markets in Iowa, New Hampshire, […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Last month’s vote on Senate File 257, the transportation funding bill that, in addition to increasing fees, increased Iowa’s motor fuel tax by than 45 percent, hasn’t sat well with many Iowans. And, as a result, it’s reopened old wounds for many grassroots Republicans. […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest county population estimates, effective July 1 of last year. The new estimate found Iowa’s population has grown to 3,107,145. In 2010, the official Census declared the state’s population as 3,046,355. The data has been compiled and […]
By The Iowa Statesman According to the Associated Press, Iran and world powers sealed a breakthrough agreement Thursday outlining limits on Iran’s nuclear program to keep it from being able to produce atomic weapons. The Islamic Republic was promised an end to years of crippling economic sanctions, but only […]
From Press Release The Iowa Army National Guard’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry will host an open house at their Council Bluffs Readiness Center, located at 2415 E. Kanesville Blvd., on Saturday, April 11, from 1 to 5 p.m. The public is cordially invited to attend […]
By The Iowa Statesman Famed televangelist Robert H. Schuller, a native of Alton, has passed away after a battle with esophageal cancer, according to his family. The former pastor of “Hour of Power,” which he hosted from his Crystal Cathedral in Garden City, CA, was 89. Schuller was born […]
By The Iowa Statesman Rep. Rob Taylor (R-West Des Moines) has released his weekly News From the Hill legislative update. Scroll down to read it in its entirety. Your Iowa Legislature is in full swing, and we have just completed the second funnel. This is the Legislature’s self-imposed dead […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wednesday praised a recent Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announcement that the Bureau of Prisons has reversed plans to retaliate against a whistleblower who exposed waste and wrongdoing. The bureau’s decision comes after inquiries were […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has a long record of protecting and encouraging whistleblowers. He is the co-author of the whistleblower provisions beefing up the federal False Claims Act against taxpayer fraud and the author of the provisions improving the whistleblower office at the Internal Revenue […]
Bob Eschliman Editor Iowa Firearms Coalition is certain that the Omnibus Gun Bill is not yet dead, even though the final legislative funnel dead is effectively at the end of business today. Monday, the Senate adopted Senate File 427, which gutted most of the provisions of the sweeping gun […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Wednesday morning, Education Democrats in the Iowa House attempted to bring a bill to the floor that would primarily expand the “academic indicators” for which students will be measured via the Iowa Core Curriculum. State Rep. Todd Taylor (D-Cedar Rapids) made a motion at the […]
From Press Release U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA 4) released the following statement after the White House announced they would be withdrawing a U.S. hold on the annual aid package to Egypt. The hold has been in place since October 2013. “I am glad that President Obama finally decided […]
From Press Release U.S. Reps. Rod Blum (R-IA 1) and Beto O’Rourke (D-TX 16), announced the formation of the bipartisan Congressional Term Limits Caucus today. “As someone coming to Congress from the private sector, I believe Washington suffers from a lack of fresh, innovative ideas and the courage to […]
Bob Eschliman Editor For legislators who are fighting for specific pieces of legislation, time is running short. While the official legislative dead to clear the second and final legislative “funnel” is the end of business Friday, in reality, there won’t be much – if any – business conducted Friday. […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor At its meeting last Thursday, the Iowa Public Information Board adopted a new policy regarding the referral of complaints that are outside its jurisdiction. IPIB is a nine-member board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, of which no than three members […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Loing on the surface, the Iowa Senate – in a broad, bipartisan way – voted to undo a than 30-year-old injustice inflicted upon Iowa gun owners. But, that’s just on the surface. In adopting Senate File 427 on a 46-4 vote Tuesday, the Senate […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The Iowa Senate to up a few matters of “old business” during the late morning session Tuesday. First, it adopted Senate File 345, which is part of Gov. Terry Branstad’s comprehensive anti-bullying agenda for 2015. The Senate to up the bill Monday, but hit a […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor During the morning opening of the Iowa Senate on Tuesday, Iowa Senate Majority Leader conceded defeat on Senate File 227, which will set the earliest school start date as Aug. 23. SF 227, a compromise bill that allowed for continuation and expansion of year-round calendars […]
By The Iowa Statesman The Iowa House of Representatives got a lot done Tuesday, but that didn’t include passing any new pieces of legislation. The chamber quickly moved through its morning formalities, and then quickly adjourned for the day after just five minutes. Representatives had a number of committee […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee today released the following statement about the Justice Department’s new policy regarding the use of asset forfeiture in connection with structuring offenses. “I’ve long expressed concern about structuring being the basis for civil asset forfeiture, […]
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