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 The Iowa Statesman Remember all those claims that with Muslim influence, we would all still be living in the Stone Age? Well, on Sunday — the anniversary of Galileo’s birth — a Saudi cleric visiting a university in the United Arab Emirites told students a couple of whoppers. […]
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 […]
By The Iowa Statesman Lent, as most Christians know, is meant to be a time of reflection. It is a time of prayer, fasting, and trying to live simpler, all with the purpose of growing closer to God in our spiritual walk. At the heart of the lenten season […]
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 What an elderly man in Mayville, WI, in less than a minute has taken the Internet by storm. Typically, one would have to pay at least $15 a seat to sit down and watch this kind of carnage. You capture it all, in less than […]
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 A 72-year-old retired school teacher in New Jersey is now facing 10 years in prison for felony possession of a firearm. At his age, 10 years in prison — in New Jersey — would be the equivalent of a life sentence. According to NRA News, […]
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 Iowans For Tax Relief Last week two identical bills were introduced in the House and Senate that would increase Iowa’s gas tax by 10 cents per gallon. House Study Bill 129 and Senate Study Bill 1168, if enacted, would require the 45.5% tax increase to take effect on […]
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 […]
By The Iowa Statesman “Show me your papers” was a phrase popularized in many motion pictures featuring life in Nazi Germany or the former Soviet Union. In fact, the freedom to roam in the United States was a major fixture of the Soviet-defection film “The Hunt for Red October.” […]
By The Iowa Statesman Many Americans are now discovering just how expensive ObamaCare has become, whether you have it or not. According to published reports, a group of Democrats has approached President Obama about taking executive action to extend the dead for enrollment into ObamaCare. Wynton Hall of Breitbart.com […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor In honor of Presidents Day, we have compiled a list of 43 facts about our U.S. Presidents that you may not have already known. Enjoy! George Washington, in his will, provided for the immediate freedom of all his slaves at his death, and provided […]
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 The Iowa Statesman Hidden-camera videos are becoming popular marketing tools for big-brand companies. And after the fun Pepsi had with Jeff Gordon a couple years ago, Ford decided to do one of their own. Introducing “Mustang Speed Dating.” Scroll down to see the video — enjoy!
By The Iowa Statesman Pop quiz … guess who made the following statement: “Our system of government does not allow a state to defy the law of the land.” Your possible answers are: A. President Barack Obama B. Rev. Al Sharpton C. Attorney General Eric Holder D. Russell Moore, […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Representative Steve King had a busy day on Capitol Hill, offering three bills that addressed courtroom transparency, English as the official language of the United States, and repealing federal laws that require the use of “prevailing wages” on government contracts. First, the Fourth District […]
From Press Release U.S. Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA) continued to take a leading role in calling for a solution to the West Coast port slowdown. Blum participated in a bipartisan press conference calling for a swift resolution to the dispute between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshoreman […]
By The Iowa Statesman A Saudi historian recently said something so outrageous about women drivers that it even blew the mind of the television host — a woman — who was interviewing him. Thanks to MEMRI, the entire thing has been recorded for posterity. Scroll down to check out […]
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 Jason L. Riley Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Editor’s Note: The following is adapted from a speech ivered on January 30, 2015, at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C., as part of the AWC Family Foundation Lecture Series. Reed […]
By The Iowa Statesman Vice President Joe Biden is in Des Moines today, visiting Drake University. Later, he will visit the main campus of Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny. During his stop in Des Moines, however, we got some “Regular Joe” that cannot be described. So, scroll […]
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 […]
By The Iowa Statesman Real estate and construction mogul Donald Trump, a now-likely Republican presidential candidate, has been announced as this year’s keynote speaker for the Pottawattamie County GOP’s Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner to be held in May. Trump is still in the process of wrapping up his wildly popular […]
By The Iowa Statesman Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) offered a new immigration bill in the House of Representatives. The bill has a bit of the Golden Rule tucked into it. HR 899, the Religious Worker Visa Reciprocity Act, would require the country of origin of certain special […]
By The Iowa Statesman Editor’s Note: Due to a technical difficulty, this article did not post last night as it was supposed to. We apologize for any inconvenience. According to an Associated Press report, parents in a Pennsylvania school district are turning 50 shades of red over word […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald — who has been on the job less than a year — may have been trying to score points in the “soundbite game” during today’s Veterans Affairs Committee hearing in the House of Representatives. If so, he failed […]
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 Whomever said God doesn’t have a sense of humor hasn’t seen a platypus or the latest images released from NASA. The Hubble Space Telescope recently snapped a photo of a galaxy cluster that provides — from Earth’s perspective — a constellation that most people will […]
By The Iowa Statesman The legislature in an “early state” will be considering a bill to close one of its public universities, which has come under enormous financial stress in recent years. The closure would be temporary, likely for only one fiscal year. According to WIS-TV in Columbia, SC, […]
By The Iowa Statesman An Iowa widow has found herself on the wrong side of the law in a most ridiculous way. The government has already seized thousands of dollars from her bank account, and she faces the very real possibility of jail time. All because she wanted to […]
By The Iowa Statesman A number of empty-headed liberal-socialist-progressive-statists have taken to attacking “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, or in some way used his story to advance a false narrative about the men and women who have put on the uniform. The latest member of this group just to it […]
By The Iowa Statesman UPDATE — Drudge is now reporting at The Drudge Report that NBC News’ Managing Editor and “Nightly News” Anchor Brian Williams has been suspended without pay for six months while the company continues to investigate concerns he is a serial liar. Drudge published an internal […]
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 […]
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