From Press Release Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced the launch of Give Back Iowa, a six week challenge running from April 14-May 31 to engage Iowans in employer supported volunteering. “Give Back Iowa complements my ‘Call to Service’ initiative to increase the number […]
From Press Release U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) released the following statement on the EPA’s announced time for issuing Renewable Fuel Standards for 2014 through 2016: “Farmers and the entire renewable fuel sector in Iowa need a strong and long-term RFS to conduct and grow their businesses. While I […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following statement regarding a Justice Department memo warning all employees and contractors to refrain from engaging in commercial sex. The memo, however, did not establish a zero-tolerance policy that Grassley requested requiring […]
From Press Release In response to the EPAs time for issuing Renewable Fuel Standards, U.S. Rep. David Young (R-IA 3) released the following statement: “The ay from the EPA in issuing a time for Renewable Fuel Standards has been frustrating because I know that Iowa farmers, businesses, and all […]
From Press Release Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa has asked the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to update the committee on its investigation into the alleged misconduct by federal judge Mark Fuller. Fuller is a judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District […]
By The Iowa Statesman Friday, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed Senate File 227 into law. The bill states, in part, “…the school calendar shall begin no sooner than August 23.” It also imparts financial penalties on districts that start school before that date. The bill passed the Iowa House […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor As Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) noted during Thursday morning’s floor speech, next week begins the most restrictive portion of the session calendar as it relates to bills that are eligible for debate. As a result, the Democrat-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House each […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today welcomed confirmation from the State Department Office of Inspector General that the inspector general will review the department’s use of the Special Government Employee program. “This program is meant to be used in a limited way to give the government […]
By The Iowa Statesman Muscatine County Republican Party chairman Fred Grunder has announced the party’s annual picnic will be held 4-7 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at the Wilton Community Center. Presidential candidate Chris Hill from Kentucky, Auditor of State Mary Mosiman, and local legislators will be on hand. The […]
By The Iowa Statesman Religious freedom is very likely to be one of the most important issues of the 2016 election cycle. And, it’s an issue that doesn’t necessarily correspond to one party or the other; it’s an issue that impacts everyone. Iowa Religious Freedom Day will be the […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today announced an extended dead, now April 15, for a new fellowship program in his state offices for Iowans with recent military service. Grassley encourages these veterans to consider and apply for the program. “This program will help these veterans gain […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The Iowa Senate confirmed the appointment of 16 of Gov. Terry Branstad’s appointees on Wednesday. The Iowa Constitution requires all gubernatorial appointees must be confirmed by a two-thirds vote – at least 34 members – of the Senate. Many appointees may be confirmed “en bloc,” […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor A few weeks ago, the Iowa House of Representatives overwhelmingly adopted the omnibus gun bill, House File 527, in a bipartisan 75-24 vote. That bill was ignored by the Senate, which instead adopted its own bill that only legalized the production, purchase, and possession of […]
From Press Release Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa announced today that the committee will hold a hearing on the nation’s asset forfeiture laws. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 15, at 10 a.m. (ET) in room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The […]
From Press Release Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad today signed the following six bills into law: House File 455: an Act requiring the submission of a corporate governance annual disclosure to the commissioner of insurance by certain insurers of insurance groups, and including penalties and applicability date provisions. House File […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is seeking answers from the Obama Administration on why it reportedly won’t disclose documents regarding the relationship between the Treasury Department and mortgage financing firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that resulted in billions of dollars […]
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 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 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, […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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