By Iowans for Tax Relief There was substantial hope that the Legislative session would adjourn last week. As we reported in the previous Watchdog, there were rumors of an education funding compromise and it appeared Legislators might be able to finish what was left of the budget work and […]
From Press Release Sen. Chuck Grassley is pressing the Department of Health and Human Services to implement recommendations that would save taxpayer money and stop problems including Medicare payments to prisoners and safety risks to children in Head Start programs. “Agency watchdogs spend a lot of time and effort […]
By Rev. Cary Gordon Executive Pastor Cornerstone World Outreach I personally respect Senator Ted Cruz for many reasons, not the least of which was his firm and valiant refusal to surrender (along with most of the feckless U. S. Senate Republicans) on the great Constitutional usurpation of Obamacare. At […]
By The Iowa Statesman The White House hasn’t exactly held back on its thoughts about U.S. Attoreny Loretta Lynch’s stalled nomination to be the next Attorney General, and Thursday, the matter reared its ugly head once again during the daily press briefing with Press Secretary Josh Earnest. Asked about […]
By Iowans for Tax Relief Proponents for RAISING the Gas Tax told Iowans, “We can’t afford to wait!”, “Iowa’s bridges are unsafe for school buses and ambulances!”, “The fuel tax increase will take the place of counties bonding”, and “Your auto repair bill will be reduced”. The constant theme […]
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 Bob Eschliman Editor With 24 bills on the tentative debate schedule, Tuesday promised to be an exciting day in the North Wing of the Iowa Statehouse. The Iowa House of Representatives didn’t disappoint. The first bit of fireworks erupted during morning debate over House File 194, which proposes […]
By Iowans for Tax Relief Last week a pivotal point in the Legislative session was reached. The first legislative funnel is a dead for Legislators. In order to be eligible for consideration later in session, a bill must be passed out of a Senate or House Committee during the […]
By The Iowa Statesman Shock of all shocks, last week, the student government at the University of California-Irvine voted 6-4 (two abstentions) to prohibit the display of the U.S. Flag, and all other flags, from its lobby because they are “symbols of patriotism or weapons of nationalism.” According to […]
By The Iowa Statesman In an exclusive report in The Washington Free Beacon, Lachlan Markay reports corporate donors to a green energy nonprofit operated by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s (D., Nev.) former staffers and a current campaign operative have received billions of dollars in federal loan guarantees and […]
By Joel Kurtinitis Correspondent Nearly two weeks ago, just prior to his appearance at Steve King’s Iowa Freedom Summit, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz carved out some time to meet with leading liberty activists from around Iowa. The low-key meeting, held in Des Moines, was many activists’ first time to […]
The Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee is currently holding a legislative hearing on the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 1772), a bill introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith last Congress and approved by the House Judiciary Committee on June 26, 2013 by a vote of 22-9. Click here to watch live.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 239-186 to pass H.R. 596, U.S. Rep. Steve King’s full repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as ObamaCare. The bill has previously passed the Republican-controlled House, but this will be first time it has been presented to a Republican-controlled […]
Bad weather couldn’t stop a large number of Iowa conservatives from gathering Saturday afternoon. And what they discussed could have a wide-reaching impact on Iowa politics. Representatives from a wide array of tea party, property rights, government accountability, convention of states, state nullification, education reform, and Christian ministry groups gathered […]
By The Iowa Statesman In a move that would have impressed even Dikembe Mutombo, Senate Democrats dissed their Republican counterparts today. In response, Senate Minority Leader Bill Dix (R-Shell Rock) issued the following press release: Senate Republican Leader Dix proposed a bi-partisan solution today in the Senate Rules […]
By The Iowa Statesman File this one under “duh.” Sales of the new iPhone 6 outpaced projections, bringing a huge financial windfall for Apple, Inc. That, coupled with the rise of China’s consumer-driven economy, made CEO Tim Co’s day — big time. According to Reuters, Apple shattered the record […]
The House has taken up its first floor debate of the 2015 session this morning, discussing HF 80, a bill offered by House Committee on Education. You can watch the debate, live, by clicking here (it will be archived later today, we’ll share that link when it becomes available).
The following is the entire text of the official Republican Response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address, given by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). You may see a video of the speech by clicking here. Good evening. I’m Joni Ernst. As a mother, a soldier, and a […]
The following is the entire text of President Obama’s State of the Union Address, given before a joint session of Congress tonight. You may see a video of the entire speech by clicking here. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans: We are fifteen years […]
With the 42nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision coming next week, a number of pro-life groups will be focusing attention on efforts to end the practice of abortion, both nationally and in Iowa. One such effort was announced today by state Sen. Rick Bertrand (R-Sioux […]
If you like your state government, not only do you get to keep it, Gov. Terry Branstad would like to give you of it. Today, the governor gave his annual Condition of the State speech to a joint session of the General Assembly. In the speech, he laid out […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The news this past week, nationally, was about the manner in which the Republican Establishment has gone out of its way to steamroll its grassroots rank-and-file in Mississippi. As many know, it’s not just a problem in the Magnolia State; it’s happening everywhere. In my […]
This weekend, Iowa Rep. Tom Shaw announced he intends to ask for a suspension of the rules to allow House File 138 to come out of committee to the floor for a vote. The bill would drastically alter the landscape in Iowa with regard to abortion by first legislatively defining […]
It was one of the highlights of the Republican presidential nominating process. Mitt Romney’s chief opponent, Rick Santorum, went off on “Etcha-Sketch Romney,” billing him “the worst Republican to put up against Obama.” That Santorum to the financially and politically expedient course and later endorsed Romney doesn’t make what he […]
Can you discriminate on the basis of the color of one’s skin in an effort to promote diversity in the workplace? That’s the question U.S. District Court Judge Max Cogburn is currently trying to find an answer to after hearing arguments in a case involving a wannabe stock car driver […]
“In God We Trust” is the newest states’ rights issue? As a child, my grandfather gave me a very brief treatise on the Peter Principle that I’ve held onto the rest of my life: “Everyone is promoted to his highest level of incompetence.” And that premise is never displayed in […]
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