2017

Guest Post from Erin Davison-Rippey It’s now clear that the courts are going to be the last – and sometimes only – line of defense against dangerous and unconstitutional attacks on our basic rights. This places incredible importance on Supreme Court nominations, which have never been more crucial than they are today. Nominees to the…

In the midst of a bitter legislative fight over who should control the Des Moines metro’s water supply, local residents strongly back the Des Moines Water Works’ ability to stay independent, a new poll finds. Harper Polling, in a survey sponsored by Water Works, found that only 15% of Des Moines metro voters support the…

Throughout this year’s Iowa legislative session, Republicans have introduced and passed a myriad of bills restricting workers’ rights and protections, as well as finding new ways to cut Iowans’ wages. This week the focus is on Republicans’ workers compensation proposal, which would gut most of the ways Iowans can get reimbursed for legitimate injuries sustained…

Legislators were bracing themselves for today’s Revenue Estimating Conference, where the newest update on the state’s revenue forecasts were released. The news was worse than some had predicted, giving another black eye to the Branstad/Reynolds fiscal management record. Iowa now faces an additional $131 million shortfall for the current fiscal year, a new blow after…

Guest post from Sean Bagniewski There’s a Chinese parable about a king whose army was defeated and whose kingdom was taken by a warring neighbor.  Legend has it that he was imprisoned and forced into labor.  Upon his release, he slept on a bed of sticks every night to remember how badly he hated losing…

Even before he was elected, commentators and experts noted a strong anti-science streak in Donald Trump’s rhetoric. Now that he’s been inaugurated, they’re calling him the most anti-science president ever. Trump is enacting an agenda that, at best, selectively supports scientific evidence and research. With the appointment of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to run…

Guest post from Ken Sagar, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor Decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court have a direct impact on the livelihoods of working people – the right to a discrimination-free workplace, to safe working conditions, to be paid for the hours worked, to join with co-workers to form a union,…

The Republicans in the lowa legislature must be suffering from whiplash as they have suddenly slammed their party into reverse by opposing “local control.” The Republican mantra for years has been to repeat the quote credited to Thomas Jefferson: “The government closest to the people serves them best.” Republicans have long sung in unison that…