January 2018


  • Politics

    Auditor Mary Mosiman Already In Trouble In Her Reelection Effort

    Republican State Auditor Mary Mosiman is not off to a great start in her reelection effort in 2018. Campaign finance reports released last week showed the incumbent having only raised $28,392 through all of last year, and she’s currently sitting on $62,458 cash on hand. Her Democratic opponent, Rob Sand, posted a record-breaking $200,854 haul, which he raised…


  • News

    Be Angry Over Shutdown – GOP Played Games With Kids And Immigrants

    This guest piece from Robert Lyons posted literally just as the deal to keep the government became known. The sentiments still stand for how we got into the shutdown and for any future one in the next few weeks. There is no choice to be made between Children and Dreamers. There is no choice to…


  • News

    Democrats Have Strong Candidate Against OWI Republican Legislator

    State Representative Chip Baltimore was removed from the chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee this morning following his arrest last week for an OWI and weapons charge. Speaker Linda Upmeyer announced that Representative Zach Nunn will be taking over in his place. Baltimore, a Republican legislator from Boone County, was pulled over on Highway 30…


  • News

    Iowa Women Defiant At Women’s March: The Speeches, Sights And Signs

    On a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon, one year to the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, close to 10,000 people gathered outside the Iowa State Capitol building for this year’s Women’s March. Thousands of activists, voters and concerned citizens came out sporting pink clothing and hats, homemade signs and a passion for fighting back in…


  • Politics

    Quick Reaction: Iowa’s Gubernatorial Fundraising Numbers Are In

    Today at 4:30 was the deadline for Iowa statewide and legislative candidates to file their fundraising reports for everything they raised and spent in 2017. Starting Line will have a lot of in-depth coverage on the gubernatorial, other statewide candidates and legislative contenders’ filings throughout the next week. For now, let’s take a look at…


  • News

    An Important History Lesson From Iowa’s Chief Justice

    One of Iowa’s talented historians delivered an important lesson last week. But instead of standing in front of a school classroom, he was in the chamber of the Iowa House of Representatives. The teacher was Mark Cady. The subject of his lesson was a proud chapter in Iowa history and how events today are threatening…


  • News

    Kristin Sunde Launches Campaign For Key West Des Moines House Seat

    When Kristin Sunde and her husband Matt took care of two foster children in their West Des Moines home, they started to become concerned with what they saw in the complicated and sometimes-frustrating Department of Human Services system. The state’s Medicaid process presented problems, too – at one point the Sundes were on the hook…


  • News

    Ep4: Former Jack Hatch Campaign Manager Grant Woodard, 3rd Congressional District Democratic Primary Candidate Eddie Mauro

     For Iowa Starting Line Podcast episode #4, Grant Woodard, the former campaign manager for 2014 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jack Hatch, joins host Pat Rynard to discuss the upcoming gubernatorial primary & the all-important fundraising deadline, followed then by an interview with small business owner & coach Eddie Mauro about the DACA debate & his campaign…


  • Politics

    Nate Boulton Raises Nearly $1.1 Million In 2017 For Gubernatorial Bid

    State Senator Nate Boulton had a strong fundraising year in 2017 for his gubernatorial campaign, raising just under $1.1 million since his May kick-off, his campaign informs Starting Line. Since the start of the new year and after the 2017 reporting deadline, he’s brought in an additional $200,000. That fundraising haul was accomplished in part…


  • News

    Budget Cuts, Medicaid Mess Preventing Real Progress This Year

    The opening day ceremonies and speeches are over and the 2018 Iowa General Assembly is well underway. The most pressing issue facing the Legislature this year will be more budget cuts. In her Condition of the State Speech, Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed some $19 million dollars in cuts to Iowa’s universities, prisons and the Department of…