November 2018
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New House Majority Should Find Bipartisan Plans That Can Pass
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell seems to be reneging on his pledge to bring bi-partisan criminal justice reform to the floor of the Senate for a vote during the lame duck session. It is ironic that Senator Grassley is complaining about McConnell’s so well-established duplicity. Grassley, as lame-duck chairman of the Judiciary Committee, can…
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The Beginning Of The End For Steve King?
Steve King may have narrowly survived his closest reelection yet earlier this month, but he’s not out of the woods just yet. The firestorm of outrage over his latest dalliances with white supremacists and groups with Neo-Nazi ties appears to be having lasting impacts with both Republican insiders and voters. A primary to King is…
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Trump’s “Make America Rake Again” Ignites Climate Change Debate
The devastating California wildfires should completely erase any skepticism about the crisis of climate change. However, President Trumps suggested that the fires resulted because America isn’t raking its forests and dismissed climate change as a major cause. It seems incomprehensible America could have a Commander-in-Chief so ignorant of science or the basic facts about forest…
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Ep72: What’s Next In Iowa Politics, Todd Prichard Interview
Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard and Statehouse reporter Caroline Cummings discuss what the 2018 election means for the next big stories in Iowa politics, including Steve King, Joni Ernst and the Iowa Caucus. And we interview Todd Prichard about being elected leader of the House Democrats.
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Post-Election Soap Opera Unfolds In Warren County “Hit Piece”
Several Iowa Republicans are facing a serious ethics investigation after a participant in their self-described “hit piece” against Representative Scott Ourth ratted them out to the Iowa Ethics Board. The case revolves around Republican candidate Rebel Snodgrass, his volunteers and former Democratic Representative Dan Kelley’s involvement in a slanderous mailer sent to households in Warren…
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Todd Prichard Elected Leader Of Iowa House Democrats
House Democrats elected Todd Prichard as their new minority leader this afternoon. The Democratic legislators gathered in Des Moines at the Statehouse for their post-election caucus, choosing their new leadership group for the next session after Mark Smith decided to not run for reelection for the party’s top spot in the House. Democrats also elected…
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A Word Of Warning From A Rural Democratic County Chair
A guest post from Brian Bruening, chair of the Clayton County Democrats in Northeast Iowa. It’s easy to get caught up in national Democratic excitement after the November 6th election. We flipped two house districts in Iowa as part of the Democratic wave the crashed over the US House. However, on the state and local levels, November…
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Planning A Run For President? First Protect New Medicare Part D Plan
A guest post from Ro Foege, former state representative and AARP executive council member. The Iowa Caucuses are just around the corner, and presidential candidates will be flocking to the Hawkeye State in droves over the coming months, touting their voting record and stances on the issues, including healthcare. When it comes to prescription drug…
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Even In Loss, Fred Hubbell Raised Awareness Of Key Issues
Fred Hubbell fell short in his campaign to oust Governor Kim Reynolds, but he successfully raised vital issues that will continue to demand action by Iowans. The unsolved problems that Hubbell focused on in his campaign won’t go away; he was absolutely correct to identify them in his criticism of Reynolds’ leadership. Democrats shouldn’t take…
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Iowa Needs More Than Just The Big Regents Schools
Iowa is speeding toward a dangerous crossroads this week, and there has been too little discussion about what might occur and zero discussion about what the state should do. Trustees of Iowa Wesleyan University, the second-oldest college in Iowa, meet on Thursday to decide whether the institution will close next spring. The Mount Pleasant school…
