July 2019
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Will Iowans Answer Register’s Call For Help?
An editorial opinion piece written July 15 by Carol Hunter in the Des Moines Register is the latest warning about the Iowa newspaper’s declining subscription base. Hunter, the Register’s executive editor explains “Why we’re asking you to buy a subscription.” It’s a signal that the Register needs the public’s help and financial support if Iowans…
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Inside The New Effort To Flip The Iowa House
While the non-stop parade of presidential candidates through Iowa dominates state and national news, a group of prominent Iowa Democrats have launched a PAC to refocus attention on a more local matter: retaking the Iowa House. The Better Democracy PAC, formed by Fred and Charlotte Hubbell in mid-May, aims to give Democrats a major financial…
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How Iowa Helped With The Moon Landing
This is a good week for Iowans to put away forever what a friend once called our “mental overalls.” The label was his way of describing the tendency of Iowans to downplay the state’s importance in anything other than dirt-under-your-fingernails agriculture. Being a farmer certainly is nothing to be ashamed of. But my friend thought…
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Yang: $1,000/Month Would Be Game-Changer For Union Strikes
Giving $1,000 to every American citizen over the age of 18 is the key to bolstering unions, Andrew Yang said while answering questions at the Asian & Latino Coalition in Des Moines last evening. “This becomes a built-in strike fund for every worker,” Yang said of his universal basic income plan. “If you’re really getting…
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Iowans Urge Congress to Fund Rural Hospitals and Health Centers
As critical-access hospitals around the state continue to have their existence threatened, Iowa organizations are stepping up and fighting back to protect health care in rural areas. After proposed federal funding cuts to programs that support health care services for Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured patients, ten Iowa organizations have teamed up on a letter to…
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The Policy Pushback On Medicare For All Begins In Earnest
Health care discussions have proven to be a major flashpoint for the 2020 Democratic candidates, leading to unsure endorsements on the debate stage, redacting debate answers and nuanced hesitancy on Medicare for All. A majority of the candidates are now offering health care plans other than an immediate Medicare for All system, most choosing instead…
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Iowa’s House Democrats Vote In Favor Of $15 Minimum Wage
Iowa’s Democratic Reps. Abby Finkenauer, Cindy Axne and Dave Loebsack were among the 231 House members to vote in favor today of a bill raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. “It has been over a decade since the minimum wage has been increased, the longest period in U.S. history,” said…
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While D.C. Fights, Finkenauer Keeps Focused On Passing Bills
While the U.S. House was engaged in a high-profile floor fight over the President’s tweets, Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer stayed above the fray and continued to work on a number of key pieces of legislation. “Glimpse into my world in Congress that’s very different than what you see on TV at night: Passing 5 bills…
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Influential Iowa Republicans Donate To Steve King Opponent
Steve King may be the long-time incumbent in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, but this year, that status has not translated into much support from Republican donors. Instead, well-known Iowa Republicans with deep pockets are turning to state Sen. Randy Feenstra, one of three Republicans challenging Congressman King to a primary. In the first quarter of…
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In Iowa, Democrats Pitch Plans To Get People Working Again
Democrats are doing more on the campaign trail than just bashing President Donald Trump. While national pundits fret over how engaging Trump on racism could mean the party doesn’t talk enough about bread-and-butter issues with voters, Democratic presidential candidates seem to have no problem doing both here. From a proposal to appoint a director of…
