2019
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Sue Dvorsky: Kamala Harris’ Health Care Plan Is What You’re Looking For
Guest column from Sue Dvorsky, former Iowa Democratic Party chair. Thirty million people in this country don’t have access to health care. And the rest of us? Too many Americans have such inadequate plans they can barely afford to take their kids or parents to see a doctor. I remember the hope we felt electing…
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Ep127: Liberty and Justice Celebration Preview w/ Troy Price
Pat Rynard sits down with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price to talk about tomorrow’s Liberty and Justice (LJ) Celebration in Des Moines. There will be 14 candidates speaking, hold rallies and marches beforehand, and even afterparties.
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“Labor Is Taking A Stance”: SE Iowa Unions Refuse To Fade
Since the fall of 2017, tens of thousands of public sector employees in Iowa have participated in annual recertification elections to maintain their union representation. Recertification became a mandatory requirement for public sector unions across the state when the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature instituted sweeping changes to the state’s decades-old collective bargaining law. In addition to…
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What Campaigns Are Planning For The Big LJ Dinner
We’re headed into another major Iowa Caucus moment as the Democratic field gets ready for Friday’s Liberty & Justice Dinner in Des Moines. With over 12,000 people attending, it’s expected to be the largest Democratic Party gathering in the country before next summer’s national convention. The Iowa Democratic Party’s annual fall dinner, once known as…
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Joni Ernst Votes to Uphold Short-Term, Junk Insurance Plans
The Senate today killed a measure from Senate Democrats to overturn the ruling on the Trump administration’s expansion of short-term health insurance plans. The short-term plans, frequently referred to as ‘junk plans,’ are non-ACA compliant, and are not required to cover people with pre-existing conditions. These plans offer immediate insurance options, without anything close to…
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First-Time Caucus-Goers Test Out Mock Caucus With NextGen
In half an hour, the caucus was over and the room had picked a nominee. After pitches from representatives of three candidates, students at Grinnell College settled into their spots along the wall with only a handful to be won over. They moved from station to station before ultimately choosing a corner or a patch…
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Most AFSCME-Covered Bargaining Units Vote To Re-Certify
Fifty-two units covered by AFSCME and 96 percent of the Iowa public employee associations voted to retain union representation during a two-week re-certification election this week. Polls closed Tuesday on the re-certification elections that are now required by Iowa law. “We are pleased to see that 52 AFSCME-covered bargaining units won their re-certification votes. In…
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Housing Advocates Frustrated With Cancelled Forum
Housing advocates’ push to bring attention to affordability struggles fell short of the Iowa spotlight as the top five polling candidates caused the cancellation of a scheduled affordable housing debate this Friday. Top-tier candidates Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris couldn’t commit to what was supposed to be a candidate…
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Why And How To Make SCOTUS More Accessible
For about five minutes in the last Democratic debate, the candidates discussed reform for the Supreme Court. It’s not a new conversation by any means. This year, candidates have ideas to make the highest court more fair, from term limits and expansion to rotating the justices among the federal bench. Many have questioned whether those reforms could…
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Sanders, Biden, Yang, Buttigieg Top Youth Caucus Vote In Iowa
Sen. Bernie Sanders still commands the youth vote in Iowa, according to today’s Youth Caucus Straw Poll results as of late afternoon. Sanders nearly doubled the next-closest Democratic contender in the Iowa Secretary of State’s annual survey of high school students, garnering 24.7% to former Vice President Joe Biden’s 12.3%. Andrew Yang came in third…
