2019
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Hickenlooper Pitches Working Together Vision To Stand Out In Iowa
Former Governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper was back in Iowa, and now it’s official – he’s a candidate for president. He joins 11 others who have filed, including other moderate candidates like Senator Amy Klobuchar and former Representative John Delaney. Dividing and conquering is Trump’s schtick, and Hickenlooper is hoping Iowans come away from his…
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Monocle Money: Joni Ernst Raises Healthcare Industry Cash At DC Restaurant
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst was spotted yesterday morning walking into the Monocle Restaurant in Washington, D.C., for a high-dollar fundraising event with the healthcare industry. In a video captured by American Bridge, Ernst heads into the upscale steak and seafood restaurant, where she was reportedly joined by Senator Chuck Grassley for a fundraiser for her…
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Ep87: No Fox News Debate, Statehouse Funnel, Special Election
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard is joined by State Representative Jennifer Konfrst to talk about the DNC’s choice to not hold any debates with Fox News, and we discuss the always exciting Funnel Week at the Statehouse. And we take your questions on the upcoming special election in Cedar Falls.
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Republicans Target Students, Rural Iowans In New Voting Bill
A bill sponsored by Republican Senator Roby Smith is proposing a wide range of new voting restrictions in Iowa, including ones that would specifically make it harder for students, rural voters, and veterans to vote. Smith’s Senate Study Bill 1241 seems to take extra effort to make it harder for college students at the state…
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Iowa Needs Sunshine – On Police Videos
Sunshine Week will be observed across the nation next week. The week shines a spotlight on the important role open government and citizen accountability play in our democracy. Open meetings and open records are the tools that enable the public to know what their government is doing, or not doing, in the name of the…
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Big Donor To Grassley, Iowa GOP Busted In Florida Prostitution Sting
A major national Republican donor was charged with soliciting prostitution in the Florida sting that also nabbed New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. John Childs, a billionaire who’s given $20,000 to the Republican Party of Iowa and $2,700 to Chuck Grassley, is one of hundreds of people ensnared in a sweeping bust of a sex…
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Ep86: A New Legislator’s Life, Governors Get In, Mike Pence Comments
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard is joined by State Senator Zach Wahls about what being a new legislator is like, and we discuss the candidates in the 2020 field. And we talk with Iowa Safe Schools Director Nate Monson about why the LGBTQ community wouldn’t consider Mike Pence a “decent man.”
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Iowa Wind Energy Under Attack By Disinformation Campaign
A very small but vocal group, Coalition for Rural Property Rights, is attacking Iowa’s clean renewable wind industry. This coalition of anti-wind energy fanatics have convinced some Republicans in the Iowa Senate to sponsor a bill that could severely damage Iowa’s wind industry. The bill SF 361 sponsored by Waylon Brown (R-St Ansgar) would increase…
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GOP Senators Push Poverty Bill That Hurts Their Constituents
In an earlier post titled “Five senate bills target Iowans on public assistance,” we took a deep dive into legislation that was designed to kick Iowans off the roles in various programs. They are the working poor, disabled, children, and the elderly. Many would be destitute if not for this assistance. The messaging is that…
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Just How Many Democrats Could Jump In The Race?
The Democratic presidential field got its 14th contestant this morning when former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper made his bid official. We also saw a rare decision to not run, this time from former Attorney General Eric Holder. The number of White House hopefuls should jump to 15 as early as tomorrow with Beto O’Rourke’s announcement.…
