2021
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Axne Keeps Focus On Mental Health With Biden-Signed Bill Honoring Iowa Veteran
In 2018, the average number of veteran suicides was 17.6 per day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. In November 2020, the VA released an updated report and found that number has not changed significantly. In 2016, Sgt. Brandon Ketchum died by suicide after being denied access to mental health services at the VA…
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Axne Secures Funding For Iowa Bridges, Roads And Transit Projects
Six new Iowa infrastructure projects are on track to have funding thanks to Iowa Rep. Cindy Axne. The Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act passed in the House of Representatives yesterday, and with it, over $21 million of funding for six projects in Iowa’s 3rd congressional…
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Bennett In For Senate, Scheetz Now Running For House
Two weeks after state Sen. Rob Hogg announced his upcoming retirement from the Iowa Senate, the field of Democrats looking to fill his seat in the chamber is getting a shake-up. State Rep. Liz Bennett announced last night that she is officially running for the Senate after several days of consideration, and Sami Scheetz told…
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Iowa Still Hasn’t Requested Rescue Plan Funds For Small Towns
Though the money has been going out since May, Iowa has yet to request American Rescue Plan money for the state’s small towns. According to the Treasury Department, the total allocation would be $221,737,821, with the first half delivered this year. Only 11 other states have yet to put in an invoice for their funding.…
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40 Iowa Infectious Disease Doctors Warn Vaccination Rates Not Enough
In the latest push for more Iowans to get vaccinated for COVID-19, 40 infectious disease physicians in Iowa put out a statement explaining the benefits. Published in the Des Moines Register, the statement makes three key points that address the biggest concerns: the testing wasn’t rushed, the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness has been carefully reviewed,…
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How Removing Some Dams Makes Life, Recreation Safer In Iowa
President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan is undergoing work to bring more members of Congress on board. If passed, it could mean significant help for Iowa, with funding for areas that need more work like the high number of structurally deficient bridges. One other potential benefit could address Iowa’s efforts on local dams. The state’s dam…
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Iowa Starting Line’s New Mission, New Network To Combat Disinformation
If it feels like some of your relatives and neighbors are living in a different reality than you these days because of how they consume information online, it’s because they essentially are. We’ve all witnessed how the struggles of the local news industry have coincided with the rise of disinformation online, the rapid spread of…
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Quick Rises Now The Norm, Necessity For Iowa Democrats
Iowa’s U.S. Senate race may feature a match-up between Chuck Grassley and a Democrat less than half his age who wasn’t alive when the senator was first elected to office. Kim Reynolds will likely face off with someone with a fraction of years experience in public office as her. For many Iowa Democrats, seeing new,…
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Man Arrested For Anti-LGBTQ Hate Crime In Boone
Robert Geddes, a 25-year-old in Boone, Iowa, was arrested Monday for allegedly leaving notes on people’s homes telling them to “burn that gay flag.” The targeted homes flew rainbow Pride flags, displayed yard signs or owned rainbow doormats. Geddes was identified by a Ring Doorbell camera. He’s been charged with four counts of trespass with…
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Grassley, Ernst Lie About Voting Rights Bill, Vote Against It
As they’ve been signaling for weeks, Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst voted against a bill that would improve America’s election laws. The For the People Act (S. 1), came up for a vote to open debate in the Senate last night with no Republican support, despite concern for election integrity across the country.…
