Zachary Oren Smith is your friendly neighborhood reporter. He leads Starting Line’s political coverage where he investigates corruption, housing affordability and the future of work. For nearly a decade, he’s written award-winning stories for Iowa Public Radio, The Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen. Send your tips on hard news and good food to zach@iowastartingline.com.
Zachary Oren Smith
Latest from Zachary Oren Smith
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SOS Pate encouraged new citizens to vote. Now, he’s challenging their ballots
For years, Secretary of State Paul Pate told naturalized citizens to register to vote. But two weeks ahead of this year’s presidential election, he’s telling election officials to challenge the ballots of many of those same people who have since become citizens. Ten years ago, Secretary of State Paul Pate celebrated Constitution Day at a…
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Iowa challenges US citizens’ ability to vote
Iowa’s Republican Secretary of State has challenged a list of people he claims are ineligible to vote. Iowa Starting Line spoke with one person on that list, a US citizen who wonders why the state is challenging his right to vote. Just one day before the 2023 local election, Orçun Selçuk, an immigrant from Turkey,…
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Randy Meier, who protects Clinton Co. seniors from scammers, runs for Iowa House
Randy Meier of Clinton wants to protect Iowans from scams, and get more support for public schools and teachers. For the last 12 years, Randy Meier has worked to prevent senior fraud for the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department. He remembered one instance where a Clinton woman had sent over $200,000 to a scammer posing as…
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Iowa’s top election official says he has secret list of ineligible voters
A new email obtained by Starting Line offers a look into how the state plans to challenge more than 2,000 Iowa voters on Election Day. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is telling poll workers to challenge a list of certain voters on Election Day, and saying his office will prosecute them “to the fullest…
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3 key moments from Miller-Meeks, Bohannan debate
Catch up on last night’s Iowa PBS debate featuring U.S. Rep Mariannette Miller-Meeks and challenger Christina Bohannan. Iowa Starting Line digs into three key moments.
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Challenges pile up for Iowans with disabilities
Eight years after Medicaid privatization, Iowans with disabilities face 7-year waitlists, ‘forced poverty,’ and more. There are 402,615 Iowans who report having a disability, making up nearly 13% of the population. These Iowans face significant challenges in accessing the services they need to live and work. While Iowans largely regard themselves as compassionate and supportive…
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Iowa’s coming tax cuts wouldn’t cover current spending
The impact of Republican tax slashing is on the horizon as projections for state tax cuts dip below current state spending. The state is spending more money than it will be taking in under future tax cuts. Under Gov. Kim Reynolds’ leadership, the Iowa Legislature has cut income tax rates for individuals and corporations. Those…
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Private school vouchers cost Johnston, Urbandale schools more than $1 million each in 1st year
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Johnston and Urbandale students with school vouchers pulled more than $1 million away from their public school districts in the first year of school vouchers in Iowa. Iowa’s private school voucher program is in year two of its roll out, and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars now…
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Baccam: Nunn’s new abortion stance doesn’t match his record
Nunn says he supports abortion, contraception, and fertilization treatments. But opponent Baccam says his record says otherwise. Iowa is under a near-total abortion ban, and Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam is trying to make it US Rep. Zach Nunn’s signature issue. “Women should have the ability to make a decision if, when, and how they start…
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Bohannan pushes back on Iowa’s abortion ban, private school vouchers on the trail
Christina Bohannan is on the trail talking with students and teachers hoping to mobilize around abortion access and funding for public schools. Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan has a little over three weeks to make the case for unseating Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The race for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District race is going to be…
