Category: Issues

I have seen a lot of political inaction in my time here in Iowa, but nothing that has perplexed and infuriated me as much as the state’s inability to respond to the starvation deaths of two adopted girls. You would have thought something may have changed after 16-year-old Natalie Finn died from starvation and torture last October in her West Des Moines home. Police found Finn on a floor wearing an adult diaper, laying in filth from herself and the many animals that roamed the house. Her adopted siblings apparently faced similar physical and mental abuse from Nicole and Joseph Finn. […]

The options for women’s healthcare services are being dramatically reduced in Southeast Iowa thanks to the actions of local Republican lawmakers like Mark Lofgren, Tom Greene and Gary Carlson. Planned Parenthood announced today that they will close four clinics by the end of June, including their Eastern Iowa locations of Bettendorf, Burlington and Keokuk. Sioux City’s clinic will close as well. There are no Planned Parenthood clinics on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities, nor are there any in Missouri or Illinois near the border of the Southeast Iowa corner. Keokuk residents now face a nearly 100-mile drive to the […]

In the first ninety days of Donald Trump’s presidency, his actions speak more to his business background than of politics. He has been frank about his disapproval of government laws, which are oftentimes burdensome to businesses but essential for the safety of consumer rights. He has followed through on his campaign promise of cutting funding for the EPA and has started process of streamlining multiple government agencies by cutting regulations for the FDA, CDC, and EPA. “I will ask each and every federal agency to prepare a list of all of the regulations they impose on Americans which are not […]

By the time Terry Branstad leaves for China, Iowa’s treasury may be as empty as his many campaign promises about fiscal responsibility. And Kim Reynolds is about to take on both the political responsibility and near-impossible governing responsibility of cleaning up her and her current boss’ huge mess. The Des Moines Register reported late Friday the disheartening news that Iowa would once again be shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars for the Branstad/Reynolds failed Medicaid privatization scheme. The three private insurers have lobbied the Governor’s office for yet another payout to cover their “catastrophic” losses under the new setup, and […]

Guest post from Austin Haywood of Adel, Iowa Republicans in Congress are making a fatal mistake when it comes to passing a bill that repeals and replaces the Affordable Care Act. By keeping details of the bill secret from everyone, including Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans are setting up their bill for failure. For that reason I encourage the Iowa delegation, including Congressmen David Young and Rob Blum, to vote against the American Health Care Act. In order to really fix our nation’s healthcare system, we need bipartisan efforts that are done in the light of […]

Guest post from Elle Smith Will the Northern Iowa town of Mason City see its first ever Pride event? Teanna Corcoran and AJ Bradbury will test the boundaries of acceptance in this “River City.” What distinguishes a small town from the fantasies that you and I have invented for them in our coastal cities? Born and raised in Mason City, playwright Meredith Wilson dubbed it “River City” in his 1957 stage musical The Music Man. It’s a barely fictionalized portrait of Wilson’s childhood home depicting “Iowa-stubborn” citizens. In The Music Man, prejudice, small-mindedness, and gossip litter the community. The mayor’s wife […]

Guest post from Mark Langgin, Citizens for a Healthy Iowa Next week Senator Chuck Grassley will chair hearings considering Judge Neil Gorsuch for an appointment to the Supreme Court. Gorsuch was nominated by President Trump, who was chosen to be a rubber stamp as his administration moves to dismantle longstanding environmental protections. Judge Gorsuch’s philosophy on environmental protections is squarely on the side of polluters versus safeguarding clean air and water. He has repeatedly turned away challenges by groups seeking to protect natural resources and would undermine agencies’ abilities to enforce our laws. These cases in particular highlight Judge Gorsuch’s […]