Politics
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Iowa Bill To Decriminalize Weed, Allow Retail Sales Filed By Senate Dems
Iowa Senate Democrats filed a bill decriminalizing personal amounts of marijuana and allowing cities to OK retail shops selling it, even though majority Republicans are unlikely to pass this one to the left.
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Alleged GOP Voter Fraud Operation Busted In Sioux City
The wife of a Woodbury County Supervisor and a well-known local Republican activist in her own right has been charged with 52 federal indictments related to voter fraud. According to federal court documents that were unsealed on Thursday, Kim Phuong Taylor, 49, of Sioux City concocted various election schemes in 2020 to get her husband,…
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New Bill Would Make Iowa’s City And School Elections Partisan
A new bill introduced by Sen. Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale) would make Iowa’s historically nonpartisan city council and school board elections into partisan races complete with primaries. SF23 would affect city council, school board, and merged area elections, but school board races would see the most significant changes. [inline-ad id=0] While some Iowa cities hold primary…
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Here’s What’s Different About Gov. Reynolds’ Newest School Voucher Bill
For the third legislative session in a row, Gov. Kim Reynolds has introduced another version of her private school voucher bill, but the latest proposal is her boldest, biggest, and most expensive one to date. Reynolds was successfully reelected to another four-year term and ran on a platform of giving parents more say in their…
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New Legislators: Sami Scheetz Aims To Get More Young People Involved In State Gov’t
In 176 years, there had never been an Arab American serving in the Iowa Legislature until this week when Sami Scheetz was sworn in. The 26-year-old Cedar Rapids Democrat represents House District 78, which covers the southeast portion of his hometown and boasts a rich history with Arab culture. The oldest mosque in North America is…
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Ross Wilburn Reflects On The Highs And Lows Of His IDP Chairmanship
A few days after publicly announcing he won’t seek a second term as chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, Ross Wilburn is at peace with the decision, although with a few caveats. First of all, contrary to how some outlets reported, he is not stepping down from the position and will complete his two-year term…
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Ross Wilburn Won’t Seek Second Term As Iowa Democrats Chair
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn will not be seeking a second term as head of the state party. Wilburn announced that decision this morning during the party’s State Central Committee (SCC) meeting in Ankeny. “As the leader of the party, I have worked to stem external threats, listened to those who have felt left…
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White House Invites Iowa Couple To Respect For Marriage Act Signing
C. J. Petersen described his experience at the White House on Tuesday as a “full circle” moment. The Templeton, Iowa, resident and his husband, Luke, were in Washington, DC, to see President Joe Biden sign the Respect for Marriage Act today, a bipartisan bill that protected gay and interracial marriages. “This law and the love…
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Starting Line’s Most ‘WTF’ Stories Of 2022
As 2022 comes to a close, there were more than a few stories the Starting Line team covered that collectively made us and readers go “WTF.” A lot of those stories revolved around attacks on public education, the LGBTQ community, and other marginalized groups. Some of them involved public officials being bad at their jobs…
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Polk Co. Auditor Decides Jack Whitver Legally Resides In Grimes
According to a decision by Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver is a legal resident of a Grimes apartment where there has been scarce water usage for months and where his family does not reside. Fitzgerald announced his decision in a Monday press release a few days after a hearing…
