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Gov. Kim Reynolds' private school voucher bill is ready for debate on the Iowa Senate floor after passing through Thursday’s Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on a party-line 12-6 vote. The Iowa House advanced the bill on Wednesday and both chambers are set to...
Iowans got a chance to comment on Gov. Kim Reynolds’ latest bill to fund private school tuition with public tax dollars during a Tuesday public hearing held by the Iowa House Education Reform Committee. House Republicans have fast-tracked the proposal so it skips...
In her Condition of the State address Tuesday evening, Gov. Kim Reynolds called for more taxpayer money to go toward a program aimed at preventing abortions. Passed last year, the More Options for Maternal Support bill (MOMs), directed $500,000 in state funding to...
An Iowa City company started during the pandemic as the "last mile" delivery service for Amazon will close next month. GRIT Delivers LLC, which delivered Amazon packages in Amazon-branded delivery vehicles to the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area, notified the state it...
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...
Incoming Iowa Rep. Jeff Cooling (D-Cedar Rapids), a newly elected legislator who begins his service today, said he’s most looking forward to bringing his common sense, real-world perspective on labor and workers' issues to the Iowa Legislature, and to learning new...
Iowa Starting Line closes out its best year yet as 2022 comes to an end, one in which we saw rapid growth and significant success with our social-first reporting efforts. Our focus in getting Iowa news journalism in front of Iowans where they're already at online—and...
Iowa remains one of the states least friendly to labor organizing and worker power. But the cracks are starting to show. Iowa workers filed 14 representation cases with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the 2022 fiscal year, an increase of 180% compared to...
Living in Iowa and the rest of the Upper Midwest comes with enjoying or surviving—depending on your perspective—long winters that come with copious amounts of snow. Yet, some winters come with massive snowstorms that dump several inches of snow and bring high winds...
True or False: "The Day The Music Died" plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa happened AFTER the publication of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. True False Order these Iowa sports events. Nile Kinnick receives the Heisman Award. Iowan Bob Feller became the only pitcher...
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...
As the pumpkin spice craving fades with autumn waning and winter on the horizon, beer enthusiasts get ready to enjoy the warmth that comes with winter beers, leaving its summer lagers and session IPAs behind. Big-bodied winter beers typically come with various spices...
The holiday season is here. If you are in the mood to give gifts to family and friends, buy local. You can also prove to family and friends living outside of the state why Iowa Made products are the best. Here is a list of great products made in the Hawkeye State....
Iowa is famous for quality beef, which you can find in great burger spots all around the state. It’s easy to find the popular ones in and around Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa’s other large cities, but finding an awesome burger in Iowa’s small towns is a little...
Higher food prices and missing paychecks are a recipe for a tough holiday season for hundreds of striking workers in Iowa. However, their unions and community supporters are trying to make it all a little easier on them. BCTGM strike in Cedar Rapids The roughly 100...
Since 2007, Record Store Day occurs each year on one Saturday in April and every Black Friday after Thanksgiving. This celebration of independent record stores and their distinctive culture seeks to bring together fans and artists, especially those who want vinyl....
Iowa is famous for its charming small towns and farms, home to beautiful rolling hills and picturesque prairies. But Iowa is also home to a strong entrepreneurial spirit, which we find both in the farms and fields and in cities. Innovative Iowans have given us...
Whether you are going it alone or you and your family would rather simply skip the hoopla of preparing Thanksgiving dinner and go out to eat, you will find several places in Iowa to enjoy dinner on Thanksgiving. You can always find some national chains that are open...
The voter registration of Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver (R-Ankeny/Grimes) is formally being challenged and a hearing will take place at 2 p.m. on Nov. 30 at the Polk County Election Office in Des Moines. The dispute stems from evidence showing Whitver very...
The good news: BCTGM unionized workers at the Ingredion milling plant in Cedar Rapids are just four or five negotiating proposals away from having a new agreement, more than 100 days after beginning their strike. The bad news: They're likely to continue striking at...
The state of Iowa will lose an opportunity to receive $3o million in federal funding for child care because Gov. Kim Reynolds' office didn't want to commit $3 million in matching state funds despite Iowa having a $1.91 billion surplus. State Sen. Claire Celsi (D-Des...
While election deniers were rejected in high-profile races around the country last week, Iowa will see several 2020 conspiracy theorists arrive (or return) in the state legislature this coming January. In local races that saw less scrutiny than statewide contests in...
You hate to cook. You’re a bad cook. You have to work. You are too busy with other things. You don’t have the help you need. You have a huge family. You have a small family. You would rather spend your time with your family than in the kitchen. You would rather argue...
Taking time each year to celebrate the service and sacrifices of veterans and active duty service members is not only the right thing to do but also ensures that military members and their families know that we all appreciate them. Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is a reminder...
There are state legislators who have fought hard for the working class and union workers in Iowa. And there are legislators who actively work to keep workers down—by passing legislation restricting collective bargaining rights, cutting into unemployment benefits for...
In the final days and weeks before the election, Republicans have pivoted to an old but effective tactic: Bringing up crime rates and blaming Democrats and their policies for the rise. “The chickens have come home to roost for the anti-law enforcement movement....
Iowa Republicans have honed in on a message to finish the campaign season: Chaos, uncontrolled crime, inflation, and blaming Democrats. Rather than talk about solutions or better alternatives, they’re trotting out the familiar talking points and whipping up division....
One of the highest-ranking Republicans in the Iowa Senate may not actually live in the new district he wants to represent. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver (R-Ankeny/Grimes) changed his voter registration to an apartment in Grimes to run for Senate District 23;...
People who deny that Joe Biden is the President of the United States aren't just a fringe group in Arizona or Florida anymore. They're right here in Iowa—and they want to be in the Iowa Legislature. You might remember the traveling Ohio math professor peddling the Big...
Monday marked 78 days on strike for about 120 workers at Ingredion in Cedar Rapids, whose company tells them they can't afford to pay a living wage or save the jobs workers are demanding despite the company's CEO profiting handsomely off their labor. That's a notable...
