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The battle to overturn portions of the Republicans’ 2017 voter ID law raged on in a Polk County District Court trial several weeks ago. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Iowa State University student Taylor Blair are challenging several key...
Guest post from Julián Castro's first big round of Iowa Caucus endorsers. As Iowans, we understand the responsibility that comes with being the first in the nation to vote. We want to not only hear where the candidates stand on the issues, but to truly understand how...
Three days. Five cities. Lots of Iowans. During this past week around Independence Day, Senator Kamala Harris visited Iowans and journeyed across half of the state, gathering crowds, endorsements and lots of support. Harris connected with Iowans in Central and Western...
An unexpected endorsement from a black pastor in Waterloo. A man yelling “Sleepy Joe, Sleepy Joe!” from the sidewalk of the Independence Day parade in Independence, Iowa. The Mayor of Marshalltown breaks down on stage because he, too, has lost someone he loves to...
Who are you calling old? Bernie Sanders showed off both his organizational strength and personal stamina during a marathon of parades over the 4th of July holiday in Iowa. While nine other candidates criss-crossed the state this week, the 77-year-old Sanders certainly...
The 1,800-member UFCW Local 230 of Ottumwa has endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders. UFCW Local 230 political director Frank Flanders announced the endorsement during an event in Iowa City on Tuesday evening. "UFCW 230 is taking leadership on behalf of all working Iowans...
Rita Hart stood before a captive audience Tuesday night in Lee County to deliver one of her first stump speeches since announcing her candidacy in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. Hart said in May she would run to replace outing Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack in a...
Each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) takes water samples from Iowa public park beaches. They test for dangerous bacterial contaminants and post those beaches that are unsafe for recreational swimming. However, there...
In his latest round of threats, President Donald Trump stoked fear in communities across the country earlier this month with talk of ramping up immigration raids nationwide. "Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have...
A guest post from Cedar Rapids City Councilmember Dale Todd These days, it seems like finger pointing has replaced solutions and results in Washington D.C. Democrats and Republicans are unable to agree on something as basic as the truth. We desperately need someone...
Tonight was the biggest night of the year yet for the Democratic field, and hundreds of Iowa caucus-goers filled bars, coffee shops, homes and county party offices to watch the first debate. Team Starting Line deployed reporters to seven different debate watch parties...
A fourth Democrat told Starting Line Wednesday he is considering a run against Sen. Joni Ernst, in a field still taking shape to defeat the incumbent Republican. Retired Navy Admiral Michael Franken, originally of Sioux Center, a town deep in conservative Northwest...
Listen and show up. For presidential candidates working to avoid a repeat of Democratic missteps in 2016, ensuring turnout rebounds among African-American voters is key. Listen and show up. Sounds easy, right? Even with three simple words, questions instantly come to...
Robert Morrison, 64, hasn’t always been involved in politics. The self-described introvert said he gets easily tongue-tied when he speaks, so he usually keeps to himself. “I’ve always been led to believe if you work hard and you’re productive, you’ll get taken care...
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is set to go up on the Iowa airwaves this week, according to a media buy schedule that Starting Line has seen. Her campaign is making a statewide ad buy worth around $42,000 from June 25 to June 30. Hers will be the second presidential...
Foreign aid is often used more in political campaigns as a punching bag than as an applause line, but more Iowans may be pressing their candidates and elected officials on the subject if the ONE campaign is successful here. ONE, a non-partisan advocacy organization...
The Iowa Professional Fire Fighters union has voted to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for the 2020 Iowa Caucuses. "Vice President Biden is honored and humbled to have the endorsement of the Iowa Professional Fire Fighters. Every day, Iowa's firefighters put...
Despite recent efforts to limit it, abortion is still legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks. However, the procedure isn’t easily accessible to all Iowans. Iowa has eight Planned Parenthood clinics, five of which provide abortion services. There are also a few other clinics...
As small towns across the country struggle to attract or retain businesses, the USDA has been awarding a number of rural development grants to help stimulate growth. “I just feel like there’s been a reinvigorated interest in rural issues and communities, and seeing...
Health care discussions in the presidential primary have increasingly begun to include specific ideas for the LGBTQ community. Beto O’Rourke recently rolled out his "LGBTQ+ Equality" policy proposal aimed at ensuring everyone can “live openly without fear of...
A guest post from Iowa State Representatives Jennifer Konfrst, Amy Nielsen, Mark Smith. For centuries, our nation has served as a beacon of hope to the rest of the world because of Americans rising above our differences and celebrating what we had in common — being...
The first Iowa Water Festival is this Sunday, June 23 from 11:30-2:30 at the Izaak Walton League and Water Works Park in Des Moines. The clean water advocacy organizers have a lineup of speakers, educators and scientists dedicated to improving Iowa’s deteriorating...
Today's party gathering in Cedar Rapids was the largest crowd yet for an Iowa Caucus event, and 19 presidential candidates took the opportunity to impress the key activists who showed up. For many of the Iowans there, it was their first time hearing in-person from a...
Nineteen presidential candidates made their case to a ballroom packed full of the very Democratic activists who will help determine the next nominee of the party. Despite the lengthy program line-up, the day actually ran decently on-time, and most attendees stuck...
Rita Hart is the “perfect” fit to represent Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, according to party leaders and those who know her well. Hart, a farmer, retired teacher and former state senator, knows small towns and big cities. She’s just as comfortable working on the...
Senator Bernie Sanders is unveiling his first slate of key endorsements from Iowa progressive leaders today. Among them are some local elected officials and party leaders who were first mobilized to activism from Sanders' previous presidential run, including LULAC...
Four and a half years ago, a group of friends and I gathered around a table in a downtown Des Moines bar to brainstorm what a new Iowa political blog could look like. I had just gotten finished with yet another exhausting campaign cycle, and was ready to do something...
Photos clockwise from top-left: Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01), former State Senator Rita Hart (IA-02), Congressman Steve King (IA-04), Congresswoman Cindy Axne (IA-03. Not only is Iowa ground zero for the dozens of Democratic presidential candidates competing...
If you’re on the hunt for a new pair of off-brand Crocs or high-end work boots, look no further than Ringgold County, Iowa. But for the county's residents who are looking for anything in between, a 45-minute drive to Creston, the next county seat over, or an online...
There have been plenty of examples that raise questions whether government boards in Iowa truly understand they work for the people, not for government officials and employees --- and that they are supposed to be looking out for the best interests of taxpayers. The...
