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Christina Bohannan’s campaign website called for putting our Constitution over corporations, rejecting the corrupting influence of special interests, taking on corporate Big Ag and Big Oil giants, and fighting for a country in which people who work hard can rise above corporate greed. And it almost worked.
As we take stock of what happened in 2024 and prepare for the road ahead, the results in the 1st Congressional District show some interesting trends. Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday's election. In Iowa’s southeastern congressional district, not only do we not...
Good Election Day afternoon to you all, but especially to J. Ann Selzer, who could (depending on Iowa's outcome) end up predicting something no other pollster did, and henceforth be crowned the queen of polling. How are we feeling? Would hearing from an excited...
State Sen. Janice Weiner says at the conclusion of the 2024 presidential election our country will have answered an important question about what we've learned. In a matter of days, Americans will be presented with a question. The way in which we collectively answer...
Zachary Oren Smith joins Iowa Starting Line. He’ll lead our coverage of Iowa politics. He says he’s excited to join our crusade against cynicism across the state.
Celebrate some uniquely Iowa folklore at the Van Meter Visitor Festival
You know that event that happens once every four years, bringing together athletes from vastly different backgrounds to compete for first, second, and third? No, no, no, not the Olympics. In Johnson County, it’s called Pantrylympics. Three food pantries in the...
Iowans can check out an “Adventure Pass” from their library that will give them great discounts and free admission to attractions and museums all around the state.
Starting Line Intern Grace Katzer is from Spencer, one of many Northwest Iowa communities ravaged by flooding. We asked her to write about it, and here are her thoughts. “The water is creeping closer.” The text from my mom sent my heart plummeting toward my feet. It...
Iowa state senator warns people and Republican officials not to forget the lessons of World War II. The moving pictures of centenarian World War II veterans in France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day remind us of the countless American soldiers who willingly placed...
This column, by Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green, is in response to a previous column by leaders from Escucha Mi Voz. On March 3, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors decided to shift funding in support of affordable housing from our American Rescue Plan Act...
Sen. Liz Bennett (D-Cedar Rapids)—Iowa’s only out LGBTQ senator—is fed up with seeing queer Iowans continue to be attacked by her Republican colleagues. “I am sick and tired of my community being the target of mean-spirited discriminatory bills written by Republican...
In an era marked by digital transformation and societal polarization, the role of library boards in advocating for essential services is more crucial than ever. Library trustees serve as pillars of leadership within their communities, ensuring that libraries not only...
PUBLIC HEARING UPDATE: A public hearing has been set for Iowa Gov. Reynolds' most recent anti-trans bill, which was renumbered to House File 2389. The bill would establish legal definitions of gendered terms like "man," "woman," "mother," and "father," and require...
During the thick of the pandemic, among the issues that troubled Coralville Mayor Meghann Foster and other community leaders was figuring out how to make up for lost revenue while also trying to maintain city services many residents relied on. “We were very concerned...
Rep. Brad Sherman has a simple solution for people who want control over their own bodies: Don’t have sex! https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline/video/7254999538358914350?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7213844678116984363 The Williamsburg...
With the ink barely dry on the Iowa Supreme Court’s split decision on the six-week abortion ban, the Iowa legislature already seems headed for a special session. For perspective, the ban that has been permanently enjoined passed in 2018, in a very different legal...
Cedar Falls City Administrator Ron Gaines celebrated the news that his community will receive $10 million in federal funding to help with a complete overhaul of its Main Street. "This grant is a tremendous achievement for Cedar Falls and we are extremely excited,"...
Hello, my name’s Keira O’Neill and I’m 14 years old. For the people on the opposing side of children getting education about queer people, you may be wondering why it’s important at all. I mean, adult LGBTQ+ only account for 7.2% of the U.S. population, right? And...
On Tuesday, teachers and their allies from across the United States participated in a virtual meeting to discuss their upcoming Teach Truth Day of Action, which is set to take place on June 10. On that day, educators, students, parents, and community members in...
The cost of attending a private K-12 school in Iowa will go up for many families in the 2023-24 school year even after Iowa Republicans at Gov. Kim Reynolds' behest approved using hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to supposedly make private education affordable...
Dr. Megan Srinivas, an infectious disease expert who made a mark nationally in 2020, was a busy woman even before she became the representative for Iowa House District 30, which covers southwest Des Moines. She contracts with various medical facilities and medical...
Over the last week or so I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the arguments lobbed in support and opposition to the Governor’s proposal for state-funded K-12 ESAs. It wouldn’t be news to Starting Line readers that there is a lot to worry about, particularly the...
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...
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...
Most of Sen. Janice Weiner’s (D-Iowa City) life has been dedicated to public service. Serving her community is how she was raised, her personal philosophy, the majority of her life experience, and part of her Jewish values. “I view myself as a lifelong public...
Corey Dion Lewis’ familial background is one of the things that inspired him to get involved in the health and wellness field. “Chronic disease was normal for me growing up,” he said. “Seeing my family struggle with diabetes [and] at the time not really understanding...
Zearing City Clerk Karen Davis, who filed the city’s budget almost four months late and blamed it on Juneteenth, will not lose her job despite pressure from residents on city officials to dismiss her. This decision was announced Wednesday during a special Zearing City...
After several contentious meetings about the issue, the Johnston School Board voted 1-6 on Monday on an approval of a district equity audit, postponing a project led by former DEI director Louis Fountain who resigned in August. According to some board members, the...
After a fight to hire him in the first place, Louis Fountain resigned as the Johnston Community School District's director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Fountain resigned on Aug. 26 and during a regular Johnston School Board meeting on Aug. 29, the board...
