Labor organizations across the state, including in Waterloo, held Workers Memorial Day events on April 28, remembering those who died on the job for any reason in 2024.
Gov. Kim Reynolds was unsure when asked before Congress whether the Lutheran Services of Iowa was a money laundering scheme. At a later press conference, she clarified that she doesn’t think that the church was up to no good. Now she’s suing the Des Moines Register hoping to withhold the media prep that guided the exchange.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Iowa Starting Line’s Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers and Avery Staker discuss the governor’s lawsuit.
Also hear about a growing youth mental health crisis in Iowa. Despite a 15% surge in demand since 2018, funding hasn't kept pace, leaving families describing the search for care as "a full-time job."
The team also explores why the Iowa Legislature is extending beyond Friday's deadline.
Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line where we throw bags at the state's biggest stories. This show is created by Zachary Oren Smith with music by Avery Mossman. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.
Links:
1st Story - More Iowa youth need mental health support. Has funding kept up with the demand? (Des Moines Register) - https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2025/04/28/iowa-youth-mental-health-support-has-spending-kept-up/80496274007/
2nd Story - Iowa Legislature Set to Extend Session Past Friday Deadline (Iowa Public Radio) - https://www.iowapublicradio.org/state-government-news/2025-04-28/2025-legislative-session-budget-bills
3rd Story - Governor Reynolds Sues Des Moines Register Over Email Disclosure (Associated Press) - https://apnews.com/article/iowa-governor-reynolds-des-moines-register-foia-b274e4f47a4d205565caa6e1bdd8b6f1
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“I think it’s really, really embarrassing.”
Senator Sarah Trone Garriott (D-West Des Moines) normally takes great pride in the Iowa education system. But today she’s calling the lack of funding for students “shameful.”
A bill that gives school districts a 2% increase per pupil has been sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk, where she’s expected to sign it.
Trone Garriott says she and other Democrats argued with the state’s Republican majority that funding for Iowa’s public schools isn’t keeping up with inflation, and that half of the state’s districts will be under a “budget guarantee process” if the 2% is passed—which means property taxes will have to go up to help schools maintain their budgets.
Meanwhile, a cap has been lifted on income requirements for families at any level of wealth to use taxpayer dollars to pay for their kids’ private school tuition.
“Anybody can apply. Even the richest, the richest Iowans who are already sending their kids to private school, they basically get this huge tax windfall, and it doesn't provide any good for doing it,” says Trone Garriott.
✏️: Salina Heller
Fishing is a popular pastime, but fly fishing offers a distinct experience. Here’s a list of the best places to go fly fishing in Iowa.
Iowa Republican lawmakers have passed a bill to boost K-12 education funding by 2%—not nearly enough to keep pace with what’s needed for a once-thriving public school system. Meanwhile, Governor...
The race for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District is shaping up to be the most competitive in 2026. And US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' first quarter fundraising gives her plenty to celebrate,...
Governor Kim Reynolds stunned us with her bombshell decision not to seek reelection in 2026, creating the first wide-open Republican primary since 2010.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith is joined by Iowa Starting Line's Amy Rivers and special guest Liz Fleming (a.k.a @LizfromIowa) to discuss how this political earthquake is reshaping races across the ballot. They examine potential Republican candidates including Attorney General Brenna Bird, House Speaker Pat Grassley, state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, and state Sen. Mike Bousselot.
The team also discusses how federal funding cuts are creating a crisis for Iowa museums and libraries, with rural communities taking the hardest hit.
Plus, conversations with Angel Ramirez, running to be the first Latina in the Iowa Legislature in a special election for House District 78, as well as Democrat Kevin Techau, the former US Attorney challenging Ashley Hinson for Congress.
Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line where we throw bags at the state’s biggest stories. This show is created by Zachary Oren Smith with music by Avery Mossman. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.
Guests:
Liz Fleming, best known as Liz from Iowa, is a correspondent for Iowa Starting Line and Courier Newsroom.
Angel Ramirez is a Democrat running in the special election for Iowa House District 78.
Kevin Techau has career spanning military service (Air Force and Iowa National Guard), law enforcement (Iowa Commissioner for Public Safety), and legal work (US Attorney for northern Iowa). He plans to take on Republican incumbent Ashley Hinson in 2026.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*Follow Zachary Oren Smith on social media:*
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Rep. JD Scholten is eyeing candidacy for Joni Ernst's senate seat. He says corporate consolidation and regional agricultural systems are issues he'd run on.
Listen to the full conversation on our podcast, Cornhole Champions: https://bit.ly/3RXyuDA
Places make cases for themselves. What case is Iowa making?
This week on our podcast Cornhole Champions hear from a young candidate trying to buck the trend of brain drain. Check out the full show where you listen to podcasts. And sign up for the newsletter to get this episode when it drops Wednesday morning. cornholechampions.substack.com
They dealt with swerving trucks in front of them and an unwelcoming church behind them. But Cedar Falls showed up in the hundreds anyway, lining a mile-long stretch of busy Greenhill Road this weekend as part of the 50501 Day of Action.
