State Newsmakers
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Iowa Senate Democrats’ plan would lower childcare costs, raise childcare worker wages
Iowa Senate Democrats release a slate of bills aimed at solving Iowa’s childcare crisis. It aims to tackle the rising cost of child care across Iowa while addressing the accessibility issues facing families. Gov. Kim Reynolds lauded the state for adding 27,000 child care slots in the past four years during her January Condition of…
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Miller-Meeks, Zaun pile onto Trump’s suit against Register pollster
In 2024, Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks encored her razor-thin margin from 2020. Despite winning, she’s calling foul and blaming a poll that didn’t mention her name. No one is more aware of her elections’ tight margins than US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Her district’s ambivalence toward her in 2024 was only matched by its ambivalence in…
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Heartland AEA begins dramatic restructuring following Republican’s AEA changes and cuts
A state agency that supports students from kindergarten to age 21 with special needs is anticipating major restructuring and reductions in the coming year. This after Iowa Republicans’ law redirecting their funding and scope of service. Heartland Area Education Agency (AEA) is bracing staff for even larger reductions in staff and services in response to…
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Auditor Sand uncovers $430,000 fraud scheme in Iowa Workforce Development funded program
Embezzled federal funds paid a family member’s cell phone bills and non-existent daycare services. Auditor Rob Sand says the state needs to prioritize oversight in light of investigation. A special investigation by Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand found evidence of $426,000 in embezzled federal funds by an agency overseen by Iowa Workforce Development. The case…
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🌽Cornhole Champions #7 – Condition of the State (with Gov. Kim Reynolds)
Toss some bags and talk through the governor’s priorities for new Iowa laws. Bright ideas: Iowa DOGE, paying childcare workers more, banning cell phones, and pots of beans. 🌽Cornhole Champions #7 – Condition of the State (with Gov. Kim Reynolds) by Zachary Oren Smith Toss some bags and talk through the governor’s priorities for new…
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Read Gov. Kim Reynolds Condition of the State
An Iowa DOGE. Statewide bans on cell phones in classrooms. And incentives for practicing medicine in Iowa. Read Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Condition of the State address. Tuesday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered her annual Condition of the State address to a joint conference of the Iowa Legislature. Shortly before the speech, reporters were given…
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Auditor Sand proposes accountability measures, accountant incentive
Iowa Republicans have been at work limiting the powers of Iowa’s sole statewide Democrat Auditor Rob Sand. As the session opened, he released some proposals aimed at greater government accountability and addressing the accountant shortage. State Auditor Rob Sand won’t stop talking about PIE. His Public Innovations and Efficiencies program encourages local governments to find…
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Confident Republicans promise more of the same in 2025 legislative session, target local government
Republican legislators swaggered back to Des Moines with deeper ranks. Despite eight years of one-party rule, Iowa legislative Republicans say there’s more cuts to be made. The Iowa Capitol buzzed Monday morning, crowded with freshmen legislators jockeying for seat selections and bored family members waiting around for the swearing-in ceremony. With the sound of the…
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Republicans skip out on legislative forum
The Republican Party holds the reins of state government but skipped out on laying their priorities out in an open forum. Democratic leaders in the state House and Senate laid out opportunities for future work. Statehouse Republican leaders ghosted on an opportunity to answer questions about their plans for the coming legislative session. This was…
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Reynolds heads to Trumpland
After backing Donald Trump’s main rival Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary, Gov. Kim Reynolds heads to Mar-a-Lago with other Republican governors to bend the knee. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is off to President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach estate this week. Politico reported that this evening, Republican governors will dine with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. …
