State Politics
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AG Bird drops suit to defund Winneshiek Sheriff
The Iowa Attorney General is dropping her lawsuit against the Winneshiek County Sheriff over a social media post. Bird says the county is in “full compliance,” though she never got the apology she attempted to compel from the sheriff. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird quietly dismissed her high-profile lawsuit against Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx.…
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Sioux City special election: Republicans choose far-right candidate for seat
Correction: The Iowa Senate confirms the governor’s appointments to agency heads. It does not confirm judge picks. This article has been correct to reflect that. A special election in Sioux City has big implications for power in the Iowa Senate. Who voters choose will have a major impact on power in the Iowa Legislature. A…
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5 ways Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ would change life in Iowa
What happens when a 940-page law tries to reshape America? Let’s see how it would play out in the Hawkeye State. Iowa’s Republican Congressional delegation is primed to provide a stamp of approval to President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” despite the potentially devastating impacts it stands to have on Iowa. The legislation slashes…
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80% of Iowans concerned government is causing increase in food prices
Iowans are worried about food prices. But they’re especially worried that the policies of the Trump administration (like his tariffs on foreign goods) will cause prices to rise further.
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Ottumwa Job Corps program, training 240 at-risk youth, faces Trump axe
Despite its success, Ottumwa Job Corps is among the 99 programs the Trump Administration is shutting down. The closure eliminates over 100 jobs in small town Iowa, displacing the 240 at-risk youths served by the program. When Ajai Long finished high school, she found herself spiraling. Instability at home led her to couch-hop. Couch-hopping left…
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Iowa Board of Regents tries banning university courses that teach about social justice
The Iowa Legislature passed a bill this session banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and trainings by “public entities,” including Iowa’s public universities. And they spelled out exactly what they don’t want us to learn about: “unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, transgender ideology, microaggressions, group marginalization, anti-racism, systemic oppression, social justice, intersectionality, neopronouns, heteronormativity,…
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Reynolds vetoes bill protecting landowners from eminent domain
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill restricting private pipelines’ use of eminent domain, against the wishes of Iowa landowners and farmers.
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Zach Wahls joins field of hopefuls campaigning to unseat Joni Ernst
Iowa state senator from Coralville announced a run to take on Iowa’s junior US Senator. State Sen. Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) ended months of speculation Wednesday morning by announcing he will challenge Republican US Sen. Joni Ernst for her seat in 2026. The 33-year-old from Coralville told Iowa Starting Line that he is framing his campaign…
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Davenport building collapse investigation reveals years of ignored warnings and regulatory breakdown
After the Scott County Attorney stonewalled its release, the public can finally read the state’s investigation into the deadly collapse of the Davenport Hotel. Inside: cash workers, altered reports, and a runaway landlord. Andrew Wold stood in a metal fabrication shop off State Street in Bettendorf, Iowa. It was the last Sunday of a hot…
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The woman who prompted Ernst’s ‘We’re all going to die’ remark is running for Iowa House
The woman who told Sen. Joni Ernst that “people will die” if she votes to cut Medicaid said the senator’s mock apology a day later was “deeply insensitive” toward people who could lose health care. India May of Charles City is a registered nurse, a county death investigator, and a library director in Northeast Iowa.…
