State Politics
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Kim Reynolds finally decides to help feed some kids, but there’s a big catch
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that Iowa will start a competitive $900,000 grant program to feed Iowa children over the summer—this comes months after she declined $29 million in federal funds to feed kids via a different summer program. The new Summer Meal Program Expansion Grant will be launched through two existing federal programs and…
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Kalbach: Keeping an eye on McKenzie Snow
Gov. Kim Reynolds continued her war on public schools earlier this month when she narrowly won Iowa Senate confirmation of McKenzie Snow to lead the Iowa Department of Education (DOE). Snow is the wrong choice for the 500,000+ kids who attend our public schools, and I fully expect her to carry out Reynolds’ plan for…
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Increasingly desperate Iowans stretching food banks to capacity
Leaders of a dozen food pantries across Iowa are sounding the alarm about a “soaring number” of Iowans seeking help at food banks, putting these already stretched organizations into a “crisis situation.” The leaders and other advocates recently issued a joint press release about “a rising number of Iowans experiencing food insecurity” in the past…
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Bayer/Monsanto has poured money into Iowa politics for years
As Bayer, the major pharmaceutical and biotech company, lobbies the Iowa Legislature to enact legislation to protect it from civil suits related to its pesticide products, it is worth noting that Bayer and Monsanto—which Bayer purchased in 2018—have collectively poured over $530,000 into the campaign coffers of Iowa’s state-level politicians since 2002. From 2002-2018, Monsanto…
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VIDEO: McKenzie Snow dodges questions on her teaching background
McKenzie Snow, Gov. Reynolds’ pick to lead the Iowa Department of Education and a former Trump administration staffer, wouldn’t answer Sen. Herman Quirmbach’s (D-Ames) questions in a Senate subcommittee about her legal qualifications to be an Iowa educator. @iowastartingline McKenzie Snow, Gov. Reynolds pick to lead the Iowa Department of Education and a former Trump…
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Bills to support anti-abortion centers, expand postpartum Medicaid set to be law
Two bills affecting Iowans’ reproductive health passed out of the Iowa House Wednesday afternoon and could soon become law. Postpartum Medicaid SF 2251 passed the House 70-25, and it would restrict the number of people who qualify for postpartum Medicaid coverage in order to expand coverage to a full year. A fiscal note attached to…
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Former Trump staffer officially in charge of Iowa’s public schools
A former Trump administration official and advocate for using public funds for private school scholarships officially has Iowa’s top education job. The Iowa Senate confirmed McKenzie Snow’s appointment as director of the Iowa Department of Education in a 34-15 vote on Tuesday. Critics have questioned Snow’s credentials as she has never taught in an American…
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Sioux City Republican activist gets light prison sentence for 52 acts of voter fraud
A Sioux City Republican activist who was convicted of illegally filling in ballots escaped a far harsher punishment on Monday for her 52 acts of voter fraud, which could have carried a five-year prison sentence for each. Instead, Federal Judge Leonard Strand sentenced Kim Phoung Taylor to serve four months in federal prison as part…
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How Iowa Republicans used the AEA bill to play politics
Iowa Republicans are going to say Iowa Democrats don’t support teacher pay, but they won’t mention that it was part of the unpopular AEA bill.
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VIDEOS: Iowa Senate debates AEA overhaul bill
The Iowa Senate debated an amended Area Education Agency (AEA) bill on March 18, during which many Democratic legislators focused on the thousands of constituent emails, comments, and testimonies against the governor’s initiative to dismantle how the AEA system currently functions. Sen. Bill Dotzler (D-Waterloo) specifically called out Iowa Republicans’ repeated dismissal of public opinion,…
