Iowa Starting Line

06/21/2025

Last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a $1 billion tax break for Iowa companies. Who's not getting a break? Workers.

Senate File 607 drastically lowered employers' contributions to the Iowa unemployment fund, letting them off the hook for laying off employees.

Subscribe to our newsletter for stories like this directly to your inbox and read more from Iowa Capital Dispatch here: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/06/05/gov-kim-reynolds-signs-unemployment-insurance[…]5&utm_term=Iowa%20Starting%20Line%20-%20Workers%20Almanac

06/21/2025

🌽 Brenna Bird is suing a county sheriff for explaining constitutional law on Facebook and demanding he apologize in her exact words.

Like and subscribe to our podcast, Co****le Champions:

Attorney General Brenna Bird is pursuing legal action against Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx over a Facebook post questioning unconstitutional immigratio...

06/21/2025

It's a long road to get elected, and it's not a bad thing if it takes a few tries.

Listen to the newest episode of Co****le Champions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv0eS3j4RZs&t=46s

06/20/2025

Remember the 2023 story of mobile home residents in Johnson County whose parks were bought by investment company Havenpark Communities, then had their services taken away while their lot rents were jacked up?

The residents started a couple of tenants’ unions—the Iowa Manufactured Home Residents Network and Johnson County Residents United (JCRU)—and have been working behind the scenes to try and fix problems and keep their neighbors in their homes.

That has now resulted in “Expectations for Livable Communities,” a list of demands on Havenpark, which JCRU unveiled today.

Check it out here, then subscribe to our newsletter to get stories like this in your inbox every week: https://iowastartingline.com/2025/06/18/tenants-union-in-johnson-co-unveils-demands-on-owner-havenpark/

06/20/2025

🌽 Kim Reynolds' carbon pipeline veto has her own Republicans calling her Bruce Rastetter's "errand girl" and threatening to kill her entire remaining agenda.

Learn more on the newest episode of Co****le Champions:

Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed a Republican bill restricting pipeline eminent domain, triggering angry responses from GOP lawmakers who are now threatening to ...

06/20/2025

Gov. Reynolds is getting a lot of heat from her own party. Find out why on the latest episode of Co****le Champions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r__tByhQwWA&t=3s

06/19/2025

It's bad enough knowing that thousands—sometimes millions—of animals are killed when highly contagious avian influenza is found in a flock.

But worker protections are falling through the cracks too: Underage workers have been found to be killing birds and handling carcasses; workers lack protective gear for the processes used to kill them, which could spread the disease to humans; and producers who need to kill them quickly sometimes use inhumane methods to do so.

Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter, and read more from Investigate Midwest here: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/05/04/inside-the-business-of-killing-millions-of-chickens-in-response-to-bird-flu/

06/19/2025

The cultural legacy of Iowa diners is unmatched.

Check out the latest episode of Co****le Champions, a podcast that is sometimes about Iowa politics.

06/18/2025

State Auditor and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand believes the "red" versus "blue" mentality fails to recognize what Iowans really want: a leader who will make Iowa a place to stay.

Read more from Sand's op-ed here: https://couriernewsroom.com/news/rob-sand-taking-iowa-beyond-red-or-blue/

06/18/2025

🌽 Iowa's 2026 governor's race features an election-denying pastor, Steve King's former chief of staff, and several candidates that can't stop name-dropping Trump.

Find out more on the latest episode of Co****le Champions:

A crowded field is shaping up in Iowa’s governor's race. From US Rep. Randy Feenstra to State Auditor Rob Sand, candidates are preparing for a mad dash to 20...

06/18/2025

🌽 Christina Bohannan announces her third shot at unseating Mariannette Miller-Meeks in what's become Congress' ultimate toss-up district (last margin: 799 votes).

Watch the newest episode of Co****le Champions here:

Christina Bohannan just announced her campaign for Iowa's 1st Congressional District, setting up a potential third consecutive matchup with US Rep. Mariannet...

06/17/2025

Thousands took over the entire front lawn of the Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines on June 14 for the No Kings protest—and the sign game was on point.