On Monday, January 9, 2017, the legislative leaders gaveled in the start of the 87th General Assembly, which marks the first time in 20 years that Republicans control the House, Senate, and the Governor's office. All eyes are on Des Moines to see if the gridlock we have had for the last few ...
Q: Why are you co-sponsoring an amendment requiring Congress to pass a balanced budget?A: The founders authorized a federal amendment process with Article V of the U.S. Constitution to give future generations a stake in our system of self-government. Arguably, the future of our republic is at ...
In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, opponents of the Electoral College are calling for the system to be abolished or reformed to reflect the "popular vote." In addition, those who were upset with Republican Donald Trump's victory were hoping that some electors would switch their ...
Filing of bills and committee work is increasing as we finish the third week. The Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) de-appropriation of $117 million was passed out of committee on Tuesday, setting it up for debate by the House next week. The de-appropriation did not impact K-12 education per the ...
You are worth a Kings' ransomYou are worth the whole universeYou are worth everything to me.Be worth everything to yourself...You may not see yourself as worthwhileCause you See yourself as worthiessYou take wrong turns to convince YourselfThat you are worth nothing to othersThere is no pick, ...
Iowans across the state can cultivate a vibrant future by investing in today's youth. The Iowa State Fair is dedicated to investing in the next generation of farmers, innovators and leaders. This dedication is reflected in our annual August celebration of Iowa's agricultural heritage, ...
There are six types of city government possible in our state. Muscatine has the "Mayor-Council with appointed City Manager" type and is nominally non-partisan. In this form, the City Manager is the person who "runs the city" on a day-to-day basis, and the Mayor's position is largely ceremonial. ...
We are now finishing up our second week in session. Bills are being filed and committee work is underway. Here is a sampling of the bills beginning to work their way through the process.My BillsHouse Joint Resolution TBD - Right To Hunt, Fish, and Trap: This bill seeks to amend the Iowa ...
The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Advisory Council co-chairs Sue Olson and Gary Rozek fondly remember Mr. Cernan's dedication to the NCSML and his service as a member of the National Advisory Council. He will be greatly missed by both the Council and the National ...
The 2017 legislative session opened this week and there is a sense of uncertainty here in Des Moines and DC.My hope this year is the divisiveness and bitterness that ruled the campaign can be put aside at the State Capitol this year.As the minority party in the House this year, we know there is ...