STATE LEGISLATURE

Brian Meyer says his caucus wants to propose legislation to make things cheaper for Iowans.

Iowa Democrats have chosen West Des Moines City Council Member Renee Hardman as the party’s nominee for a coming special election for an Iowa legislative seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Claire Celsi. Hardman defeated four other candidates at an Oct. 21 special nominating convention to win the Democratic nomination. She promised to…

The Democratic state senator from West Des Moines died on Oct. 6 after a bout with an undisclosed illness.  West Des Moines resident Al Womble will always remember the first time he met Iowa Sen. Claire Celsi. Womble, a union organizer by trade, was an active volunteer in the Iowa Democratic Party and its Polk…

A new law caps daily crypto ATM transactions at $1,000, limits fees to 15% of the transaction amount, and requires operators to provide full refunds when customers can prove they’ve been scammed. The law also mandates written warnings for customers and gives Iowa’s attorney general authority to levy hefty fines against operators who violate the…

Lawmakers worked through the night Wednesday to reach a budget deal after a contentious session went into overtime. While most of us were sleeping, the Iowa Legislature adjourned — 13 days late. Legislators had to burn the midnight oil to close out a 123-day session and pass a nearly $9.4 billion budget. Before the session…

I recently traveled to Washington, D.C. with a group of Iowans to talk with my representative: Congressman Zach Nunn. We weren’t sightseeing. We were there because it’s clear to us our economy is rigged for the ultra-wealthy, and the people who represent us in Congress aren’t listening to us back here at home.  We went…

The School Chaplain bill is currently rushing through the Iowa legislature – it’s now heading to the Iowa Senate floor as H.F. 884, having passed the House and gone through the Senate Education committee. Despite the fact it seems to clearly violate most interpretations of the establishment clause – letting public school districts hire chaplains…

Iowa House Democrats unveiled a series of legislative proposals aimed at supporting working families as the state faces economic headwinds, including recent layoffs of 780 workers in Decorah and Amana. Iowa has seen major layoffs this week that have put at least 780 people out of work. As these workers look for what’s next, the…

In 24 hours, Republicans in both chambers passed a bill that takes away an Iowa city’s ability to prefer contracts with established training programs for taxpayer funded projects. Iowa Republicans passed a controversial bill this week stopping local governments from requiring workforce training standards for contractors on public projects, a major blow to union and…

Our library has always thoughtfully curated its collection with community needs in mind, and this legislation unnecessarily inserts government regulation into that process.