Author

Kate Kealey

Kate Kealey

Katherine Kealey is a senior majoring in journalism and political science at Iowa State University. Before interning at the Iowa Capital Dispatch, she interned at the Carroll Times Herald. She served as the editor-in-chief of the Iowa State Daily in 2022.

Mike Pence, in Cedar Rapids, rallies Iowans against school gender affirmation policy

By: - February 15, 2023

CEDAR RAPIDS – Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday in Iowa that left-wing activists have dragged public schools into a culture war, force-feeding children state-sanctioned racism and radical gender ideology. “Every day we are told not only that we have to tolerate the left’s increasingly bizarre obsessions with race and sex and gender, but […]

Kari Lake says her Iowa roots fuel her fight to overturn Arizona midterm results

By: - February 10, 2023

BETTENDORF, Iowa — Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said her Iowa upbringing is one source of her fighter mentality, motivating her to challenge the results of the election that she lost in 2022 and potentially run for U.S. Senate next year.  Lake, a Republican, said some may assume she was visiting Iowa because she […]

Candidates for state auditor stress objectivity over partisanship

By: - August 18, 2022

In the race for state auditor, Democratic incumbent Rob Sand promises voters he will remain committed to serving as the taxpayers’ watchdog, while Republican opponent Todd Halbur believes the job should be separate from partisan disputes. Sand has been a target of Republican criticism during much of his tenure, based in part on speculation he […]

Iowa counties can receive funds to make polling locations more accessible

By: - August 12, 2022

Every county in Iowa will receive $1,000 to improve the accessibility of polling locations to ensure all Iowans with disabilities can vote in the November election, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced Friday.   Pate said the grants are intended to foster a partnership between local governments and advocacy programs to assess how voting sites […]

Iowa to apply for summer food benefits for children, just weeks before classes begin

By: - August 11, 2022

The state of Iowa is in the process of applying for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) food benefits program to supply aid for children experiencing hunger during the summer months.  The state’s previous applications for the program were denied. The new application comes just weeks before many Iowa students will return to fall classes. […]

Candidates for state treasurer diverge on office’s role, goals

By: - August 10, 2022

If elected as state treasurer, former Republican state Sen. Roby Smith would use the position to prevent federal overreach and ensure Iowa tax dollars don’t aid terrorist organizations, his campaign states. Democratic incumbent Michael Fitzgerald said he hopes to continue building on programs he implemented during his time as the longest-serving state treasurer in the […]

D.C. Dispatch: Iowa’s senators introduce bipartisan bills on foster care, meat packing

By: - August 5, 2022

 Iowa’s U.S. senators introduced bipartisan bills this week before the August recess addressing foster care and meat packing. Meanwhile, Iowa’s representatives addressed tenant protections for manufacturing housing, cybersecurity and additional funding for commercial trucker licensing programs.  Sen. Chuck Grassley introduced bipartisan legislation to address the shortage of foster placement in America.  The Data-Driven Foster Parent […]

USDA announces more funding to expand broadband to rural areas

By: - August 4, 2022

The U.S Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the fourth round of a grant and loan program to bring high-speed internet to rural America. USDA’s Rural Development Secretary Xochitl Torres Small said for too long, rural communities have been left out of the digital economy even though they play a fundamental role in […]

Iowa Attorney General’s Office investigates scammer calls

By: - August 3, 2022

Iowa’s attorney general’s office, along with 50 other attorney generals, has formed a task force aimed at curtailing illegal robocalls in the United States. The task force’s focus is to investigate and shut down telecommunications providers that profit from failing to stop the illegal scam calls. Over 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans […]

D.C. Dispatch: Iowa’s delegation works to improve communication systems for severe weather

By: - July 29, 2022

All four of Iowa’s U.S. representatives supported bipartisan legislation this week to modernize the National Weather Service’s communication networks. Iowa’s D.C. delegation also collaborated on legislation addressing fuel prices, while House members voted along party lines on an effort to ramp up domestic production of semiconductor chips. The weather bill passed the House Wednesday with […]

Inflation exacts a heavier toll on rural Americans than on urban households

By: - July 18, 2022

Barbara Kalbach is a fourth-generation family farmer and a registered nurse from Dexter, Iowa, and she commutes 17 miles every time she needs to go to work, the store or the doctor.  The Kalbachs, along with other rural households, are experiencing a greater strain on their disposable income than their urban counterparts due to inflation. […]

Attorney general’s office investigates surge of solar panel installation complaints

By: - July 12, 2022

Out-of-state solar panel installers are publishing advertisements riddled with misleading information regarding Iowa’s solar tax credit and charging thousands of dollars to customers who are seeing no change in their electrical bills. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is currently investigating 14 solar panel companies after an increase in consumer complaints. Often the companies are located […]