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Iowa Democrats to choose new leadership
The Iowa Democratic Party’s State Central Committee will choose from three politically seasoned candidates Saturday to serve as the next party chair. The winner of Saturday’s election will replace current party chairman Rep. Ross Wilburn, who is stepping down. The party’s new leader will navigate significant obstacles including the preservation – or not – of […]
D.C. Dispatch: Iowa lawmakers focus on supply chain, trucking issues
Iowa’s House delegation focused on transportation and supply chain issues this week, while Rep. Zach Nunn snagged a key committee assignment and Sen. Joni Ernst targeted Planned Parenthood. Iowa’s House delegation sent a letter to the Surface Transportation Board’s chairman, Martin Oberman, asking him to lift a planned weeks-long embargo on rail service due to […]
D.C. Dispatch: House members appointed to committees; lawmakers take aim at China
After the weeklong delay caused by the prolonged speakership election, Iowa’s House members have finally received their committee assignments, allowing them to begin their work in Congress. On the other side of the Capitol building, Sen. Joni Ernst joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to call for increased interreligious dialogue and Sen. Chuck Grassley is […]
Check out these 2023 MLK Day events around Iowa
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is a state and federal holiday that will be observed Monday. Here are some ways Iowans can celebrate this week: The Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Office on the Status of African Americans will host its 34th annual celebration honoring King’s life and legacy at 10:45 a.m. Monday. The virtual […]
Republicans to renew death penalty debate at Statehouse
Iowa lawmakers could begin as early as next week to begin work on Republicans’ latest effort to reinstate the death penalty in Iowa. State Sen. Brad Zaun has reintroduced a bill into the Senate Judiciary Committee that could bring back the death penalty in Iowa “for murder in the first degree” when it “involve[es] kidnapping […]
D.C. Dispatch: Iowa House members finally sworn in; Grassley becomes dean of the Senate
It was a long week in D.C. for members of the U.S. House as Rep. Kevin McCarthy took four days and 15 ballots before securing the votes early Saturday to be elected speaker. Iowa’s four Republican representatives voted for McCarthy throughout the drawn-out process, but could not be sworn in or start taking action on […]