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Do the right thing, Congress

Dear Iowa Congress Member; I am making a very difficult request of you. I am asking that each of you put aside your desire to get re-elected, your loyalty to your party and your concern about your political legacy. We are a country in crisis and this is the time to ACT! Our current President, with the help of Elon Musk, is attempting to dismantle our orderly system of government agencies which protect and monitor our health and safety. This past two weeks the advisory committee called DOGE, has directed and Trump has implemented furloughing over 400,000 federal workers. Their ...

IFMA opposed to SF 310 – urges lawmakers ‘Please don’t make fire safety illegal’

Our organization represents the men and women who are charged with fire code development and enforcement, public education, and fire investigations for communities in Iowa that have dedicated personnel in these areas of service delivery. Today, we are urging lawmakers to vote NO to SF 310. This proposed legislation compromises safety in Iowa, puts our residents and firefighters at risk, and prioritizes profit margins above fire safety. Many Iowa communities adopt local code requirements that are appropriate for their community. This legislation unnecessarily removes home rule and ...

Never before in history

Unbelievable is the word that comes to mind every day since the Trump inauguration. He has switched sides on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. He has even called an ally a dictator, he blatantly lied (again) saying that Ukraine started the war with Russia, he has alienated our European allies. Heaven forbid that we might need them someday for protection. He has turned against a democratic ally to side with a monstrous dictator. This betrayal of an ally will forever damage US relations with Europe and is a disgrace, and shameful outcome. On the home front, things are not ...

The last assignment

Today, Feb 18, our community helped a Marine on his final venture in life. We met at church to remember just who he was and how he lived life. He was a gnarly-headed youth from Marshall County who got the call from “Uncle Sam”. We need you, Larry Kerr, to be a part of the American experience of standing up to those who speak untruths and want to kill anyone who thinks differently. So he went to defend the American way of life. He took himself and what abilities he had and entered the Marine corp. Not everyone sees a responsibility to protect by war but Larry knew right from wrong ...

SF 347 threatens our community’s library and learning opportunities

I’m writing with urgent concern about Senate File 347, legislation that would dramatically restrict our library’s ability to serve as an anchor institution of learning and discovery for everyone in our community. As a librarian, I’ve witnessed firsthand how our library sparks curiosity and opens doors through its diverse collection of materials. This bill would create a chilling environment where libraries might remove valuable educational resources out of fear of costly penalties and legal action. The financial impact alone is staggering. SF 347 would allow lawsuits carrying ...

What Grassley COULD do

I heard Senator Grassley say that Congress can’t do anything but complain about what Trump and Musk are doing. I beg to differ. He COULD still vote against inappropriate nominations for Cabinet posts and heads of agencies that remain to come before the Senate. Sadly, it’s too late to correct what’s already happened. He COULD schedule well-publicized in-person or virtual town halls and hear what we constituents think about the decisions DOGE and Trump are making and find out how we are already being affected. He COULD speak out daily and correct the lies and misinformation coming ...