Iowa agriculture has undergone substantial changes over the past 40 years. We see it all around us. Rather than crops and livestock being raised on tens of thousands of diversified family farms, Iowa has become ground-zero for concentrated industrial factory farms with unmanageable levels of ...

The Legislature took an important step last week in voting to toughen penalties for state and local officials who violate a key government transparency tool, Iowa’s open meetings law. Unfortunately, lawmakers’ actions may not be enough to reverse the love for secrecy that too many ...

Biden’s border is a nightmare, but Senate Democrats refuse to wake up and address the crisis. Hardly a day goes by without hearing of another American who has fallen victim to crimes perpetrated by the illegal immigrants that Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has enticed to our southern border ...

Every month, when Iowa families look over their finances and put together a budget, the price of gas is always an unpredictable factor in spending decisions. While people in urban centers have access to other transportation options, in rural Iowa, we drive — everywhere. Going to work, driving ...

Have you ever needed that extra push to get you on the way to get moving and active? Maybe a little nudge to say “now is the time.” Well, “now is the time.” Why not train for a triathlon? If that didn’t scare you off let me say the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA is excited to host the ...

We are in week 15 of the session with the intention of finishing up the budget and policy work yet this week, possibly working through till Saturday. As I finish this newsletter at 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening, we are preparing to debate five of these budget bills this evening. The first budget ...