Iowa students aren’t sitting on the sidelines, waiting their turn – they are already building our future. As Secretary of State, I often have the privilege of meeting with high school and college students. I get to travel across the state and meet students on their own turf, at their ...
American business life is often found not in shiny corporate headquarters, but in quiet moments. It’s in the late nights balancing books at the kitchen table, facing the worry of making payroll, and finding the tough determination needed to turn a personal financial risk into something ...
Small Business Week gives us a chance to step back and recognize what truly drives Iowa’s economy — and what sustains it. The numbers are compelling. 99.3% of Iowa businesses are small businesses, employing 637,557 Iowans—nearly half of our workforce. Even more encouraging, these businesses added more than 12,500 net new jobs in the most recent year. This is not just economic activity. It is momentum. And it is increasingly diverse. Women now own more than 103,000 businesses in Iowa — 43.4% of all businesses statewide. Minority-owned businesses, including Hispanic-owned ...
Many years ago, I heard a statement that has stayed with me ever since: “Man’s basic spiritual problem is the integrity of the Word of God.” From the opening chapters of Scripture, humanity’s trouble did not begin with violence, injustice, or immorality—it began with a question: “…Did God actually say…?” (Genesis 3:1). Eve inaccurately handled God’s word, which led to her believing the serpent’s lie in verse 4. The consequences were catastrophic. That pattern has never changed. When God’s words are doubted, altered, or subordinated to human opinion...unbelief, ...
May is mental health awareness month. Do you know the symptoms, which are warning signs of a mental health issue? They can affect how you think, feel, and behave, and they can vary in intensity and duration. Chances are you know some of them but others may surprise you. Recognizing the warning signs can help you seek help early and manage your mental health effectively. There are emotional, physical, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms. Emotional symptoms often influence your overall mood and outlook on life. Physical symptoms are often a response to emotional stress. Behavioral ...
Paying an out-of-state vendor millions of dollars to do what the State Auditor’s Office can do at a fraction of the cost — literally about five cents on the dollar — isn’t efficient: It’s a waste of your tax dollars. Iowans love pie — me included. My favorite is strawberry rhubarb. Local governments also love a different kind of PIE — that’s short for Public Innovations and Efficiencies. It’s a program I launched in 2019 that encourages counties, cities, and school districts to use innovation and common sense to save tax dollars. About 500 local governments around ...
