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How Iowa’s corn belt came to feed and fuel the world

Iowa farmers have kept our top notch status in the Corn Belt for generations. Our state’s rise to top corn crop producer can be traced back 100 years —thanks in large part to the scientific curiosity of an Iowan from Adair County named Henry A. Wallace. A century ago, he founded the iconic seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred Corn Co. that today serves farmers in more than 90 countries. In 2019, Pioneer became the flagship seed brand owned by Corteva Agriscience. Later this year, Corteva will spin off its seed business under the name Vylor. I’m rooting to bring its seed headquarters ...

How the DHS funding lapse has strained homeland security

The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not just been another political dispute happening in Washington — it is a direct threat to the safety and security of the American people at a time when our country is facing heightened threats to our national security. For more ...

District 53 Newsletter from Rep. Dean Fisher

This newsletter is written as the legislature continues to work through the final hours of the session Saturday night and into Sunday morning. As I finish writing this in the chamber, it’s 11:30 AM Sunday, May 3, and we’ve been here working for nearly 27 hours. Senate File 2490, which ...

Iowa’s next generation is ready – let’s meet them at the polls

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 ...

Beyond the ‘open’ sign: The grit keeping America’s Main Streets alive

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 ...

Trust is Iowa’s competitive advantage

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 ...