Opinion

Trump is bonkers, our congressional reps remain silent

Your View January 20, 2026

Celebrated historian Heather Cox Richardson says Donald Trump’s demand for Greenland is bizarre. She also called it bonkers. I agree. Trump has demonstrated bonkers behavior many times in recent years, especially the past twelve months. But Iowa’s congressional representatives have remained silent. Crickets. When will Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Zach Nunn, Randy Feenstra and Senators Grassley and Ernst stand up to Trump and challenge his excesses? This is not a time for cowardice. I’m looking forward to the mid-term elections this November. Maybe early voting ...

Barker Bulletin: Off to the races

Columnists January 20, 2026

The 2nd Legislative Session of the 91st General Assembly convened on Monday. It was my honor to ceremonially notify the Governor that the House was duly organized and ready to receive whatever messages she wishes to convey. With this being a shorter session, deadlines come more quickly and the hard work has already begun. Thanks to the many great conversations and cups of coffee I shared with constituents throughout the district in the interim, I was prepared to hit the ground running this week. I sponsored 15 bills addressing topics including childcare workforce and affordability, ...

Columnists January 20, 2026

The 2026 Legislative got underway this week with the usual pomp and circumstance of speeches from the House leadership and the addresses from Governor Reynolds, Chief Justice Christensen of the Iowa Supreme Court and Major General Osborn, Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard. Gov. Reynolds assured us that the Condition of the State is Strong. She honored our fallen National Guard soldiers and addressed topics such as property taxes. Chief Justice Christensen outlined her priorities, particularly what she sees as a crisis regarding low pay for judges across the state. Major ...

ICE is a law-breaking ‘Law Enforcement’ agency

Columnists January 17, 2026

We’ve seen masked government agents roughing people up, shouting obscenities at them, trapping them on freezing cold roofs, smashing their car windows, shooting pastors with pepper balls, shoving women to the ground, separating mothers from their children and killing an unarmed American citizen as she attempted to maneuver her car away, dog in the backseat and glove compartment overflowing with colorful stuffed animals. Why was Renee Good executed in cold blood? Because, our jefe explained, “that woman was very, very disrespectful to law enforcement.” That’s a lie, as the 80% ...

Moving the community forward

Columnists January 17, 2026

As the calendar turns toward 2026, it is worth reflecting not just on what Marshalltown has accomplished in 2025, but on how, and why, we continue to move this community forward. At its core, local government is about delivering excellent services to every resident, every day. In 2025, that meant providing reliable public safety, maintaining streets and utilities, managing parks and public spaces, and responding to thousands of service requests across a city of more than 27,000 residents. When these services are done well, they build confidence and trust in local government. This ...

Back-in parking

Your View January 17, 2026

The Chamber of Commerce promotes downtown activity. I think the proposed back-in-angle parking will discourage it. After all, few people back into their own garage.