Stories

U.S. Rep. Steve King is hoping to derail health care reform legislation scheduled to be debated in the U.S. House by trying to harness the Tea Party protests that took place throughout the summer and once again bringing them to the nation’s capital on Saturday.
King announced Friday that “will join his Republican colleagues and Americans [...]

Senate Majority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, followed through on his promise Friday and dropped out of the 2010 campaign for governor.
McKinley said last month that when former Gov. Terry Branstad made his candidacy official, he would withdraw. While Branstad has yet to formally enter the race, he’s hired staff and begun holding campaign events, making [...]

The Associated Press broke the news Friday morning that an aide close to Des Moines attorney Roxanne Conlin confirms she will formally announce she will seek the Democratic nomination for Senate next week.
The aide also confirms she will file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission next week.

Christopher Reed formally announced his candidacy to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack of the 2nd Congressional District on Thursday, and in doing so vowed to run a less contentious campaign than he did in 2008 against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin.
In that campaign, which Reed lost by more than 20 percentage points, the Marion [...]

The website designed to allow citizens to track how and where funds are being allocated as part of the $830 million I-JOBS infrastructure plan now includes an interactive tool to improve transparency, Gov. Chet Culver announced Thursday.
In June, Culver’s deputy chief of staff, Phil Roeder, told The Iowa Independent that 100 percent transparency was one [...]

The 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary is shaping up to be a spirited affair, with candidates already actively campaigning and taking shots at their fellow Republicans more than seven months before Election Day.
But Civic Skinny, the anonymous gossip columnist for Des Moines’ Cityview, says the contest is as much about revenge and staking a claim on [...]

For the second time in a week, the Iowa Democratic Party is using audio from a meeting between former Gov. Terry Branstad and leaders of the social conservative movement to attack the veteran Republican.
The four-term governor held a pair of meetings with a group of pastors, social conservative activists and leaders Christian organizations last week. [...]

The decision by eBay to remove items from its site aimed at raising funds for the alleged murderer of Kansas doctor George Tiller was short-sighted and inconsistent with previous actions, Des Moines anti-abortion activist and organizer of the fundraiser Dave Leach said.

The Iowa Pharmacy Board held its final hearing on the idea of legalizing medical marijuana on Wednesday, and the board’s vice chair expects a decision before the legislature reconvenes in January.
Susan Frey, vice chair of the board, told Radio Iowa’s O.Kay Henderson that the decision won’t be rushed.

In light of historic budget cuts recently implemented by Gov. Chet Culver due to a downturn in revenue projections, the state should increase its investment in postsecondary education for low-income adults. The investment would improve economic prospects for Iowa families, and in the process boost the state budget, according to the nonpartisan group Iowa Policy [...]