‘State Government’

The nascent campaign of former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who is campaigning for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010, has taken to the Internet in an attempt to counteract an attack from Democrats that has gone unanswered for weeks.

More than 100 employees within the Iowa Judicial Branch will soon be without employment, and an additional 100 currently vacant positions will not be filled, as the department makes deeper cuts in an attempt to reduce its operating expenses for the current fiscal year.

Federal stimulus for Medicaid has boosted jobs and incomes in Iowa while meeting the immediate health needs of vulnerable Iowans enduring a recession, researchers with the Iowa Fiscal Partnership reported today.
“Increased Medicaid spending has an economic benefit for the state of Iowa far greater than the federal government’s initial investment,” explained David Swenson, an economist [...]

An automated call featuring one of Terry Branstad’s former lieutenant governors asking Republicans to support same-sex marriage has drawn the ire of social conservatives.

State Sen. Roger Stewart, D-Preston announced Thursday he will not seek re-election in Senate District 13.

As the federal government weighs stricter rules governing the disposal of coal ash, and as awareness of the potential dangers in Iowa continues to increase, it is important to note that while health risks are a major concern, there are many others that must be considered.

Voters will get a replay of the wild and contentious race for state House District 84, as Republican Ross Paustian will once again challenge Democratic Rep. Elesha Gayman, according to Quad-City Times reporter Ed Tibbetts.

There’s some good news, but there is also bad news in the way some students perceive their safety at Iowa schools.

State Rep. Ralph Watts (R-Adel), an outspoken critic of climate change science, has been reappointed to the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council.

Iowa’s largest union has reached a tentative agreement with the state, avoiding 479 layoffs that could have resulted from Gov. Chet Culver’s 10 percent budget cut ordered last month, which many feared would impact public safety.