Stories

Tension appears to be rising in the House Democratic caucus in the wake of the failed bid to pass prevailing wage legislation, as at least one lawmaker says he is getting the cold shoulder from his colleagues.

State Rep. Rick Olson (D-Des Moines) has spent the better part of the last three hours being grilled by Republican lawmakers about his ‘compromise amendment’ to House File 333, a bill that would require state-funded public works projects to pay ‘prevailing wages’ to workers.  The amendment was adopted on a voice vote moments ago as [...]

Former House Minority Leader Christopher Rants (R-Sioux City) wrote on his blog Wednesday that Democrats have found their 51st vote for a bill that would establish a prevailing wage on public projects. However, at least one of the legislators he says switched their position said Rants is incorrect.

Iowa veterans and their families were the biggest winners in the Iowa Lottery’s most recent quarterly payout, which transferred $992,773 to the Veterans Trust Fund (VTF). The payout stemmed from sales of the $1 instant-scratch game, “Stars & Stripes,” between July and September 2008.

“If we are able to help elect veterans, they are more likely to give more consideration to veterans’ issues while serving in office,” said James Mowrer, Iowa director and senior adviser to VoteVets.org.

For many Iowa veterans, the war-front follows them home, where they have to battle for benefits already promised to them by the government through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund (VTF). The annual battle came to an end last week when the Iowa Lottery introduced the first of four games, Stars & Stripes, that will directly benefit the fund.

In an attempt to fulfill a promise made to Iowa veterans in 2003, lawmakers have turned to a familiar source of revenue: gambling. By a vote of 75-21 Wednesday, the House passed House File 2359, a bill that would direct the Lottery Authority to develop two additional scratch tickets and two additional pull-tab tickets with [...]

(Update: The Iowa House of Representatives passed House File 2065 this morning. There were no votes against the bill, which now heads to the Senate. Employers who fail to follow the law face possible simple misdemeanor charges with up to 30 days in jail and fines up to $625. Under the proposed changes to the [...]

The last thing Iowa’s National Guard and reserve soldiers need to worry about while deployed to war is whether or not they’ll have a job when they return to their civilian lives. Knowing this, the federal government passed USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) in 1994 to help protect the soldiers’ jobs, and [...]

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware received the endorsement of Iowa State Representative McKinley Bailey, D-District 9, a returning Iraq war veteran. Bailey, 26, is the youngest serving Democratic member of the Iowa State Legislature. Bailey appeared along with Iowa House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and explained why Iowans should support Biden for [...]