The Iowa Supreme Court gave citizen engagement and accessibility to public meetings a much-needed boost Friday (May 16) in an appeal of a lawsuit against the Iowa City Community School District. The district’s practice of posting full videos of school board meetings on the internet for ...
The 2025 legislative session is over, we adjourned “Sine Die” in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 15, after a 22 hour marathon session. This has been another historic session, there is so much to write about, but so little space in these newsletters. I will touch on a few key pieces ...
When I saw the news about the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ) receiving an intimidating letter from state Rep. Charley Thomson of Charles City, it brought back memories. Recent memories and feelings of what I experienced late last year when I received a letter from Summit Carbon ...
Q: What is National Police Week? A: Since 1962, U.S. presidents have proclaimed the second week of May as National Police Week to pay tribute to the men and women who put on the badge to serve and protect their community. As Americans go about their daily lives, law enforcement officers put ...
Members of the Iowa Farmers Union (IFU) traveled to Washington, DC, recently to participate in the National Farmers Union (NFU) Week of Action, advocating for a unified farm bill that addresses critical issues facing farmers and rural communities. At a time of unprecedented uncertainty in farm ...
Q: What is National Nurses Week? A: Efforts to honor and celebrate nurses in the United States first got underway during the Eisenhower administration. In 1974, President Nixon issued a proclamation to honor the expanding role nurses were taking on in the health care system, such as nurse ...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental wellness is an important topic in my life and has been for many years. I have assisted many in my personal and professional life who need support in these areas. In my early teen years, I lost an aunt to suicide. A few years later, I lost my ...
When lawmakers return to Washington, D.C. from their April recess, I don’t have a good feeling about what’ll come next. They’ll begin the process of budget reconciliation, and it doesn’t bode well for rural America. Just look at the budget resolutions they passed before leaving ...
We are now fourteen weeks into the 2025 legislative session, and the pace at the Capitol remains brisk. This week alone, the Senate passed more than 30 bills addressing a variety of important topics, from civics education requirements for high school students to interstate compacts for health ...
Five years ago, a community in rural Iowa came together to save a vital part of their small town: the grocery store. With a population of approximately 900 people, Gowrie is in many ways an idyllic small town. It boasts a community pool, skating rink, golf course, and park. However, the ...