Iowa Politics and Caucus Insider

Fired Iowa GOP Senate staffer to file sexual harassment claim

A staffer for the Iowa Senate Republicans who was fired on Friday intends to file a civil rights complaint citing sexual harassment, her lawyer told The Des Moines Register Monday. Kirsten Anderson, 34, was communications director for the Senate Republicans until she was fired shortly after giving her supervisors a written memo that made note [...]

Col. Robert King appointed head of Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs

Gov. Terry Branstad announced Monday he has appointed retired Col. Robert King as head of the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs. He will replace retired Brig Gen. Jodi Tymeson, who was recently named chief operating officer of the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. King, 64, served in the Iowa National Guard for nearly 36 years [...]

Lt. Gov. Reynolds says she wasn’t sexually harassed in Iowa Senate

Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who served in the Iowa Senate in 2009 and 2010, said Monday she didn’t experience sexual harassment as a state lawmaker, but she believes everyone should be ensured a safe and secure working environment. “When I was in the Senate there were 18 members in the Senate Caucus. I was very [...]

Branstad: State might accept federal Medicaid expansion money if it came with ‘assurances’

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad appeared on Monday to soften his rhetoric opposing an expansion of Medicaid. For months, the Republican governor has sternly rejected the notion of broadening the state-federal program, which provides health-care services for low-income Iowans. His argument has long been that the federal government can’t be trusted to uphold its funding commitments, [...]

Branstad announces social media contest aimed at spurring Iowa home sales

Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a social media contest on Monday aimed at increasing home sales in Iowa this summer. The contest is sponsored by the Iowa Finance Authority, Iowa Association of Realtors, Iowa Home Ownership Education Project and the Iowa Mortgage Association. The organizations are asking all Iowa mortgage lenders, [...]

Iowa Legislature: Morning briefing, Monday, May 20, 2013

Iowa Legislature: Morning briefing, Monday, May 20, 2013 What’s happening: Welcome to Week 19 of the 2013 session of the Iowa Legislature. Lawmakers have been working since May 3 without any additional daily expense allowances, which usually means they’d like to wrap up their work and push for adjournment. Not much is happening today

Iowa Senate GOP staffer claims she was fired for protesting sexual harassment; Dix aide issues strong denial

A former key staffer for the Iowa Senate Republican Caucus says she was fired on Friday, just hours after providing documentation of sexual harassment by male legislators and caucus staff members and asking for changes. Kirsten Anderson, who had been communications director for the Senate Republican Caucus, told WHO-TV in an interview broadcast on Sunday [...]

Iowa Speaker Paulsen optimistic as 2013 session heads toward finish

Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen is optimistic about passing bills on property tax relief and education reform as the 2013 session of the Iowa Legislature heads towards the finish line. “We had a great week,” Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, told reporters on Friday. He said good progress has been made on passing budget bills and he hopes [...]

Possible 2016 presidential candidate Rick Santorum to speak in Iowa Aug. 8

Republican Rick Santorum, a religious conservative who ran president last year, will be returning to Iowa in August for the first time since the fall election. Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, will be the keynote speaker at the Lyon County GOP’s fundraising dinner on Aug. 8, his spokesman, Matt Beynon, confirmed to The [...]

Gronstal: Leaders may intervene to resolve Iowa education reform differences

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal said Friday that he and House Speaker Kraig Paulsen may intervene to resolve differences between Senate and House negotiators on a statewide education reform package if a stalemate continues over the bill. “There certainly may come a point when the two of us decide to take ownership of the people who are [...]

Bill funding state infrastructure projects wins approval from Iowa lawmakers

The Iowa House and Senate on Friday approved $77.4 million in state infrastructure funding, finalizing one more aspect of the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget includes $8.6 million for lake restoration projects, $3.8 million for renovations on the state historical building, $3 million for recreational trails and $500,000 for [...]

Sticking points emerge among Iowa Senate Democrats on tax relief deal

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal said Friday he expects lawmakers to approve property tax relief before adjournment, but he acknowledged some sticking points have developed among Senate Democrats. Senate Democrats met behind closed doors until late Thursday night, just hours after lawmakers disclosed plans for a sweeping tax relief package agreed to by House-Senate [...]

Iowa anti-abortion group: IRS unfairly scrutinized us too

An Iowa anti-abortion group says the Internal Revenue Service targeted it for the same kind of politically biased scrutiny that Tea Party groups faced when they sought tax-exempt status. Susan Martinek, president of the Coalition for Life of Iowa, was intrigued when the recent controversy blew up around the IRS’ practice of giving extra attention [...]

A beautiful second place finish at state track

The young men on North Polk High School’s track team had no delusions Thursday about their formidable opposition heading into the Class 2A 4

Iowa State Patrol adding military Humvees to vehicle fleet

The Iowa State Patrol is adding eight Humvees to its statewide fleet of law enforcement cars and trucks. However, it’s not likely that many speeding tickets will be written by troopers behind the wheels of the military vehicles, which have a top speed of 65 mph. The so-called Hummers

Iowa Legislature: Morning briefing, Friday, May 17, 2013

What’s happening: Will today be the day that the Legislature adjourns? It could be, but there’s a lot of work to be done before the final fall of the gavel. Lawmakers have made substantial progress this week in passing elements of the 2014 budget and agreeing to a session-defining property tax reform package. But they [...]

Iowa Legislature agrees to fix farm liability issue

The Iowa Senate gave final approval Thursday night to legislation that addresses an Iowa Supreme Court decision that caused some groups to believe farmers should not open their land to the public. The bill was approved earlier Thursday by the Iowa House. House File 649 amends a state law intended to encourage private owners of [...]

Iowa lawmakers give final OK to higher ed appropriations bill

The Iowa Senate gave final passage Thursday night to an $897.7 million spending bill for higher education in Iowa. The measure was approved earlier Thursday by the House. Under the legislation, undergraduates at Iowa’s three state public universities will pay the same tuition in the fall as they did this school year. It will be [...]

Iowa lawmakers approve budgets for departments of agriculture and natural resources

Iowa lawmakers on Thursday approved a $40.7 million budget for the departments of agriculture and natural resources, a $5.4 million increase over current year funding. The spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1 includes $2.4 million in new funding for a water quality initiative in the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship [...]

Handful of Democrats eyeing Braley seat in northeast Iowa

Several names of Democrats have popped up as possible replacements for U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley in northeast Iowa, including a Cedar Rapids lawyer, a Cedar Rapids small business owner, two state lawmakers, and a state utilities board member. Braley’s seat will be open because he’s seek the U.S. Senate seat that will be retiring incumbent [...]

Iowa House, Senate reach sweeping deal on tax relief

Iowa House and Senate negotiators have reached a deal on a sweeping tax relief plan that gives help to business property owners, curbs the growth of residential and agricultural property taxes, reduces taxes for people filing income-tax returns and assists low income wage earners.”

Property tax plan looms as Iowa lawmakers push for adjournment

By William Petroski and Jason Noble Details on a plan to provide statewide commercial property tax relief could emerge later Thursday as the Iowa House and Senate continue their push for adjournment of their 2013 legislative session. However, lawmakers don’t appear close to agreement on providing health care for thousands of low-income Iowans, leading to predictions [...]

State Rep. Baltimore promises help for Iowa nonprofits harassed by IRS

Iowa state Rep. Chip Baltimore went fishing for Iowa connections to one of the big scandals now roiling Washington D.C. on Thursday, with a statement seeking nonprofits that may have been improperly targeted by the IRS. Baltimore, a Boone Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asked any Iowa-based nonprofit organizations organized as 501(c)(4)s [...]

Iowa receives ‘F’ grade on campaign disclosure requirements for independent political groups

Iowa is one of 26 states to receive a “failing” grade for its disclosure requirements on independent political campaign spending, according to a national watchdog group. The National Institute for Money and State Politics rated all 50 states on their laws for reporting who is making independent political contributions and where they’re spending the money. [...]

Baker’s dozen of GOP U.S. Senate possibilities shrinks to even dozen

West Des Moines Mayor Steve Gaer, a Republican who was mulling a U.S. Senate bid, announced today he’s seeking re-election as mayor. And an anonymous “coming soon” website that promised the “Iowa problem solver” that Republican Gov. Terry Branstad called for doesn’t belong to a Republican. Democrat Bruce Braley revealed today it’s his site. Gaer [...]