BH
Bleeding Heartland
@laurarbelin
Iowa political reporter
Windsor Heights, Iowa
Publisher, editor, and primary reporter for the Iowa political website Bleeding Heartland. Statehouse correspondent for KHOI Community Radio in Ames.
833 Posts
New post by Bruce Lear: Trump has morphed from anti-hero to wannabe dictator State Representative Sami Scheetz: Reducing the sales tax would be a tax cut for 100 percent of Iowans—especially those of us who can’t afford a lobbyist in Des Moines. Cutting sales tax would help all Iowans New post: I broke down the projects in Iowa's first, second, and third Congressional districts that will receive a combined $82 million in earmarked funding this year. (The 36 counties in IA-04 will get none of this money, b/c Rep. Randy Feenstra doesn't request earmarks) Federal My post is in progress but you can read petition filed in federal court by ACLU of Iowa and others on behalf of Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice & two legal Iowa residents who would be subject to prosecution under anti-immigrant SF 2340 (modeled on TX law): https://www.bleedingh Iowa has closed "resounding gaps" in state law on crosswalks. A new law will benefit not only bicyclists, but also those who use wheelchairs, scooters, or other devices for mobility. #ialegis #safety #disabilities #seniors #cycling Palo Alto County has Iowa's highest cancer rate and the second-highest cancer incidence among all U.S. counties. Keith Schneider reports for The New Lede's Toxic Terrain series on locals seeking answers and concerns about a possible connection between farm chemicals and cancer. New by Jim Chrisinger @JimChrisinger1: Václav Havel called communism the slow and insidious murder of the human spirit. Voters need to understand that Donald Trump and MAGA are promising a similar system here beginning on January 20, 2025. New post by Randy Evans: At times when public opinion is so sharply divided in the United States, we should embrace what our First Amendment rights are about. Emily Webb, Kacey Davis, Kavi Chawla, & Shaimaa Aly: Melissa Vine's experience working w/mental illness, homelessness, substance use disorder, and generational poverty makes her the ideal candidate to champion health care accessibility and affordability. Mike Murphy and I were able to go at a slightly slower pace now that the Iowa legislature has adjourned for the year. But we still covered a lot of ground on Monday night's edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week." Latest edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week" is on podcast platforms now. I'll send out the audio file and detailed list of topics covered later on my free email newsletter (Iowa politics with Laura Belin on Substack) Two new laws will make advanced testing for breast cancer and biomarker testing for cancer and other diseases more accessible to Iowans with health insurance, starting in 2025. New post by Pat O'Donnell: Laws providing vouchers for private schools aren’t about giving parents more choice. It’s about destroying public education. New post: Steve Corbin compares President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on seventeen issues of national importance. Gerald Ott reviews U.S. policies on immigration and their shortcomings, from George W. Bush's presidency to the Biden administration. He also discusses a new Iowa law allowing local police to arrest and deport undocumented migrants. #ThrowbackThursday to May 1, 2017, when then Attorney General Tom Miller released an opinion stating that Kim Reynolds would not have the authority to appoint a new lieutenant governor once she was sworn in as governor. New post by Bill Bumgarner: To safeguard democracy and preserve decency in public affairs, reasonable Republicans and independents need to consider joining Democrats in 2024. New post: Iowa GOP state chair Jeff Kaufmann is tired of talking to activists who aren't ready to commit to Donald Trump. At a Jones County Republican event last week, he went on quite a rant: “If you don’t like Donald Trump, you’re gonna fake it!” New post by Bruce Lear: Three ways Iowa school leaders can adapt to harmful new state laws (concrete advice to administrators and school boards) #Iowa #ialegis #edu Monday night's radio show about Iowa politics is now up on podcast platforms (look for "KHOI's Capitol Week"). You can also find the audio file and recap here: