The U.S. Postal Service would have to continue Saturday mail delivery for two more years and would face a one-year moratorium on closing rural post offices under a bill the U.S. Senate approved yesterday. Both of Iowa's senators voted for final passage... »
More than 50 religious leaders in Iowa have signed an appeal for "responsible precautionary action to limit global climate change." I've posted below the full statement below with all the signatories, including Catholic Bishops Martin Amos and Richard ... »
While many Americans dread tax day, April 15 holds a silver lining for political junkies: the chance to read the latest federal campaign finance reports. Follow me after the jump for details on the money raised and spent by Iowa's five U.S. House incum... »
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller was one of 16 state attorneys general to file a federal antitrust lawsuit yesterday against Apple Inc. and three major U.S. publishers. The complaint alleges that the publishers and Apple conspired to raise prices on el... »
Competing rallies about lean finely textured beef took place on the Iowa State University campus yesterday. Governor Terry Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, and Representative Steve King were among the speakers at a rally supporting continued... »
After several hours of delay due to a suspicious powder mailed to State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, the Iowa House passed a bill last night to ban local governments from using "automated traffic law enforcement systems." The 58 to 40 vote didn't fo... »
President Barack Obama's re-election campaign accuses Republican front-runner Mitt Romney of standing with Big Oil in a new television commercial running in Iowa, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. The video and transcript of the Obama camp... »
What's on your mind this weekend, Bleeding Heartland readers? I'm catching up on two stories I didn't have time to write about during the past week: President Barack Obama's choice of Jim Yong Kim to be next president of the World Bank, and Vice Presid... »
The nice thing about a large majority, like the 60 to 40 Republican advantage in the Iowa House, is not needing every vote in your caucus for every bill. Members can oppose the party line when local interests are threatened without derailing the legisl... »
At least 200 people gathered on the west steps of the Iowa State Capitol Monday evening for a rally and vigil marking one month since Trayvon Martin's killing in Floriday. After the jump I've posted a few notes from the event, along with links about th... »
Most bills that lack bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate die by filibuster, but senators voted overwhelmingly yesterday to move forward with debate on a bill that would end tax breaks for oil companies. Last May, Senator Chuck Grassley helped Repub... »
Shelley Parbs announced today that she will run for Iowa Senate district 38. She is the second declared Democratic candidate in this district; the winner of the June primary will face first-term Republican Tim Kapucian, a Senate minority leader and ran... »
The U.S. House approved the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act today by an overwhelming majority. All five Iowans were among the 390 votes for passage (roll call). Details on the legislation are below. UPDATE: The Democratic Congressional Campa... »
Iowa Senate Democrats finally announced their challenger to first-term Republican Tim Kapucian last week, setting up a potentially competitive race in the new Iowa Senate district 38. The new Senate district 38 covers all of Benton, Iowa, and Poweshiek... »
The U.S. House voted yesterday to repeal two regulations enacted by the Obama administration's Department of Education. Bruce Braley (IA-01), Dave Loebsack (IA-02), and Leonard Boswell (IA-03) were among 69 House Democrats who joined a united House GOP... »
