Today’s show features discussion on immigration reform, big bill signing and the continuing shake-ups in the political landscape. This week’s show features The Gazette’s political reporter James Lynch, Quad City Times political reporter Ed Tibbetts, Lee Enterprises Iowa Bureau Chief Mike Wiser and Gazette columnist Todd Dorman. The show was produced by The Gazette’s Max [...]

DES MOINES – A federal appeals court struck down parts of the state’s election law as unconstitutional Thursday, loosening some of the restrictions for groups that want to spend on behalf of – but not coordinate with – political campaigns. But the court upheld key provisions which ban direct corporate contributions to candidates and force [...]

State lawmakers ended up authorizing $554 million in increased one-time and ongoing spending from the state’s general fund for the current fiscal year that ends June 30. Action taken by the politically divided Legislature that precipitated the half-billion dollar jump spanned two legislative sessions and included about $275 million in one-time commitments from the surplus [...]

DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad expressed hope Monday that interim appointments he has made to several key state panels will fare better in the 2014 Senate confirmation process after senators rejected two of his nominees in April and two others were pulled back and resubmitted after lawmakers adjourned. “People have had a chance to [...]

This week’s show features a gas tax alternative, what to expect from the federal immigration debate and is David Young a “true” Iowan? Does it matter? This week’s show features The Gazette’s political reporter James Lynch, Quad City Times political reporter Ed Tibbetts, Iowa Lee Enterprises Bureau Chief Mike Wiser and Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier political [...]

Gov. Terry Branstad said Friday he expects to sign into law a compromise provision that would allow him to decide whether taxpayer money will be used to pay for a limited number of abortion procedures for low-income Iowa women who are covered by the federal Medicaid program. A compromise struck by the split-control Legislature that [...]

Gov. Terry Branstad says public support for a gas tax increase has evaporated and he favors looking at state gambling profits or a dedicated share of the state sales tax as alternative sources to fund critical road and bridge upgrades in the future. With gasoline and diesel fuels diminishing as reliable funding sources and more [...]

DES MOINES – Iowa’s Democratic race for the 2014 gubernatorial nomination is expected to pick up now that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has taken himself out of the running. Vilsack spokesman Matt Paul confirmed Wednesday that the former governor will not be a candidate for public office in Iowa in 2014. Meanwhile, long-time [...]

With the immigration debate heading to the U.S. Senate floor next week, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, joined three other Republicans to ramp up criticism of the legislation. In a five-page letter Tuesday, the lawmakers launched a broad critique of the bill, saying it fails to adequately protect the border, rewards lawlessness and endangers national security. [...]

DES MOINES – Two Republicans will enter the race for U.S. Senate in the next few days according to news releases sent by their respective campaigns Friday. David Young, 45, plans to fill out the required paperwork for a Senate run Saturday at a restaurant in Van Meter. He has invited media and supporters to [...]