Iowa’s Annual Starve The Schools Mess 

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Dave Bradley

As usual, Iowa’s Republicans cut the heart out of Iowa’s public schools. 

3 minutes: 

  

Former President Biden famously said: 

“Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I will tell you what you value!”  

Based on proposals by Republicans in the Iowa State Senate, they do not have much value for Iowa’s public school students and by extension Iowa’s teachers or communities. Iowa’s republicans have once again offered a well-below inflation increase for Iowa’s schools. Thus, once again they show their disdain for Iowa’s kids.  

As a long term strategy, underfunding Iowa’s schools is just plain dumb. Whether a state is trying to lure families with young children or if a state is trying to keep the best and the brightest in the state, cutting public school funding sends a clear signal that young people are not valued in Iowa. 

Like many, when I was younger I was always proud to say I was from Iowa. It meant that we were well educated.  We stayed in Iowa and our kids were educated here. We knew they would get a good education simply because it was what Iowa valued. We can no longer say that. When young folks are looking for a permanent home, Iowa’s low wages, and low public school rankings set people to look elsewhere. It will not be easy to lure such folks back to Iowa.  

Rather than giving big tax cuts to the wealthy and paying for the private school educations of Iowa’s wealthy families, it is well past time for the Iowa legislature to truly reassess their values. It is time to step back and realize that investing in public education is an investment that more that pays for itself. We don’t want to be Mississippi. 

State Senator Herm Quimbach of Ames had this statement on the Republicans paltry 1.75% proposed raise in public school funding: 

 Republican lawmakers again propose to starve Iowa’s public schools 

State Senator Herman Quirmbach (D-Ames) has released the following statement regarding Senate Republicans’ school funding proposal. 

“The public school funding number proposed today by Senate Republicans shows that public education is no longer their priority in Iowa,” Sen. Herman Quirmbach (D-Ames) said. 

“Like Iowa families, the public schools that educate over 90% of our kids face an affordability crisis,” Quirmbach continued. “Schools can’t afford enough teachers, so class sizes grow and students lose individual attention. Many can’t afford cost-of-living increases to retain experienced personnel. Some districts can’t even interview the best qualified teachers because they just can’t afford them.” 

“STEM teachers aren’t replaced. Online instruction is substituted for in-person when schools can’t afford a full-time language teacher.” 

“Funding that supported beloved programs and educators is evaporating,” Sen. Quirmbach said. “In Boone, the district has to terminate the school orchestra that has given the community great pride for 100 years. And, they have to cut eight full-time positions beyond that.” 

“Legislative Republicans’ severe underfunding of our public schools isn’t new. Ever since Kim Reynolds became governor, Republican funding has fallen farther and farther behind inflation. The shortfall this year alone amounts to over $1,000 per student. More than half a billion total statewide. If we hope for a future where Iowans can compete on the world stage,” Sen Quirmbach said, “our students and our schools need and deserve better.” 

Sen. Quirmbach is the Ranking Member of the Senate Education Committee. 

In her analysis for Common Good Iowa, Anne Discher is very insightful: 

Senate committee advances inadequate school funding proposal — again 

Posted on February 5, 2026 at 9:44 AM by Anne Discher 

 Fitting for Groundhog’s Day week, a Senate committee advanced a bill yesterday that would do the same thing the Legislature did last year, and the year before that: slowly starve our schools. The legislation they approved falls far below what’s needed to keep up with rising costs and meet the needs of Iowa students.  

The bill, would set Supplemental State Aid — the rate of increase in general per-pupil funding from the previous year — at 1.75%. The Governor beats that figure, but barely, proposing a paltry 2% SSA increase in her budget. 

We have yet to see an SSA proposal from the House, but given the state’s estimated $1.3 billion budget shortfall and lawmakers’ drive for local property-tax cuts, there’s no reason to expect it to be substantially better than that of the Senate and Governor.  

Budgets are one way we demonstrate our aspirations as a state. The chart below shows how school funding has failed to meet the needs of our children and how proposals from the Senate and Governor would extend the downward trend line another year. 

One thing we must remind ourselves is that dis respect for our public schools and underfunding them year after year is not something that can’t be fixed. It can – with your vote this fall! BTW, if I forgot to mention it Iowa’s Republicans have spent over $1 billion on school vouchers in the past four years. That could have paid for big improvements in Iowa’s schools! 

Posted in #trumpresistance, 2026 election, Budget, Iowa Legislaturę 2026, Republican Policy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Retribution

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Dave Bradley

 

4:30:

The Felon in the White House told us over and over that his highest priority if he were chosen as president again would be to exact retribution. Even though he cloaked as “your retribution,” we all knew what he meant. Of course, what he meant was to go after those specific people and also those states where he claims he was injured in some way.

In that vein, since becoming president again he has gone after individuals, corporations, universities, cities, states and countries. His reign of vengeance is just getting started. ICE has become his personal army. In using this personal army, he, his lieutenants, ondown to the poorly trained quasi-soldier in the street have all violated laws by the bucketsful.

Sadly for America he has backing from just enough members of congress to continue his egregious antics that have and will lead to death, serious injury and loss of businesses and properties. For the FIWH to continue his “retribution” he must maintain his backing from the spineless MAGA Republicans in congress. Iowa has a great opportunity to contribute mightily to the dismantling of Trump’s cadre in congress.

Perhaps the most profound statements the voters in Iowa could make this fall would be to send Trump acolyte Ashley Hinson packing and replace her with a senator who is much more in touch with Iowa values and also constitutional laws and norms.

In this video we see an example of Hinson backing the president in his desire to shut down opposition and threaten them with retribution: (2:20)

This is just one small example. As the FIWH has trampled on the constitution since he was sworn in, Hinson has been a solid vote for every form of retribution that the administration has devised. When the MAGAs in congress refuse to stand up to the out of controlleader using the broad powers of his office to exact retribution on the citizens of this country.

Make sure you understand and that your friends and acquaintances that no matter what Hinson may say, her record so far and her intentions are to fully back Trump no matter what he does.

As Iowa’s economy suffers mightily under Trump policies such as tariffs, as Trump policies gut our cities, gut small family businesses and ramp up inflation, when you vote remember that Hinson will be acting as one of Trump’s puppets with little regard about what is good for Iowans.

Also remember as Trump goes deeper into his retribution delusions, there will be little consideration for whether a target of his retribution was once a friend. Anyone ever perceived as an enemy must be dealt with.

The only real issue this fall is Donald Trump. If you are voting for any Republican up and down the ticket you are voting to enable Trump, because there is not a Republican with any courage to stand up to Trump.

 

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Iowa Senate Dem Leader Janice Weiner On Iowa Press

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Trish Nelson

The transcript for this episode of Iowa Press can be found at IowaPBS.org

Senator Weiner is unique in that she actually takes time to think before answering questions.  She doesn’t just blurt out handy talking points. She uses her short time on the program to educate.  I make it a point to watch Iowa Press when she is the guest.

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Flashback 2008

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Paul Deaton
Vote Early in 2008 — Provenance unknown.

What characterized the 2008 presidential election for Democrats was the systematic use of nearly every procedural, legal, organizational, and technological lever within the electoral process to bring people to the polls that were previously infrequent voters. The Obama campaign innovated within the existing electoral system, integrating policy, organizational structure, data analytics, and ground tactics into one single, continuous outreach to voters. The results speak for themselves. Obama won — decisively.

I have living memory of that campaign, and it is worth examining how the underlying process has changed since then. In 2008, the focus was on persuading people to vote and vote for Obama and other Democrats. In the years since, a series of Republican-led changes in election law shifted the challenge away from persuasion and toward altering how voters participate in elections. These shifts in process are making a difference, particularly for the kinds of turnout strategies used by the Democratic campaign in 2008.

In Iowa, these changes took concrete form in the voting restrictions enacted by Republicans in 2021. The law signed by Governor Kim Reynolds redefined key elements of the electoral process in ways that made voting more difficult. I list the provisions of the law here in full because this post is intended as a reference. Taken together, these changes make campaigns like the one Obama ran in 2008 significantly harder to execute. The new laws must be followed, and campaign leaders have adjusted accordingly.

According to the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, the law required the following changes:

• Voters must register to vote 15 days or more before the election to appear on the voter register on election day (formerly 11 days, and 10 days for general elections). Voters may still register to vote on election day, or when voting absentee in person, with both proof of identity and proof of residence.

• A voter who has moved and has therefore been sent mail by the County Auditor to inquire of their proper address, and who did not vote in the most recent general election (formerly the last two general elections), shall be marked inactive (unless they were not 18 years old at the time of the most recent general election). Registrations of inactive voters will not be cancelled until two more general elections pass with no voter activity. 

• Polls close at 8:00 pm for all elections (formerly 9:00 pm for primary and general elections). 

• When a registered voter is attesting to the identity and residency of a voter unable to present required forms of identification, the attesting voter must present his/her own required form of identification. 

• For a provisional ballot to be counted, the voter must either provide the necessary identification at the polling place before it closes at 8:00 pm, or provide it at the Auditor’s Office by noon on the following Monday. If the canvass by the Board of Supervisors will be held earlier than the following Monday (for cities with possible runoff elections), the identification must be provided before the canvass. (The post-election deadline was previously unclear.) 

• Employers must allow employees two consecutive hours to vote on election day, if they do not already have two consecutive hours off during the time the polls are open (formerly three hours).

• The first day to submit an absentee ballot request form to your County Auditor is 70 days before an election (formerly 120 days). 

• The first day County Auditors may mail absentee ballots to voters is 20 days before an election (formerly 29 days). 

• The first day to vote absentee in person at the Auditor’s Office is 20 days before an election (formerly 29 days). (If you have requested a ballot by mail prior to this, your ballot will go out in the mail on this date.) 

• The first day to vote absentee in person at a satellite location is 20 days before the election (formerly 29 days), and satellite voting locations may only be established by a public petition with a minimum of 100 signatures (formerly County Auditors could establish satellite locations on their own motion). To learn how to request one, click here.

• Absentee ballot requests for voting by mail must be received by 15 days before the election (formerly 11 days, and 10 days for general elections). Exception: If a voter is admitted to a health care facility, dementia-specific assisted living program, or hospital 14 or fewer days before the election, the voter may request an absentee ballot by telephone no later than 4 p.m. on election day. 

• Absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor by 8:00 pm on election day. (Previously, ballots were valid if postmarked before Election Day and received by the Monday following the election.) Postmarks or bar codes printed on ballot envelopes will no longer make a ballot received after election day valid, except in these cases:

-Ballots from participants in the Safe at Home program received by the Secretary of State in time to be transmitted to the County Auditor by noon on the Monday following the election. 

-Ballots from uniformed and overseas citizens received by noon on the Monday following the election. 

• If an absentee ballot affidavit envelope is not signed by the voter, the County Auditor shall contact the voter, who may then:

-Request a replacement ballot and return it by 8:00 pm on election day (changed from postmarked the day before the election or earlier). 

-Vote at the polls on election day.

-Sign the affidavit in person at the county auditor’s office by 8:00 pm on election day (changed from 5:00 pm the day before the election).

• Absentee ballot requests for voting by mail must be received by the County Auditor 15 days before the election (see exceptions above). 

• Must include the date the request is signed. 

• May not be sent to voters by County Auditors unless a voter requests one. 

• May not be sent to voters by the Secretary of State unless directed to do so by the state legislature in the event of a public health disaster declared by the governor. 

•May be sent to voters by candidates, political groups, and other private organizations, but no fields on the request form may be prefilled except for type and date of election.

• The only people who may return a voted absentee ballot other than the voter are:

-Someone living in the voter’s household

-An immediate family member

-The two special precinct election officials who deliver a ballot to the resident of a health care facility, dementia-specific assisted living program, or hospital

-Voters unable to return a ballot due to blindness or other disability may use a “delivery agent” to deliver their ballots

-Absentee ballots may be returned via designated ballot drop boxes (unless returned by a “delivery agent”), which if available must be located on the grounds of or within the building where the County Auditor conducts in-person absentee voting. (Auditors are not required to provide drop boxes.)

• In the case of a voter unable to return a ballot due to blindness or other disability, the voter may ask a “delivery agent” to deliver their ballot. “Delivery agent” is defined as follows:

-If a voter with a disability designates a delivery agent, the voter must complete and sign a designation form prescribed by the Secretary of State.

-A delivery agent shall return no more than two absentee ballots per election.

-The delivery agent shall fill out a receipt in a form prescribed by the Secretary of State and shall leave it with the voter.

-The delivery agent shall collect the voter’s designation form at the same time as collecting the ballot, and shall deliver the ballot and designation form to the County Auditor at the same time. The delivery agent must:

• Deliver the ballot in person to the County Auditor, not by mail or drop box.

• Provide to the County Auditor the same identification as a voter at the polls. 

• Provide the following on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State:

-Full legal name

-Residential address  

-Phone number

-Email address, if applicable 

• Sign a statement (prescribed in the law) certifying under penalty of perjury that the delivery agent has complied with the law.

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The Fiscal Malpractice Of Iowa Republicans

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Guest column published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette

by Joe Bolkcom

Iowa Republicans can’t be trusted to manage your money anymore.

Their reckless revenue and spending decisions have made a shambles of the state finances. They have created a huge $1.2 billion deficit that will soon blow a massive hole in the state budget and undermine essential services we depend on.

Since they took over state government in 2017, they have hoarded the tax payments of blue-collar wage-earning families to create a massive slush fund to shower unsustainable income tax cuts on their wealthy friends and free tuition for their kids to attend private schools.

Over nearly a decade as they stockpiled our tax money, they starved our local public schools, universities, mental health and rural health providers; increased our doctor and nurse shortages; and made our drinking water less safe.

The math is simple. Republican politicians in Des Moines are now spending roughly $1.2 billion more each year than the revenue coming into the state coffers. And to make matters worse, the same politicians are using more than $3.5 billion in one-time funds to balance the state budget.

That means in about three short years, without spending a dollar more on anything, which is impossible, the one-time reserve funds will be exhausted. What will follow are more drastic budget cuts to local schools, health care and public safety. Republicans now honestly say this was always their plan!

Well, no business can survive long by spending more than it earns. And using a one-time pot of money to pay for ongoing expenses is a recipe for bankruptcy.

Every Iowa family understands this reality. Paying your mortgage, rent, and grocery bills out of a limited savings account leads straight to homelessness and hunger.

Now, the same Republicans in Des Moines who can’t balance a checkbook want to dictate how local elected officials raise and spend property taxes. These are the last people who should be making those decisions. Their incompetence with public funds is well-documented, which made it laughable to hear Gov. Kim Reynolds recently lecture local elected officials on managing their city and county budgets.

Republicans’ long-held disdain for the essential role of government; their lack of respect for the everyday Iowans who provide such important services as public education, public safety, public works, and public health — and their fantasy of eliminating the state income tax entirely — are at the heart of their fiscal malpractice.

Ten years of one-party Republican control of state government has hurt people and damaged our state.

Red Iowa has morphed into the Mississippi of the Midwest. Our young people are fleeing, and newcomers are thinking twice about moving to Iowa to live, work and raise a family.

It’s time to send in the cleanup crew! This November, let’s clean house and end irresponsible Republican fiscal mismanagement. It’s time for state policymakers to put the hopes and needs of hardworking Iowans ahead of the fat cats and greedy corporate interests.

Joe Bolkcom is a former state senator representing Iowa City. He served on the Senate Ways and Means and Appropriations committees for 24 years. 

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Candidate Josh Turek Talks Iowa Politics With Jim Acosta

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Photo: turek4iowa.com

Josh Turek is a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Joni Ernst.

“Josh Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist for Team USA and a State Legislator who represents the reddest seat held by a Democrat in the state of Iowa. Born with spina bifida after his dad was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Josh overcame 21 surgeries by the age of 12 to eventually represent the U.S. at four Paralympics.” – Josh Turek campaign website

Check out Josh Turek’s campaign website:  turek4iowa.com

Follow Josh Turek on social media:

Twitter (X)
Facebook
BlueSky
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Threads

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Iowa City Holds “We Ride In Unity” Event

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Trish Nelson

 

 

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Bernie Speaks On The Floor Of The Senate Wednesday

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Dave Bradley

Over the years many of us have found that there is one person in the Senate who uses his right to speak out on issues probably as effectively or possibly more effectively than anyone else. Maybe because he is not captured by any party, Bernie Sanders expresses the desires of most Americans when he takes on economic issues, free and fair elections, the simple desire for people to live a free life, or the desire for the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share.

So at a critical juncture in our nations history as we are on the precipice of sliding into an authoritarian country, let us listen once more as Bernie Sanders speaks up for the common man:

33 minutes:

I often wonder what America will do when Bernie dies and his often lone voice is no longer there to stand up for us. America needs many more voices like his.

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Sunday Funday: Caucuses Tomorrow Edition

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Dave Bradley
35 seconds:

Are we in a civil war? Our government no longer abides by the constitution. They abide only by what their leader says. Republicans in the other branches that are supposed to jealously guard their power and thus keep the other branches powers in check instead bow to the wannabe dictator and pledge fealty. this is certaily not how it was supposed to work.

The key to ending this crisis quickly is for Republicans to stand up for the beliefs that this country was founded on. But they won’t. Inside of each Republican is a soul that shrinks in cowardice in a time of crisis.  As our government sets up the mechanisms to steal this falls elections, most Republicans are working on following orders and drowning their consciences.

Iowa’s Democratic caucuses are in your counties tomorrow night. These are one of the last lines of resistance. Please attend:

Remember FIWH stands for Felon In The White House. I may try to work in some caucus history questions.

A) What well known journalist was arrested in Los Angeles late Thursday for reporting on a story in St. Paul, MN this week?
B) AG Pam Bondi asked for what in return for having ICE and CPB back off in Minnesota?
C) Soy beans aren’t the only crop that the FIWH’s policies have ruined. Down in Mississippi farmer have millions of pounds of what crop that they can’t sell?
D) Minnesota will be the focus of many questions this week. Chris Madel of Minneapolis made headlines when he did what last weekend?
E) What year did Iowa’s caucuses make moves that made it the ‘first in the nation’ presidential test?
F) Again in Minnesota, what US congress member was attacked by a constituent and sprayed with a smelly liquid?
G) Tesla, already being crushed by bad publicity, has decided to discontinue its models X and S cars to focus on building what?
H) Meanwhile, in our neighbor to the north, PM Mark Carney is getting what kind of a reaction from Canadians to his stands on the US?
I) Gladys West died last week at age 95. She had a major effect on America with what system she developed? {hint: think Hidden Figures}
J) Much of America was shocked Thursday when the FBI raided a warehouse in Atlanta and seized what?
K) The Iowa Democratic caucuses become almost moot in 1992 because what happened?
L) March 28th – what’s happening?
M) In what seems to be a strange deployment, the US says ICE will provide security at what upcoming international event?
N) The current administration seems to be at war with America’s cities. What percentage of Americans live in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (anchored by large cities)?
O) What year did the Iowa Democrats record their largest caucus attendance?
P)  The FIWH hung a picture of what good buddy of his in the White House last week?
Q) In a major affront to the US, what major economic powers signed a trade agreement last week?
R) According to the FIWH, what secret weapon did the US use to Venezuelan equipment when they kidnapped Maduro?
S) The band Queen said it will not do what again because it is simply too dangerous?
T) US border czar Tom Homan has been sent to oversee operations in Minnesota. What was Homan very credibly accused of in September?

 

The biggest threat to the United States is not Mexicans or Muslims. The biggest threat is Republican stupidity and their complicity in Trump’s treason. – True Blue

 

 

Answers:

A) Don Lemon for his reports on the church protest in St. Paul
 
B) Access to the minnesota voter registration rolls – probably to rig the elction
 
C) rice
D) He is a Republican who dropped out of the Republican primary for governor who said the Republicans have gone too far.
E) 1972
F) Ilhan Omar
G) robots
H) His ratings are zooming up – 64% approval
I) Gladys West was a black woman and a mathemetician who created the mathematical model of the earth that is used by GPS systems. She died 1/17/26 at age 95
J) Ballots from the 2020 election – seems the administration is setting up some bogus proof the 2020 election was stolen
K) Iowa senator Tom Harkin ran pretty much blocking anyone else’s chances of winning the caucuses that year
L) That will be the next NO KINGS DAY – remember we need 3.5%
M) The Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy beginning next week. (Milan does not them)
N) 84% – so a huge part of America will have their lives disrupted by the FIWH’s war on American cities
O) 2008 – Clinton v Obama – remember
P) Vlad Putin (he is the FIWH’s hero)
Q) The EU and India – will probably hurt US exports
R) a discombobulator – no, really – he said that Bullwinkle
S) Tour the US
T) Taking bribes – specifically $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents

 

Larry Krasner, Philadelphia DA to ICE: You’re a small bunch of wannabe Nazis. In a country of 350M, we outnumber you. If we have to hunt you down, like the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will. We will find you, and bring you to justice.

 

from democraticunderground.com

Posted in #trumpresistance, Humor | 1 Comment

Iowa Democratic Caucuses Are Monday Night! 

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Dave Bradley

Your participation has never been more important!

The in-person caucuses will take place on February 2, 2026 at 7 p.m.

DES MOINES — Today, the Iowa Democratic Party shared locations of the 2026 in-person precinct caucuses. 

The current list of caucus locations is available at https://iowademocrats.org/caucus-locations/. The list will continue to be updated between now and February 2 as the 99 county party organizations complete their preparations.

“In 2025, Iowans showed they are ready for change with Democratic candidates overperforming by an average of 22 points in six special elections. In 2026, the Caucuses are the first opportunity to get involved in our campaign for change,” said IDP Chair Rita Hart. “If you think Iowa is going in the wrong direction and are ready for new leadership, join your local Democratic Party and get involved the evening of February 2.” 

Along with planning for organizing in 2026, the Iowa Democratic Party will conduct traditional party business at the in-person precinct caucuses including electing delegates and alternate delegates to county conventions, electing county central committee members and submitting platform resolutions for county conventions.

###############################

While I hardly need to remind party regulars how important this year’s caucuses are, I am going to do so anyway. It is very important that Iowa Democrats send a loud message Monday that they are determined to send Republicans back to their homes next November.

Don’t forget that our free and fair election system is under attack as it has never been before. One of the messages that the aspiring first dictator of the United States is trying to send in Minnesota and to some extent in Iowa is that they – the Republican Party – intends to terrorize voters this fall. With one of the first political gatherings of the year, Iowa Democrats must loudly repudiate them.

Last Wednesday the current administration sent yet another unmistakeable message in Fulton County Georgia when the FBI – that now acts as a loyal police force for Trump – raided a warehouse where ballots of previous elections are kept. Iowans get the first opportunity to send a message that Americans and Democrats will not be intimidated.

Stand up now. You may not get another chance! If nothing else, go in honor of Renee and Alex!

Locations by in alphabetical order are here: https://iowademocrats.org/caucus-locations/

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