New post by Linda Schreiber: While Iowa’s public universities support one in every ten jobs and generate billions of dollars in economic impact statewide, Republicans are pushing for yet another layer of oversight on the Regent institutions. #ialegis www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/13/p...

My Thursday at the Iowa legislature: -subcommittees at 7:30, 8:30, noon, 12:15, 12:30, 3:00, and 3:30 -listened to committee meetings, uploaded videos -press conferences at 10:30 & 11:45 -home in time to walk the dog before it got dark. No selfie, but here’s Speaker Grassley in the "crow's nest."

The Trump administration is sending all pregnant unaccompanied minors apprehended by immigration enforcement to a single group shelter in South Texas. This is a sharp turn from longstanding federal practice, which placed them in shelters or foster homes equipped to handle high-risk pregnancies.

On Thursday morning, Iowa House Republicans moved the latest anti-abortion bill, restricting abortion medications and imposing new burdens on doctors, through subcommittee and the full HHS committee. My video from the subcommittee hearing, which was far too short: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcdN...

New poll: In 2024, low-engagement voters went for Trump over Harris by 11 percentage points. But now they disapprove of the way he's handling the presidency by 13. They have moved 25 points against Trump — 2x as large as the shift for high-knowledge voters www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trump-lost...

Bright and early Thursday morning, Republicans on an Iowa House subcommittee advanced latest legislative attack on public libraries. My video from the hearing on House File 2309, establishing civil and criminal penalties for providing "materials harmful to minors." www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFkm...

New post: Rick Morain asks, Do anti-DEI efforts seek to eliminate favoritism for historically marginalized groups? Or do they seek to maintain superior marketplace advantage for the majority “heritage” or “legacy” American group? www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/11/f...

Today Iowa House Republicanss advanced bill to revoke teacher licenses "for publicly celebrating any act of politically motivated violence, including the unlawful killing of Charles J. Kirk." Bill is retroactive to September 10, 2025. My video of the subcommittee: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV1S...

#IA01 Miller-Meeks, #IA02 Hinson, #IA03 Nunn, and #IA04 Feenstra all voted against repealing Trump's Canada tariffs. clerk.house.gov/Votes/202665 (after voting yesterday to block all House floor votes on tariffs until after July) Expect to hear about this in Democratic ads this fall.

Not holding my breath for Senator Chuck Grassley (who flipped out over DOJ subpoenas for tolling records of senators' phones) to object to this.

I listened from home to the last hour-plus of this meeting. One bad bill after another: a "dress codes" bill that will hurt and stigmatize low-income students, an unconstitutional effort to strip teacher licenses if they help plan student protests or "celebrated" Charlie Kirk's killing, and more.

Breaking: House passes new version of SAVE Act, worst voter suppression bill considered by Congress. Could disenfranchise: -21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers -69 mil married women who took partner’s name -21 mil w/out valid drivers license www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Just posted: Cami Koons covers a bill advancing in the Iowa House, that would make it harder for Iowa DNR to list impaired waters. Almost all the public comments (including from water quality experts) opposed the bill. #ialegis #water #environment #ag www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/11/i...

"More like misinformed consent"—Amy Campbell, lobbyist for Iowa Nurses Association, at Monday's Senate subcommittee on the latest anti-abortion bill moving in #ialegis. The bill would require doctors to provide inaccurate information about abortion meds. youtube.com/shorts/kbLchnV1Vsk?feature=share

On "KHOI's Capitol Week," @spencerdirks.bsky.social and I covered a couple of 2026 endorsements, a couple of stories about the Iowans in Congress, and a ton of news from the Iowa legislature in "KHOI's Capitol Week." Here's the audio file and recap: laurabelin.substack.com/p/notable-20...

#IA01 Miller-Meeks, #IA02 Hinson, #IA03 Nunn, and #IA04 Feenstra all voted for the rule—that is, they voted to prevent any House floor votes on Trump's tariffs through the end of July. Rule failed, which means they'll have to take a stand on the tariffs soon.

Amy Tagliareni just announced she’s running for Iowa House district 42 (covering part of Ankeny). The Democratic incumbent here, Heather Matson, is running for Iowa Senate district 21. #ialegis

Leila Staton, community organizer & candidate for Iowa House, is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She shared her story on Monday while speaking against SSB 3115, a bill that would restrict medication abortion and force providers to give patients false info. www.youtube.com/shorts/8SK83...

New post by Rodney Drenkow: On immigration and the excesses of ICE www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/10/o...

Powerful testimony on Monday from Dr. Teresa Fuller, a family physician in rural Iowa, against an Iowa Senate bill to restrict abortion medications and require physicians to provide medically inaccurate information to Iowans seeking an abortion. #ialegis www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqpJ...

Appreciate that Jess Djukanovic is speaking out about what she went through trying to get an abortion with a non-viable pregnancy in Iowa: iowastartingline.com/2026/02/04/i...

On Monday an Iowa Senate subcommittee considered a bill that would limit no-fault divorce. Most comments strongly opposed GOP Senator Jesse Green's bill. Fellow Republican Scott Webster said he would only support the bill with major amendments. My video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfeE...

You can listen to tonight's show now on podcast platforms or smart speakers: "KHOI's Capitol Week" Tomorrow I'll send the audio file & a detailed written recap (for those who would rather read than listen) on my free email newsletter: laurabelin.substack.com

In a few minutes Spencer Dirks and I will be live on KHOI radio to talk about another very busy week in Iowa politics. 89.1 FM in the Ames listening area or online: www.khoifm.org (will be on podcast platforms later as "KHOI's Capitol Week")

New post: Randy Evans remembers the life and work of Judge Robert Pratt, who died unexpectedly in late January, and important rulings by two sitting federal judges. www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/09/g...

New post by Dan Hunter: Was Ian Roberts "the best of the worst"? www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/08/w...

It's not even midnight and we're already at "Deport Elmo."

Unidos somos América.

“The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” MAGA wanted you to boycott this.

New post: Bruce Lear reacts to comments from Iowa's Republican candidates for governor about K-12 education funding and the state's "school choice" program. www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/08/g...

Mazel tov and happy 4th birthday, Bolts! 🎂🎂🎂🎂 Everyone please follow @boltsmag.org & @taniel.bsky.social for just about the best local political coverage (and how those local events play into regional and national trends!) around.

NEW: The Trump admin certainly put on a show last week about changing tactics in Minnesota after ICE agents killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse. Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch." Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...

Chasing the clicks should not be the primary guide for any newsroom, let alone a leading national newspaper. Sad.

The implication that Bad Bunny is not a natural born citizen because of language and appearance is a sign of our constitutional and moral decay.

"For years, a cottage industry of political observers has contorted itself to obscure and occlude the obvious. That regardless of what others see in him, Trump’s entire political career...cannot be understood outside the context of his bitter, deep-seated racism." (gift link)

New "Iowa Down Ballot" dropped! Dave, Kathie, and I discussed House members grilling Des Moines Public School officials, an explosive House subcommittee meeting, bills related to nursing homes, and some news from the #IA04 and #IAGov races. iowawriterscollaborative.substack.com/p/iowa-down-...

New post by Al Charlson: The real story for U.S. soybean producers is the shift in worldwide trade relationships since Donald Trump’s 2018 tariffs on China. www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/06/3...

I asked Taylor Wettach, the Democrat running for Iowa state auditor, if there are any particular agencies or programs he would want to audit if elected. "One big area of focus," he said, would be "following the money on the school voucher program." www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNHT...

They made up a whole story about a White House staffer posting ut in the middle of the night, and Trump just goes Leeroy Jenkins and says, "You're goddamn right I ordered the Code Red!"

Even my six year old's response when he heard my husband tell me this was but it's Black History Month?!

This is an important explanation of how Epstein manipulated the girls … by the journalist who broke the case:

No wonder he was first to capitulate to Trump's demands early on, selling out the lawyers who worked for him and making it more dangerous for the rest of the bar to oppose Trump's extortion.

The X account that created the video Donald Trump shared depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes was previously behind the clip the US president shared that portrayed him as a pilot dumping excrement on "No Kings" protesters. Note the matching watermark.

Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley took Qs from reporters Thursday. Topics covered included: -proposal to rescind school vaccine requirements -other bad education bills -education funding -casino smoking ban exception -eminent domain -judges' safety concerns Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HHk...

New post by Kali White VanBaale: "I ask you to listen not just to data, but to the lived experiences of Iowans like me—people who love someone with mental illness and are desperate for a system that shows up when it matters most." #ialegis #mentalhealth www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/05/o...

Weird: Yesterday an Iowa House Ag subcommittee considered a bill on buffer strips (a practice to improve water quality). Public comments were all in favor. So was Democrat @jdscholten.bsky.social. But Rs on the subcommittee killed the bill. I asked JD what happened: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iElR...

I'm as annoyed by the grifty Democratic fundraising emails as anyone, but they are nothing compared to the grifty (and bigoted) Republican pitches for money. From my inbox today: "JOIN THE SHARIA FREE AMERICA CLUB"

They have made clear that it was never just about illegal immigration: they hate all immigrants.

Forgot to link to text of House Study Bill 668, introduced by Iowa House Judiciary Committee chair Steven Holt: www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/... Strikes references to affirmative action, "minority" grants and programs, and removes "citizenship" from discrimination protections in state licensing.

Today an Iowa House subcommittee advanced bill to strike references to affirmative action throughout the code, eliminate various grants & programs for "minority" populations, and appears to legalize discrimination against non-citizens in state licensure. My video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh6h...