We have finished week 12 of the session, and we are rapidly entering the budget portion of the session. The budget picture is bright, I will share more in future newsletters. With the Republican trifecta in the Capitol, we have been focused on lowering the tax burden on Iowans. But we know ...

We are enthralled with the notion of the “weakest link.” The concept is that a chain is only as strong as the weakest link in its full length. If stress is put on that chain, and the weak link breaks, then the entire chain is deemed useless. Back in the early 2000s there was even a TV ...

It’s a good bet Iowans would sit up and take notice if 40.8% of the state’s independent pharmacies closed their doors in 2025. Yet that’s the prediction of pharmacists who responded to an October 2023 survey by the Iowa Pharmacy Association. This session’s legislative grandstanding ...

They stand at their window and watch squirrels romp and play in their yard. “Never have I seen so many squirrels!” Ivanna Zimroz, laughs. “Even the squirrels are happy here!” Her five kids cluster around her and giggle at the sight. They also appreciate the positive change in lifestyle ...

Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, Here I am, Stuck in the middle with you. These are lyrics from the song “Stuck in the Middle With You,” co-written by Garry Rafferty and Joe Eagan and performed by their band in 1972. The 43 percent of voters who are independent (Gallup poll) ...

No problem is so big that we can’t run from it — or at least avoid thinking about it. That’s human nature. There are many concerns that should command our attention but do not. Too often we hope or assume a serious problem will go away or will spare us. In the aftermath of the Covid ...