~by Sen Jesse Green March 24, 2023 The past couple weeks have been the busiest of the year so far at the Capitol. The second deadline is approaching, so lawmakers are frantic trying to get their priority bills out of their respective chamber and advocating for them in the other chamber. If a bill does not pass out of the…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
People Over Politics
Fixing Iowa’s mental health crisis ~by Jennifer Konfrst, Iowa House Democratic leader With just over a month left in session, there’s still time to make some progress on the issues important to Iowa. I share the frustration of so many Iowans who are exhausted by the divisive politics pushed by too many at the State Capitol this session. While not…
Read MoreAn extraordinary fellow
~a column by Colleen O’Brien The history of Jimmy’s Carter’s presidency gives him little quarter; according to too many, he failed. An honest person is more likely doomed to fail in politics than a person who can dissemble; a person who wants to work in a profession that takes a lot of compromise without compromising one’s own integrity is rare.…
Read MoreView from My Window
~a column by Mary Weaver, Democrat Women’s Caucus chair I have been trying to lose some weight. When I am hungry, I am hard to live with. ( Just ask my husband.) When I am really hungry I get a headache, and sort of wobbly, but I am fortunate to always have food available. There are friends and neighbors near…
Read MoreDo parents know what’s best for their children or don’t they?
~a column by GreeneCountyNewsOnline publisher Victoria Riley In January we heard over and over again from Gov Kim Reynolds and her Republican followers that parents know what’s best for their children. “…every child is an individual who deserves an education tailored to their unique needs, and parents are in the best position to identify the right environment,” Reynolds said in…
Read MoreCapitol Roundup
~by Sen Jesse Green On Tuesday night, the Iowa Senate passed a monumental bill in the line of defending children. No longer can children who are confused about gender or sex go to a doctor, school nurse, or teacher, and explain their confusion and end up being mutilated or sterilized. I am disappointed to see how some news organizations have…
Read MorePeople Over Politics
A tough week at the State Capitol ~a column by Jennifer Confrst, Iowa House Democratic leader I’ll be honest, it was a tough week at the State Capitol. For lots of Iowans and for me, too. The GOP leaders of the House and Senate decided to push through a host of anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been introduced this year to…
Read MoreFor our daughters
~a column by Senator Joni Ernst (R), Iowa Iowa has a celebrated history of exceptional girls’ sports programs. We just saw the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team take home their fifth Big Ten Tournament title, days after cheering on the high school girls competing in the state tournament. Last year, the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union proudly sanctioned girls…
Read MoreDo we have to have another one?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Florida is far away from Iowa, so what’s it matter what the Florida governor is doing to education and civil rights? We have our own problems with our guv. However, Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, is diving whole-hog into autocratic behavior in order to get votes two years from now. I think he’s making a mistake…
Read MoreBiden is trying to make your 401(k) broke and woke
~a column by Sen Joni Ernst, R, of Iowa Millions of Americans spend their lifetime planning, saving, and investing into their 401(k)s with the goal of retiring peacefully, knowing they will be financially stable throughout their golden years. But with President Biden in the White House, the stability Iowans spent decades working towards is in jeopardy. Americans’ savings are already nearing an…
Read MoreThe Capitol Roundup
~a column by State Senator Jesse Green February 24, 2022 Next week is funnel week, which is our first deadline for keeping policy bills alive. If an individual policy bill does not pass out of committee by the end of the week, it is dead for the rest of session. Due to this deadline, the week prior is a busy…
Read MoreView from My Window
Our judicial system now, and as the majority party wants it to be ~a column by Mary Weaver The VIEW FROM MY WINDOW this week is focusing on the motto written on our red, white, and blue Iowa flag, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain”. The impending loss for Greene County’s citizens in the judicial system…
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