Top 10 Gazette stories of the year: #7 Iowa Republicans take over statehouse

Probably by this point in the list some people are wondering: Where's Trump?

Don't worry, he's coming later. But he's not the only Republican who won big in 2016.

Already with GOP control of the Iowa governor's mansion, Iowa House, three of four U.S. Representatives, and two U.S. Senators, Republicans in Iowa rode the good national GOP vibrations all the way to the one thing that had been eluding them: control of the Iowa Senate.

What can Iowans expect out of this GOP dominated statehouse? Likely many of the things Republicans have wanted to do for years but would end up blocked by the narrow Democratic majority in the Iowa senate: tax cuts and reform, changes to school funding, possible banning of traffic cameras, legalization of fireworks and perhaps even some of those thorny social issues such as voter ID laws, abortion, union bargaining rights, and gun control.

In any case, 2017 should be an interesting year in Des Moines. Stay tuned.

' Dec. 27 Pressure is on Iowa's Republicans for tax relief

' Dec. 22 Side effects loom if Iowa adopts traffic camera ban

' Dec. 16 Democratic Leader predicts reckless GOP agenda could aid Iowa House Democrats' return to power

' Dec. 14 Dix: Iowa voters expect GOP to ‘kick the door in' at Statehouse

' Dec. 8 Tax relief ranks high among Republican priorities

' Dec. 6 New GOP Senate majority leader eliminates Economic Growth Committee

' Dec. 6 Hogg calls on Democrats to stay engaged, spread positive vision

' Dec. 2 Republican leader expects ‘top to bottom' Iowa tax review

' Nov. 21 Senate Democratic leader Rob Hogg says he hopes to prevent GOP dismantling of state government

' Nov. 20 Ooh! Ahh! A Statehouse fireworks debate looms

' Nov. 11 Iowa's new Senate majority picks leaders

' Nov. 9 Republicans prepare for work setting Iowa's agenda

' Nov. 8 Iowa Senate poised to go GOP

' Nov. 8 Republicans win area senate seats