Governors have always made political hay out of slashing waste or taming bureaucracy, but DOGE has, in some ways, raised the stakes for them to show that they are zealously committed to cutting costs. Many drive home the point that they have always been focused on cutting government, even if they're not conducting mass layoffs.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors in many ways is a lesser known cog in the local government machine with a broad purview over issues affecting Linn County residents. And for the first time in over a decade, it’s made up entirely of first-term members.
Iowa state Rep. Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque, said she is “seriously considering” launching a campaign to seek her party’s nomination to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson for Northeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat.
The 2026 elections were top of mind during the annual Family Leadership Summit Friday as speakers and conservative lawmakers stressed the importance of electing pro-life candidates to office and commending President Donald Trump for his actions during the first few months of his second term.
Asked about protesters who attended a Thursday groundbreaking in Des Moines, demanding action on agricultural pollution and linking it to high cancer rates in the state, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters that “regulation is hardly ever the answer” and “is a killer in most instances — it takes out innovation.”
This week on the podcast, we recap President Donald Trump’s visit to Iowa and share updates on Iowa’s 2026 gubernatorial election.
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, said in a call with reporters Thursday that lack of a criminal record does not prevent people in the U.S. without legal status who are eligible for deportation from being deported.
From separate events Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, and Tom Vilsack — the former Iowa governor and USDA secretary — all discussed how to manage farm labor amid the hard-line deportation policy of the Trump administration.
Also in the Capitol Notebook, Iowa is partnering with a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and STEM education for high-achieving math students in the state.
A U.S. Department of Defense “deferred resignation program” has pushed the U.S. Army Cadet Command to cut its civilian workforce 12 percent — or 168 positions — shrinking its ROTC footprint through closures and reclassifications, including three in Iowa.
Iowa nonprofits that provide support and services to Iowans with complex mental health challenges say they are alarmed and concerned by plans to end a state program that provides holistic care coordination for children and adults with mental health conditions, with little notice given.
Marion residents were able to meet Wednesday evening with four candidates who the city has identified as candidates to fill the position of police chief, vacated by Chief Mike Kitsmiller when he retired in the spring. The candidate who is ultimately selected will lead the department of 48 sworn officers, 10 dispatchers and six civilian employees.
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