State Government

Americans feel like they are “the enemy,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds told a national audience Tuesday evening as she gave the Republican Party’s response to Democratic President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was the perfect choice to tell Iowa’s story to the nation because she can talk about tax cuts and moving faster than most to re-open businesses and schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Or she was the wrong choice because she has overseen a national, political agenda that is unfriendly to Iowans. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.

Alex Murphy, a spokesman for Gov. Kim Reynolds, has said Reynolds' staff members spent most of their time responding to the pandemic during the months in question.

Democrats opposed Gov. Kim Reynolds’ appointments of former House member Erik Helland and Jane Dufoe to the Public Employment Relations Board.

Iowa workers will see a gradual reduction in the state tax on their paychecks over the next five years, thanks to legislation signed into law Tuesday by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. The tax cuts will be phased in over five years, at which point they will provide tax relief — and thus also reduce state revenue — by $1.9 billion.

The park rangers union called the eviction of rangers a potential violation of its contract with the state because living rent-free in state-owned housing falls under the category of supplemental pay and is a mandatory subject of collective bargaining.

Biden’s State of the Union address is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday. Shortly after his remarks are completed, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will deliver the Republican response from Des Moines.

The Iowa House went two different directions Monday as it extended more local control to cities to deal with public nuisances, but took away local control from public and private schools, day care centers and colleges by prohibiting them from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations.

During her response to the State of the Union address at 8 p.m. Tuesday, experts expect Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to criticize Biden’s policies while touting hers in Iowa as examples of successfully balancing the pandemic against individual freedoms.

Although Iowans purchased over 2 million gallons of vodka through the ABD in 2021, it’s unclear how much was produced in Russia. Few brands imported to the U.S. are still produced in Russia.

Republicans tend to favor bigger, broader cuts, which they claim will turbocharge the economy. Democrats tend to favor more targeted tax cuts and credits aimed at middle-class or low-income people.

Based on announcements so far, at least 35 incumbents have announced they are retiring or running for a different office. In some cases, it’s House members running for Senate seats and vice versa. There are some incumbents running for either county or federal office.