By James Q. Lynch  The Gazette   CEDAR RAPIDS – Steve Rathje believes the 2010 election will be decided by working people, people who are looking for someone with a plan to put them back to work. “They want their jobs back,” he said about voters in the 2nd District where unemployment is as...
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DES MOINES – An alliance of more than 160 Iowa clergy members sent state lawmakers a letter Tuesday supporting civil marriage equality for same-sex couples and opposing efforts to undo it. Connie Ryan Terrell, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund, said the supporting clergy were from urban and rural areas...
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Kris Thiessen used to get tired of people who talked politics. Now she’s one of them. The Everly business owner was talking politics at the Capitol Tuesday along with a couple of dozen fellow Tea Party activists. High among their talking points were legislative proposals they say will weaken Iowa’s election laws, gun rights...
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DES MOINES – Gov. Chet Culver on Monday urged Congress to act quickly to extend federal unemployment benefits so 76,000 idled Iowa workers and their families don’t lose needed assistance beginning Feb. 28. Also, the first-term Democrats sidestepped question about his slumping approval rating, saying he’s focused on pulling the state out of a...
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IOWA CITY - A little bit more on The Gazette story over the weekend that City High Principal Mark Hanson is resigning, effective June 30. This was not a complete shock, with Hanson reportedly telling staff last fall that he was leaving at the end of the school year. His resignation would make that official....
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JOHNSTON – Outspoken advocates on both sides of the same-sex marriage issue sparred Friday over who would prevail if Iowa voters were allowed to decide the outcome. Speaking on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” show, ex-GOP legislator Danny Carroll of Grinnell, who now chairs the Iowa Family Policy Center, said forces working to block...
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Dexter attorney Brenna Findley has announced she will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. “Iowa needs an attorney general who is a strong advocate for Iowa’s economy and understands what it takes to create private sector jobs in every community and in every county,” Findley said. “My background and...
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By James Q. Lynch  The Gazette   HIAWATHA – House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen of Hiawatha is seeking a fifth term, saying he will continue to pursue policies that improve the job climate in Iowa and reduce the pressures on taxpayers. Paulsen, 45, represents most of western and northern Linn County, including Alburnett, Center...
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Legislation to allow boat houses to remain on Ellis Harbor was unanimously approved by the House Natural Resources Committee Thursday. The bill, which was written specifically to preserve the boat house community on the Cedar River, was amended to tighten the language to prevent it being used to put boat houses on other state...
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Two downtown Iowa City bars whose liquor licenses were in question may be getting good news from the city next week. Sidelines Bar & Grill and One-Eye Jakes have resolved concerns of the police and fire departments, and their liquor license applications are on the City Council’s agenda Tuesday night. Owners of both bars...
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