Deciding Iowa

Another legislative session is over. Another season of Deciding Iowa comes to a close. This year we talked about: 💧 Water quality 🏥 Healthcare and Medicaid 📚 Public education 💰 Taxes and state budgets 🌾 Landowner rights 🏛️ Government accountability …and the long-term future of Iowa. No matter where you fall politically, one thing matters most: Be an educated voter. Pay attention. Ask question...

Property taxes. School funding. Local services. State deficits. Corporate taxes. Rent. Healthcare. This episode of Deciding Iowa tackles one of the biggest — and most personal — issues of the 2026 legislative session. Lawmakers say the new property tax package will provide relief for Iowans. But where does that money come from? And what could the long-term impacts be for schools, cities, counties,...

We’re back. And Iowa’s legislature left us with a lot to talk about. 🎓 Expanded charter school funding 🏠 Concerns about homeschool oversight 🌽 No movement on eminent domain reform 🎗️ Pediatric cancer research funding approved ☢️ New radon mitigation requirements for homes In Episode 30 of Deciding Iowa, Dr. Shawn Ellerbroek and Dr. Emily Boevers break down the wins, the worries, and the policie...

A lot just moved at the Iowa Capitol… but what does it actually mean? In today’s Deciding Iowa , we break down a few key bills that just passed:  ➡️ More time for legislative planning (60 days vs. 45)  ➡️ Counties restricted from issuing ID cards  ➡️ New 5-year rule reviews for state agencies  ➡️ Faster infrastructure upgrades for water & utilities Some aim for efficiency. Some raise real ques...

When access gets tighter…voices matter more. In Episode 28 of Deciding Iowa, we take a closer look at House File 2563, a bill that could: ➡️ Restrict telehealth access for early pregnancy care ➡️ Create additional barriers for rural and working Iowans ➡️ Shift how healthcare is accessed across the state This is a personal healthcare right between a patient and her doctor, and one that deserves att...

Healthcare in Iowa right now? Some steps forward…and some real gaps. In Episode 27 of Deciding Iowa, we break down what’s happening at the Statehouse: ⬆️ The highs: ✔️ A bill allowing pregnant minors to consent to their own labor and delivery care ✔️ Reforms to insurance authorizations to speed up care and reduce unnecessary denials ⬇️ The lows: ❗ A bill allowing providers to refuse care based on...

We’re not saying it’s Skynet… …but we are saying AI making calls on local budgets should raise some eyebrows. 🤖 Episode 26 breaks down:  ➡️ A $1M+/year AI tool to analyze local spending  ➡️ The risk of decisions being reduced to numbers  ➡️ And what happens when context gets left out Also:  👏 A real bipartisan win on child care assistance So yes—progress and questions… in the same episode. 🎥 Wa...

When the levee breaks… you don’t ignore the cracks. In Episode 25 of Deciding Iowa, we break down a state budget that: ➡️ Spends ~$9.6 billion ➡️ Brings in closer to ~$8.5 billion ➡️ And keeps us on track for a third straight year of ~$1 billion deficits 🎸 “If it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to break…” from When the Levee Breaks That’s not just a lyric, it’s a warning. Leaders are calling this...

🧟‍♂️ Zombieland at the Capitol? Some bills may be “dead”…but in Iowa, they don’t always stay that way. In Episode 24 of Deciding Iowa, we break down how library-related legislation, stopped earlier in the session, has resurfaced through an amendment that has nothing to do with the original bill. ➡️ Requires book-by-book review of materials before minors can access them ➡️ Shifts control away from...

We might be a little upside down…but the issues aren’t. In Episode 23 of Deciding Iowa, we break down a bill that: ➡️ Went from introduction to law in just 12 days ➡️ Raises taxes on HMOs ➡️ Could increase health insurance costs for Iowans At one point, we realized our background was literally upside down… and honestly, it felt a little symbolic. 😅 Are we low budget? Yes. Do we care deeply and do...

After the 2nd funnel, we talked about what’s still alive… Now it’s time for what didn’t make it. And remember, nothing truly dies at the Capitol. It can always come back in another form. Nothing truly ever dies. In Episode 22, we break down: 👍 Bills we wish were still moving forward • Transparency for data center energy + water use • Local solar investment options for Iowans • Stronger oversight...

After the 2nd legislative funnel, some bills are gone… and some are very much still alive. 🎶 Yes… we went there. In Episode 21 Quick Hits, we break it down: ✔️ Investments in pediatric cancer research ✔️ Mental health care access ✔️ Radon mitigation in new homes …and ⚠️ Bills impacting vaccines, higher ed, and executive authority The list of what made it through tells a story and what’s still mov...

🚢 “Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes.” That might be the best way to describe where Iowa property tax reform is headed right now. The House has its plan. The Senate has a different one. The Governor has another. And the impact? Still unclear. 💬 Lower taxes or fewer local resources? 💬 Simpler system or more confusion? 🎥 Watch Episode 20 of Deciding Iowa for a quick breakdown then tell us...

Monopoly: Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 Property tax reform sounds simple… until you follow the money. In Episode 19 of Deciding Iowa, we break down what’s actually in Senate Study Bill 3001 and why it may not be the “relief” it’s being framed as. 👉 Lower property taxes…but higher costs somewhere else 👉 Relief for some…potential burden for others 👉 Less local control…more reliance on a shrinking...

🎥 New Episode: Make Iowa Healthy Again What’s happening with Iowa’s health policy right now? In this episode of Deciding Iowa we talk about: • A pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease • A bill that tried to address it but never moved forward • Iowa’s ongoing Medicaid funding challenges The big question: Are we doing enough to keep Iowans healthy? Watch the latest episode and decide for yourself....

💰 Deciding Iowa – Episode 17 - Follow the Money You’ve probably heard Iowa has a budget surplus . But where did it come from…  and what happens when it runs out? In this episode, we break down the numbers behind Iowa’s surplus, tax cuts, and what they could mean for schools, Medicaid, and the future of our state. The math matters. 🎥 Watch and decide for yourself. #DecidingIowa #IowaPolitics #Fol...

🎙️ New Episode: The Party of Lincoln? A bill about taxpayer-funded religious materials.  A bill limiting local civil rights commissions.  A bill that could hurt local newspapers. And yes… Franklin and Jefferson make an appearance. Take a few minutes and watch the latest Deciding Iowa.

This week’s Deciding Iowa episode covers several issues moving through the Iowa Legislature that deserve thoughtful attention. One piece of legislation addressing human trafficking passed the Iowa House unanimously 89–0. Human trafficking remains a serious problem in Iowa, and stronger coordination and response is long overdue. Protecting vulnerable people, especially youth, must remain a priority...

2,901 bills filed. Nearly 30% more than last year. With rising cancer rates, water concerns, underfunded schools, workforce shortages, and property tax questions… Are we tackling Iowa’s biggest challenges or targeting bookmobiles? (Yes, bookmobiles.)  In this week’s Deciding Iowa, we break down what survived funnel week and what that says about our legislative priorities. Watch. Listen. Stay engag...

💧 Who pooped in the park? Yes… we actually talk about that. But underneath the humor is a serious issue: 58% of Iowans say water quality is a very serious problem. 72% say rising cancer rates are. So what has the legislature actually done about it? In Episode 13 of Deciding Iowa, we break down the four water bills that survived funnel week,  the good, the questionable, and the “number two, no-bra...

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Governor Limitations Funnel week = fewer bills…but bigger questions. What’s moving forward could reshape how Iowa is governed...from emergency powers to budget decisions. 🎧 Catch the latest Deciding Iowa episode. #DecidingIowa #IowaLegislature #IowaNews #FunnelWeek #PublicPolicy #CivicEngagement #StayInformed

🚨 New Episode of Deciding Iowa 🚨 Annexing Illinois counties?  Building an NFL stadium for the Chicago Bears?  Rewriting higher education in Iowa? Some bills feel like distractions.  Others could reshape our state’s future. This week, we break down what’s serious, what’s political theater, and why Iowa’s higher education system is more interconnected than it seems. Because the real question isn’t...

 Deciding Iowa – Quick Hits Episode Reducing vaccines in schools. Reducing homeschool oversight and grading. Allowing more guns on school grounds. These aren’t hypothetical debates, they’re real bills moving through the Iowa Legislature right now. As a physician and a scientist, we’re asking: Are these policies grounded in public health, safety, and evidence or politics? Iowa families deserve thou...

🐄 Deciding Iowa – Season 2, Episode 9 Water should not be controversial. In this episode, we break down House Study Bill 657 a bill that would make it harder for Iowa to designate polluted waterways as “impaired.” What does that mean? • More hoops for the DNR  • Expensive, unrealistic requirements  • Slower cleanup timelines  • Fewer waterways officially listed  • Not necessarily cleaner water We...

After 50+ years of recognizing marriage and the people in it as equal partners under the law, why are we reopening this door? Senate File 2172 would allow couples to waive no-fault divorce at the time they apply for a marriage license. On paper it sounds like “choice.” In practice, it could make leaving a dysfunctional or unsafe marriage harder, costlier, and more dangerous. Supporting families sh...