TFL’s Capitol Connection

In this special recap episode, TFL's Capitol Team breaks down the  top 3 wins  from the legislative session—plus how a dangerous bill was  defeated . We’re also pulling back the curtain on the big issues heading into 2026. If you care about Iowa, families, or freedom—this is the one to hear.

The FAMiLY Leader's top #prolife priority this session has passed! PLUS: Praise and #prayer resound at the Iowa Capitol, and more ...

As time draws short this legislative session, The FAMiLY Leader's Capitol Team discusses the top 5 bills we want to see pass before the gavel drops - including a pro-life game changer and new protections to safeguard kids from online porn.

Iowa's pro-life movement is taking ground, though not in the way everyone might expect. In this special episode, TFL spotlights the history of saving babies in Iowa and the new, cultural front that will determine the pro-life movement's future.

The Iowa Legislature's "second funnel" has arrived, narrowing which bills live - and die - this session. And The FAMiLY Leader is excited to report a banner year for #ProLife and pro-family legislation! Join TFL's Drew Zahn and Ryan Benn for more on the good news:

Iowa's "second funnel" deadline, which determines which bills live and die this session, is week away! The FAMiLY Leader's Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn update the status on key bills protecting doctors, children, life, and more.

The FAMiLY Leader stands not on political parties, but on biblical issues. In this episode, TFL's Drew Zahn, Chuck Hurley, and Ryan Benn discuss why TFL is opposing a GOP-led bill to expand online gambling. PLUS: Specific ways YOU can be a voice on Capitol Hill!

Why is it so difficult to get common sense legislation - like protecting children online - passed through Congress? With insight you won't get anywhere else, TFL's Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn reveal why many top priorities are still hung up in the lawmaking process. PLUS: Lowering Iowa taxes, championing life, and more.

As the Iowa Legislature's "first funnel" deadline passes, some bills survived to be debated, and others - like "life at conception" - did not. TFL's Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn break down the what and the why of the bills that live and die.

TFL's Chuck Hurley describes this week's win as "one of the most significant in my 34 years at the Iowa Capitol." Listen in as The FAMiLY Leader team discusses the process, the protests, and more behind the passing of Iowa's precedent-setting Sex & Gender Clarity Act.

Legislators introduced an explosive new bill this week that defines sex as male and female   — not "gender identity."  The FAMiLY Leader’s Capitol insiders Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn join the podcast to discuss the significance of the bill, plus:  The role YOU can play in restoring common sense on sex and gender A special election that could turn the tide in Iowa Good news on 3 of T...

The FAMiLY Leader’s Capitol insiders Ryan Benn and Josiah Oleson join the podcast after standing in gap for you, testifying before legislators on issues like: Doctors' rights to serve patients according to their conscience "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" at Iowa universities PLUS: A key, special election coming up in Iowa

The FAMiLY Leader’s Capitol insiders Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn join the podcast after an explosive week under the Golden Dome that included dueling rallies, protests, and arrests. Today's topics: Protesters prompt Iowa police action Trump's continued stand on sex and gender Protecting the medical right of conscience A funeral for a sitting legislator

The FAMiLY Leader's Capitol insiders Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn join the podcast after testifying on 20+ bills in the first two weeks of the Iowa legislative session, including: Life Protecting children online Pronouns in schools Homeschooling Paid parental leave

The halls of the Capitol have grown quiet. The gavel has sounded. It took until 4:30 in the morning on a Saturday, but the 2024 Iowa legislative session has adjourned. So which bills passed? Which fell short? And how did The FAMiLY Leader do on the bills that matter most to family and biblical values? Veteran lobbyists Chuck Hurley and Danny Carroll join the podcast to break it down, including ann...

Iowa first passed its Heartbeat Law - protecting children in the womb from the moment their heartbeats can be detected - back in 2018. But to this day, that law still has not gone into effect. Why can't Iowa find a way to protect preborn children? Well, just last week, a major abortion case was heard before the justices of the Iowa State Supreme Court, signaling a breakthrough may be coming soon....

TFL's Director of Policy Ryan Benn joins the podcast today to talk about an exclusive event with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a HUGE win for religious liberty, two MORE pro-life wins for women and babies, and an urgent prayer request for one of the biggest Iowa Supreme Court cases of our lifetimes. Listen today for one of the most significant and good news podcasts of the year!

Shocking truth: Tens of thousands of children suffer slavery and even death each and every year in Iowa - but the good news is, there's something YOU can do about it! In today's episode, TFL's Capitol Connection urges you to contact your legislator about a bill that has already been demonstrated to protect thousands of children - as young as 8 or 10 years old - from being snared and enslaved by th...

By the time the November election rolls around, months and years of work have been poured into the people and the names you see on the ballot. Sometimes, the real work of winning an election happens long before the first votes are even cast! In this special episode, The FAMiLY Leader's Capitol Connection peels back the curtain to show how TFL impacts elections long before most voters are even payi...

The Iowa Legislature's "Second Funnel" deadline has come and gone, the day when we learn which bills are dead for the year and which survive to possibly be debated and signed into law. And this year, a last-minute push saw the pro-life "Baby Olivia" bill survive by the skin of its teeth! In fact, 13 TFL priorities have also survived the deadline, including other pro-life measures designed to help...

"If we're ever going to address the physical issues facing our communities, we have to address the spiritual realm." - Greg Baker, director of The FAMiLY Leader's Church Ambassador Network Greg Baker joins Drew and Chuck this week for a special, in-depth look at the gospel-centric ministry of The FAMiLY Leader in government. Discover how TFL is breaking down walls and building strategic partnershi...

The FAMiLY Leader's Chuck Hurley has been fighting for this day for 13 years - and today, he's "raising the roof" to celebrate! Join Chuck and Drew and discover why James Madison is celebrating in his grave today over the restoration of our "first liberty," a fundamental right that was undermined over 30 years ago, but now is being restored to the citizens of Iowa.

A top pro-life priority has hit a roadblock this session, and The FAMiLY Leader is inviting YOU to join us in prayer to see this bill passed! While only about 15% of all Americans support the extreme position of legal, elective abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy ... in a recent state referendum, over 80% of young Ohioans voted in favor of killing preborn children right up to their birthday...

Today's jam-packed episode includes three big topics: 1. An eye-witness account of the loud, profane, and potentially illegal protests that descended upon the Iowa Capitol over gender issues. 2. A breakdown of which bills have survived the 'first funnel' winnowing process and which have fallen by the wayside. 3. The work TFL's Church Ambassador Network is doing to give legislators on-the-ground un...

It's "First Funnel" week at the Iowa Capitol, where thousands of proposed bills go to die every year. TFL's Drew Zahn and Gandalf the Grey - or, Chuck Hurley, as he's known to friends and family - explain why this looming deadline is so large and what key bills and priorities will survive to be considered this legislative session. Tune in for more on religious liberty, right of conscience for doct...