TFL’s Capitol Connection

TFL's Ryan Benn joins the podcast this week to discuss an ugly scene at the Iowa Capitol, as he tried to enter a subcommittee meeting to testify at the request of a legislator ... only to be blocked at the door by an angry mob! PLUS: TFL Church Ambassador Network Deputy Director Denise Bubeck shares how pastors are making a difference in the policy arena, as they serve as legislator's eyes and ear...

The attention of the news world left Iowa after the Caucuses ended, but in truth, perhaps the most significant week in the state is what comes next, as the Iowa Legislature discusses, debates, and listens to lobbyists on the local bills that are going to impact Iowans the most! And in this critical week, The FAMiLY Leader was there. TFL's Drew Zahn and Chuck Hurley explain the flurry of bills wher...

You've likely heard this nonsense before: "Pro-lifers only care about the baby until it's born!" Well, first of all, she's not an "it" - she's a baby. And second, TFL demonstrates in the FIRST week of this year's legislative session that pro-lifers are among the hardest workers at caring for babies AND mothers! PLUS: TFL brings you a NEW tool for keeping track of the legislation you care about mos...

ALL-NEW FORMAT! - The FAMiLY Leader's Capitol Connection adds new segment, new guest, and new focus. In this episode, TFL's Capitol veteran, Chuck Hurley, gives insider analysis on Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' Condition of the State Address and the legislative priorities it spells out for the coming session of the Iowa Legislature. And introducing ... TFL's Greg Baker of the Church Ambassador Network j...

Iowa stands unique in its first-in-the-nation place in picking the president, as candidates travel the state for months, giving everyday people the chance the meet and greet some of the nation's most powerful. And TFL's Chuck Hurley stand unique among even Iowans, having been behind the scenes with these candidates for more than two decades. In this episode, TFL's Ryan Benn puts Chuck Hurley on th...

In a more fun-filled episode of TFL's Capitol Connection, TFL's Chuck Hurley leads a discussion of the biggest pieces of legislation that passed this session, as well as a few anecdotes that you won't hear anywhere else! Listen in, as the team looks back at 2023 and looks ahead to what's coming the rest of this year ...

On May 4, literally during the National Day of Prayer event at the Iowa Capitol, the 2023 Iowa Legislative Session officially came to a close. TFL's Capitol Team members Chuck Hurley, Danny Carroll, and Ryan Benn break down some of the session's biggest moments, including some "seismic" shifts for the better in how Iowa does education! Also, click here to watch the National Day of Prayer at the Io...

This week's episode welcomes Executive Director of the Iowa Catholic Conference Tom Chapman to the podcast. Chapman has 17 years of experience at the Iowa Capitol and has been a cornerstone of Iowa's unique and revolutionary alliance on pro-life issues, The Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders. Chapman joins TFL's Chuck Hurley, Ryan Benn, and Rebekah Oleson to discuss the current battle for life in Iowa...

A huge, legal victory for Iowa parents this week! In this podcast, The FAMiLY Leader's Chief Legal Counsel Chuck Hurley explains why encoding parental rights in education as a "fundamental right" is such a big deal, and TFL's Capitol Team breaks down how passing the Governor's sweeping education bill impacts sexually explicit materials in Iowa schools, K-6 indoctrination in sexual orientation and...

This was a monumental week in the battle to protect innocent life in the womb in Iowa, as the Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case seeking to reinstate Iowa's Heartbeat Law and potentially save thousands of babies every year. The FAMiLY Leader was there - in the courtroom, as well as providing legal briefings to the court beforehand - and now brings YOU the latest on this significant...

While the Iowa Legislature debates parental rights at the Capitol, the Iowa Supreme Court this week takes up a matter of life and death - a matter of thousands of babies' lives each year. The FAMiLY Leader brings a pair of attorneys with experience at the Iowa Supreme Court to update you on both of these issues: Gov. Kim Reynolds' Parental Rights in Education bill and Iowa's Heartbeat Law at the I...

In a week marred by tragedy in Tennessee and elevated anger over transgender issues, The FAMiLY Leader's Chuck, Danny, Ryan, and Rebekah speak some truth-in-love into the tempest. The arguments you're hearing about transgender surgeries and suicides have been deliberately skewed to influence compassionate people. This week's broadcast reveals the REAL story behind the statistics and why the truly...

At the heart of the anger, debate, and name-calling over Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' Parental Rights in Education bill is a simple question that is dividing the Iowa Legislature - do parents have the right to direct their children's education, or must children be instructed for the "good of the collective"? An Iowa school board member* claims the collective must come first. An Iowa senator disagrees....

Iowa parents and Iowa businesses can breathe a little easier thanks to a pair of legislative victories this week. TFL's whole Capitol Team - Chuck, Danny, Ryan, and Rebekah - join the podcast this week to break down passing of a "bathroom bill" that will ensure schools can protect the privacy and safety of girls' showers and restrooms AND measures behind the scenes to prevent left-wing lenders fro...

The headlines have been more than disturbing: children sterilized and operated upon in the name of "gender transition," teenage boys lounging in the girls' locker rooms, graphic sex acts in school library books ... Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have said, "Enough!" This week's Capitol Connection covers the rapid progress of four significant bills designed to protect children from oversexuali...

TFL's Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn are joined this week by University of Iowa sophomore Kyle Clare, who blew the whistle at the Iowa Capitol this week on political indoctrination at Iowa's taxpayer-funded universities. Learn why your millions spent on "DEI" programming is really more about programming students into a progressive worldview. PLUS: In the Capitol's "funnel week," some bills have died f...

A new brief has been filed in the Heartbeat Law case before the Iowa Supreme Court. As a former Supreme Court clerk, TFL's Ryan Benn gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what that means. Religious liberty and the LGBTQ agenda in schools were also debated this week. PLUS: Do you know your "woke score"? TFL's Danny Carroll explains how lawmakers are working to stop companies from tracking and penal...

Lots of bills get debated each week, but one issue is dominating the discussion at the Iowa Capitol: Activists in schools openly undermining parental authority, keeping parents in the dark, teaching kids about sexual orientation and gender identity. Should parents or schools teach children about sex? When schools are advocating children can best decide if they're a boy or a girl ... parents are lo...

A busy week at the Iowa Capitol began with Gov. Kim Reynolds and Attorney General joining the 2023 Iowa Prayer Rally for Life, while legislators worked to protect all innocent lives beginning at conception. The fireworks, however, sparked over gender identity and indoctrination in schools, as Iowa parents get more involved in the legislative process! Join The FAMiLY Leader's full Elections & P...

This week’s TFL’s Capitol Connection podcast features special guests, as Moms for Liberty Co-Founder Tina Descovich and Iowa’s Warren County Moms for Liberty Chair Samantha Fett join TFL's Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn to talk about empowering parents in their children's education!

The FAMiLY Leader Capitol Team welcomes the wise and wise-cracking Danny Carroll to the podcast, as they discuss what Iowa's ground-breaking, school-choice law means for Iowa parents and then give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the "changing spiritual temperature" at the Iowa Capitol!

You heard it here first! Major breaking news on protecting life in Iowa, as the Iowa Supreme Court agrees to expedite its hearing (and thus ruling) on Iowa's Heartbeat law, which would protect unborn children from the moment their heartbeats can be detected. PLUS: Parental choice in education and the proposed ESA program in Iowa is moving quickly. TFL's Chuck Hurley and Ryan Benn give you the late...

Beginning with Gov. Kim Reynolds' Condition of the State Address, the 2023 Iowa Legislative Session began with fireworks, as the Governor called to help moms in need through funding the MOMS Act and called for Iowa to finally join the parental choice in education revolution! TFL's Chuck Hurley introduces a pair of new, young "rock stars" at the Iowa Capitol to begin today's discussion ...

Bob, Chuck, and Daniel discuss what the reversal of Roe v Wade means for Iowans, including a couple dangerous myths.

Bob responds to the historic news that the US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, returning the power to the people to protect unborn life!