Solving Problems or Implementing Ideology?

By Doug Smith

July 29, 2026

Jobs, Affordability, Education, Cancer, Clean water, Budget deficit… those are the topics the citizens of Iowa care about.  But what did our Legislature focus most of their time on in this year’s session?  Attacking trans kids, trying to outlaw abortion pills, removing civil rights protections from groups of citizens, attacking public libraries and bookmobiles, striking down immunization requirements for schools, withholding food assistance from immigrant families, dumbing-down American history, allowing medical providers to discriminate against anyone who doesn’t measure up to their (the providers) moral standards, and making all public entities lower the flag to half-staff whenever the governor says so.  Oh, I almost forgot… and making the horse de-wormer Ivermectin available over the counter for off-label human use. 

Anyone detecting a pattern here?  The goal in this year’s session was to continue implementing divisive religious ideology (think Project 2025) to distract attention from a deeply unpopular governor and the massive budget deficit she and her Republican minions have left us in.  Not to mention that plane Gov. Reynolds bought with COVID relief money!  How did that happen without legislative oversight?  Sandy Salmon, Dave Sires, Derek Wulf… any comment?  How about Speaker of the House Pat Grassley?  What did you know and when did you know it? 

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