Iowa Starting Line

Iowa news that works as hard as you do. Founded in 2015. Part of @CourierNewsroom

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As the Epstein files exhibit rolls through Des Moines, Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott toured with survivors and pressed her opponent, Rep. Zach Nunn, on his votes against releasing the documents. https://t.co/8n639j1ndK

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Four days before a Dubuque County man was sentenced to lifetime sex offender registration for molesting a child, state Rep. Shannon Lundgren wrote the judge a letter on official letterhead vouching for his character.
https://t.co/xxoznQgnml

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Register to vote, check your registration status, and understand the actual threats to election security heading into 2026. Link in the bio for our voter registration guide. Read the full story on Iowa Starting Line. https://t.co/LLXOtvSMFr

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Republicans let Affordable Care Act subsidies expire, premiums jumped, and 21,000 Iowans dropped coverage because they couldn't afford to stay.

Karl Vilums shares what that means for YOUR costs.

Comment on the 2027 rate hikes before Aug. 20 — read more in the bio.

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“I don’t know Zach Lahn from a hill of beans,” said one of the more than 100 Republicans now backing Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee for Iowa governor.
https://t.co/h9mTVY7qun

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US Rep. Zach Nunn took alternative routes to remove Libertarian congressional candidate Marco Battaglia from the November ballot when asking did not result in his favorable outcome.
https://t.co/xqwICbzAET

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Rob Sand in Monticello notes there are still some big fans of the Iowa school voucher program: “Our current governor and my opponent. He actually wants to expand the school voucher program.”

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“It feels that the state is trying to balance the budget on the backs of state employees. The governor is telling us that Iowa is a great place to work and live, but that doesn’t apply to state employees,” worker for state corrections facility in Jones County tells Rob Sand

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In Manchester, Rob Sand knocks Kim Reynolds’ rejection of federal funds to feed school kids in Iowa, says it adds to problems for children at school

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In Delaware County, Rob Sand says local/state governments should purchase more locally-produced food to help local farmers diversify their crops

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“The school voucher program is lighting hundreds of millions of dollars on fire,” Rob Sand says at his town hall event in Manchester

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Independent voter in Decorah tells Rob Sand “I trust you,” will vote for him to make the right decisions for Iowans

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Asked by a younger Republican attendee about home prices, Rob Sand says private equity firms should be banned from buying single-family homes in Iowa

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Rob Sand responds to a young woman who says her friends going to college want to leave Iowa: “Returning this state to balance would do a lot to make sure state government is making Iowa a place where people feel welcome again no matter who they are”

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Rob Sand hands the mic to a Republican in the audience in case he had something to ask

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In response to question in Decorah, Rob Sand says he supports removing the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits on child sexual abuse cases, relates his background prosecuting such crimes

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Local woman standing next to a Lego dinosaur holding a Sand-Muhlbauer sign asks Rob Sand about ranked choice voting and election reform

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Rob Sand on his new Republican opponent for governor: “We have a $1.3 billion annual budget deficit and he has put out no plans to deal with it”

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They also decided to sing happy birthday to America

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As has become tradition, Rob Sand starts his town hall in Decorah with the crowd singing part of America the Beautiful