Wrapping up 2023 with Iowa caucus news and a big federal court hearing
Dec. 25 "Capitol Week" is online
I’ve been enjoying some family fun while my older son is home from college and taking care of other obligations that need to be done by year-end, so am a bit later than usual to send you the final edition of “Capitol Week” for 2023.
This was the only show Dennis Hart and I pre-recorded, so we wouldn’t need to be on the air live on Christmas. Thanks to KHOI producer Mike Murphy for making it sound good, even though I was recording from my car last Friday morning.
Thank you so much to all who have tuned in this year. If you have friends who may enjoy a weekly 30-minute dose of Iowa politics, please help us spread the word about the show.
In addition to copy editing the last few pieces guest authors submitted to Bleeding Heartland, I’ve been working on several compilations I publish near the end of each year, including a recap of posts about Iowa wildflowers, the best original reporting on the site, and the most-viewed posts of 2023 (there are always some surprises). Remember, if you don’t want to miss anything from the main site, please subscribe to my other free email newsletter, which links to all articles and commentaries recently published at Bleeding Heartland.
On to the December 25 show! Remember, the full “Capitol Week” archive going back to early 2021 is available for free on KHOI Community Radio’s website.
Topics Dennis and I covered this week:
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump is ineligible for the GOP primary ballot. We went over the legal issues;
The Trump campaign has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is likely to rule on the matter because similar efforts to keep Trump off the ballot are ongoing in other states;
Trump held a rally in Waterloo last Tuesday, the same day the Colorado Supreme Court published its decision. He went through the usual grievances during his rambling speech;
Other GOP presidential candidates were back in the role of Trump defenders last week, criticizing the Colorado court decision the way most have criticized the criminal indictments of the front-runner;
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley continue to attack each other as they fight for second place in the Iowa caucuses. From where I’m sitting, the GOP race is over and DeSantis and Haley are mainly trying to set themselves up for 2028;
Some reports last week highlighted how Haley is beefing up her staffing and ground game in Iowa. Let’s get real: it is way too late to create an effective ground game for the January 15 caucuses. I don’t see that Americans For Prosperity Action’s canvassing and phone banking will significantly improve Haley’s showing either;
Galen Bacharier wrote a good Des Moines Register article about the Trump ground game in Iowa. I continue to believe Trump is more likely than the other candidates to exceed his poll numbers on January 15;
Governor Kim Reynolds complained last week that Trump’s campaign is misleading voters with an ad featuring clips of Reynolds praising Trump. I had to laugh because the governor never objected to the thousands of lies Trump told, while he was president and afterwards. The ad doesn’t assert Reynolds endorses Trump this year, and it doesn’t contain digitally altered footage. These are all real things she said when she was on the Trump train in 2018 and 2020;
National polls of likely Republican voters continue to show Trump with leads of 50 points or more. I suspect one key factor has been that general election polling shows Trump could defeat President Joe Biden (some surveys show the Republican ahead, some show Biden slightly leading);
We spent a few minutes discussing the federal court hearing that was ongoing while we recorded the show. U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher heard arguments about whether he should block enforcement of all or part of Senate File 496, the sweeping education bill that includes book banning provisions, “don’t say gay or trans” for grades K-6, and more. I was able to get back into the courthouse for the last 45 minutes or so of the hearing and wrote about these cases in more detail at Bleeding Heartland. The judge said he will rule on the motions for a temporary injunction by January 1;
We recapped some of the most important laws Iowa Republicans enacted during 2023. It was such a busy year in the legislature, we didn’t get to everything that will impact Iowans’ lives.
Thanks for reading or listening! Dennis and I will be back on the air live at 7:00 pm on January 1 to talk about the latest Iowa caucus news, the federal court’s decision on the education law, and what’s likely to come down the pike during the 2024 legislative session, which begins on January 8.
The Iowa Writers Collaborative continues to grow. Check out some of the new columnists, as well as the seasoned ones!
Thank you so much for your great reporting. I count on you to keep me somewhat informed. I say "somewhat" not through any fault of yours but mine in not getting all the important reporting you do read. Shame on me.
I am especially looking forward to you keeping me informed in 2024. It's going to be a growingly challenging year.
Hope your holiday celebrations gave you new energy, a few belly laughs, and eagerness to keep us informed in a very important presidential election year.
Diana