Iowa lawmakers say one of their top priorities is keeping Iowa “safe.” But what does that actually mean and at what cost?

In Episode 6 of Deciding Iowa, Shawn and Emily take a closer look at the proposed three-strikes sentencing bill, including:

• What three-strikes laws were designed to do

• What history tells us about their real impact

• Iowa’s already-low violent crime rate

• Overcrowded prisons, budget gaps, and unintended consequences

With Iowa ranking among the safest states in the country, this conversation asks an important question:

 Are we solving real problems or reviving 1990s policies that don’t fit today’s data or realities?

This is a calm, fact-based discussion about safety, justice, and smart use of public resources worth a watch if you care about where Iowa is headed.

 Watch Episode 6 and decide for yourself.

#DecidingIowa #IowaLegislature #PublicSafety #CriminalJustice #IowaPolitics #PolicyOverPolitics #InformedIowans

This matters, Iowa.

The Iowa House and Senate are playing procedural games with eminent domain and the carbon pipeline and landowners are caught in the middle.

What just happened today with House File 2041 should raise serious questions about transparency, due process, and whose voices are being heard.

Watch this update from Deciding Iowa to understand what’s unfolding and why paying attention right now matters. 

#DecidingIowa #IowaLegislature #EminentDomain #PropertyRights #PublicInputMatters #TransparencyMatters #IowaPolitics

UPDATE: The subcommittee meeting has been canceled. Stay tuned for updates yet keep up the pressure!

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We want to take a moment to reflect on what’s happening to our neighbors in Minnesota. This moment calls for honest reflection and sincere grief for the lives lost and the communities affected.

It is not acceptable for any federal agent or law enforcement officer to act outside of constitutional rights, due process, and transparent accountability. Our democratic process and civil liberties depend on these foundations being upheld for all people, regardless of citizenship status.

THIS WEDNESDAY, a bill is being discussed in committee, sponsored by Representative Vondran, Representative Gjerde, and Representative Holt (HF 2041) proposes changes to Iowa law requiring all state and local law enforcement agencies and officers to cooperate and work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration-related agencies when asked.

Details can be found at: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=HF%202041

Please email your input to:

 [email protected]

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=91...

 [email protected]

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=91...

 [email protected]

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator...

Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep demanding justice, accountability, and truth.

#DecidingIowa #Justice

This week, Shawn and Emily dig into what’s really surfacing at the Statehouse:

 Bills impacting public education

 Free speech & litigation concerns

 Cancer research funding (some good news!)

 Health, privacy, and protections for kids

 Reproductive freedom & public health priorities

Not all bills are created equal and some raise serious questions about where Iowa is headed.

 Watch, listen, and stay engaged.

Because Iowa’s future depends on informed, involved people.

#DecidingIowa #IowaLegislature #PublicEducation #PublicHealth #StayEngaged

This week on Deciding Iowa, Shawn and Emily dig into what’s happening at the Iowa Legislature and what’s not being talked about.

They cover:

 The Governor’s Condition of the State address and the issues missing from the conversation

 The growing cost of Iowa’s school voucher program and why accountability matters

 Proposed changes that could eliminate elections for key county offices

 A resolution that raises serious concerns about judicial review and checks and balances

These aren’t abstract policy debates. They affect communities, local control, and how democracy works in Iowa.

 Watch the episode and stay engaged.

Because Iowa’s future doesn’t start with opinions, it starts with paying attention.

#DecidingIowa #IowaLegislature #IowaPolitics #CivicEngagement #StayInformed #IowaFuture

The Iowa Legislature is back in session and so are we.

This week, we’re recording the first Deciding Iowa episode of 2026. Watch for details next weekend as we break down what the Iowa House and Senate are already discussing and what we’re keeping an eye on as the session gets underway.

Because Iowa’s future is built through participation - reading, listening, learning, and staying actively connected with our elected representatives.

Stay tuned.

#DecidingIowa #IowaLegislature #CivicInvolvement #IowaPolitics #EngagedCitizens 

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Part 6 — The Cost of Clean Water: Prevention, Accountability, and Health

In the final episode of our six-part water series, Dr. Shawn Ellerbroek (cancer scientist, biochemist, professor, and Iowa House District 57 candidate) and Dr. Emily Boevers (OB-GYN, mother of three, and health advocate) step back to connect the dots: we can either pay to keep pollutants out of our water—or pay far more to remove them later. They unpack who bears those costs (taxpayers vs. polluters), why low fines fail as deterrents, how permit decisions ripple through communities, and what it means for everyday Iowans’ health, recreation, and local economies.

Highlights:

• Prevent vs. clean-up: the real price of nitrate and PFAS contamination
• Weak enforcement: why fines don’t change billion-dollar behavior
• Permits, monitoring, and “workarounds” that expand risk across watersheds
• Cancer concerns: correlation, not causation—but enough to demand action now
• Practical steps: well testing, understanding municipal limits, and when RO systems make sense

Shawn and Emily close with a call for shared responsibility: whatever our politics, we all drink the same water. Catch Parts 1–5 for expert perspectives from Dr. Helmers, Rep. Chuck Isenhart, and Wally Taylor—and stay tuned as Deciding Iowa returns to track legislative developments in the new session.

Listen next: Start the series at Part 1, then continue through Parts 2–5 for the full story.

In the fourth part of Deciding Iowa’s six-part series on water, Dr. Shawn Ellerbroek and Dr. Emily Boevers turn their attention to the backbone of Iowa agriculture: row crops. Joined by Dr. Matt Helmers, they explore the challenges of an “annual cropping system” that leaks nutrients into our waterways, even when best practices are followed.

The conversation digs into:

• Why corn and soybeans dominate Iowa’s 24 million acres of row crops—and what that means for nitrate runoff.
• The limits of nitrogen management and why even “no-fertilizer” plots still lose nitrates.
• How cover crops and perennial systems mimic natural prairie and reduce leaching.
• The promise—and economic hurdles—of introducing small grains and forage crops into Iowa rotations.
• Why voluntary adoption alone may not be enough to protect our water.

This episode shines a light on the structural and economic obstacles of diversifying Iowa’s crop system, and what it will take for clean water solutions to take root.

In this third episode of our six-part Deciding Iowa series on water, Dr. Shawn Ellerbroek and Dr. Emily Boevers explore one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing Iowa’s waterways: manure management and nonpoint source contamination.

Iowa is home to the highest concentration of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the world. With more than 4,000 CAFOs across the state, questions about oversight, nutrient application, and long-term water quality are more urgent than ever. Shawn and Emily are joined by Rep. Chuck Isenhart and Mr. Wally Taylor to unpack how manure waste is regulated, the role of state and federal policies, and why groups like the Sierra Club are litigating waste management plans.

The conversation touches on:

What CAFOs are, and why they matter in Iowa’s water story.

Who is responsible for monitoring manure application and compliance with management plans.

The seasonal and economic realities of manure spreading and new technologies.

The balance between supporting farmers and protecting public water resources.

With reduced funding for water monitoring and increasing deregulation, the panel asks tough questions: Are we doing enough to keep nutrients in the field and out of our rivers? And if not, who ultimately pays the price for cleanup?

Join us as we dig into the complexity of Iowa’s manure management, its impact on water quality, and what must change to protect our shared future.

In this second episode of our six-part Deciding Iowa series on water, hosts Dr. Shawn Ellerbroek and Dr. Emily Boevers dig into Iowa’s drinking water: where it comes from, how much we have, and the challenges in protecting it.

Recent headlines have spotlighted rising nitrate levels in Iowa’s rivers, putting stress on water treatment facilities and raising concerns for public health. To unpack the science, policy, and law behind these issues, we’re joined by two leading voices:

• Chuck Isenhart, former Iowa State Representative and current investigative reporter and environmental advocate.
• Wally Taylor, longtime environmental attorney, representing the Sierra Club in cases involving water, land use, and pipeline projects.

Together, they explore Iowa’s aquifers, the risks of contamination, gaps in regulation, and the tension between protecting water resources and supporting agriculture and industry.

This episode raises tough questions about how Iowa manages its most vital resource—and what it will take to secure safe, clean water for future generations.