SPM News

State Sen. Randy Feenstra of Hull says he is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Feenstra says he wants to focus on running for the Iowa 4 th Congressional district, a seat long held by Republican Steve King. Feenstra says the move was made "to allocate more time" to the congressional contest while saying he is proud of his work on the committee. Steve King, who has won eight terms, is also running for re-election. The two other Republicans candidates are Woodbury

President Donald Trump’s trip to Iowa to celebrate his administration’s approval of the year-round sale of the E15 ethanol blend was met yesterday with cheers from Iowa Republicans. Iowa Democrats provided a more measured response, pointing to the ongoing tariff war with China. Trump toured a Council Bluffs ethanol plant yesterday then attended a state party fundraiser in Des Moines. At the ethanol plant, Trump highlighted his administration’s move to clear the E15 ethanol blend for year-round

A Republican state senator who is challenging U.S. Rep. Steve King for the GOP nomination in Iowa's 4th Congressional District says he's stepping down as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The committee has been at the center of significant tax legislation since Republicans regained the majority in 2016. Feenstra says he's asked to be involved next year in drafting tax policy, just not as committee chairman. He's in his third Senate term. Sen. Randy Feenstra said today he wants to

061219 404 State Sen. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, announced today that he is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Feenstra says he wants to focus on running for Iowa’s 4 th congressional district. The seat is currently held by Steve King. Feenstra made the announcement in a press release, saying the move was made "to allocate more time" to the congressional contest while saying he is proud of his work on the committee. King, who has won eight terms, is also running for

CNN reports the White House denied Congressman Steve King’s request to join the president on Air Force One as he traveled to Council Bluffs, Iowa yesterday. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska both joined Trump on Air Force One. Siouxland Public Media contacted Representative’s King’s office for comment, we’re still waiting for a reply. President Trump was in Iowa yesterday to celebrate a recent decision to lift restrictions on the sale of gasoline blended with 15-percent

061119 532 President Donald Trump is in western and central Iowa and former Vice President Joe Biden has been campaigning in south-central and eastern Iowa today. Trump will visit a Council Bluffs ethanol plant and highlight his administration’s rule change, allowing year-round sales of gas with a 15 percent ethanol blend. Biden, at his first stop in Ottumwa, accused Trump of using farmers as “pawns” in Trump’s “erratic” tariff war. Scientists are predicting this summer’s “dead zone” in the

061119 504 Former Vice President Joe Biden is campaigning in Iowa today in his bid to take on President Trump in the 2020 election. Some other Democrats criticized Biden over the weekend for missing an event in Cedar Rapids attended by 19 candidates. At his first campaign stop in Ottumwa, Biden said he didn’t want to miss his daughter’s birthday and granddaughter’s graduation. "Well, I got a different value set. It’s family, family, family. And I make no apologies for not showing up and speaking

061119 432 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is criticizing President Trump for his behavior during the D-Day commemoration in Europe last week, including a tweet attacking singer Bette Midler. During a speech today to about 100 people in Ottumwa, Iowa, Biden repeated his oft-stated claim that Trump is a "threat to our core values." The president is traveling to an ethanol plant in council bluffs today, to focus on his successful efforts to make ethanol mixed E 15 gas available in the

President Donald Trump plans to visit western this afternoon. He starts his trip in Council Bluffs to tour and speak at Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy. The company produces and sells ethanol. The president will attend a GOP dinner in Des Moines. Meanwhile, Democrat Joe Biden is visiting the Hawkeye state today as well. He will speak at events in Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant and Davenport. On the weekend, more than a dozen of Biden's Democratic rivals were in Iowa for a party dinner. Several aimed

061019 532 Iowa farmers ---using five days during the past week ….suitable for field work….now have planted ninety-three-percent of the state’s expected corn acreage. But…corn planting progress is….. three-weeks later than the five-year average…. for this date. The U-S-D-A’s weekly update says Iowa soybean planting----seventy-percent complete--- trails last year and the five-year average by seventeen days. Linn County grower---Mike Stewart---farming near Mount Vernon---was completing planting