DES MOINES – Iowa taxpayers spend more than $270,000 for Gov. Terry Branstad to maintain an office in Washington D.C., according to the Iowa Department of Management. The office, established just more than a decade ago by the Branstad administration and lawmakers, is aimed at improving federal and state relations
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Posted June 21, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – Officials at the Iowa Department of Human Services told a state senator Wednesday they have sufficient safeguards in place to prevent fraud among food stamp recipients, but that lawmaker is still concerned about the lack of monitoring in the welfare program. Republican Sen. Brad Zaun requested a
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Posted June 21, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – The principal of a Davenport elementary school being investigated for cheating on state tests will move to a different building next school year, according to district officials. Sara Gott, now former principal of Madison Elementary School, will take the reins at Hayes Elementary School, while Steve Mielenhausen,
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Posted June 17, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – A former Republican candidate has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against one of his rivals in the 2012 presidential race alleging he paid $1 million for the endorsement of a prominent Iowa conservative. Republican Fred Karger asked the commission to investigate allegations that the
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Posted June 17, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering upping the ethanol requirement in gasoline this summer — a move that threatens to ignite a new fuel war. “The dialogue should be to repeal the renewable targets and let the market decide,” Charles Drevna, president of the American Fuel and Petrochemical
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Posted June 12, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – The number of Iowa workers on disability has only slightly increased during the past nine years, while the federal government’s monthly payments to the state has nearly doubled, according to figures from the Social Security Administration. Claims in the Hawkeye State grew 8 percent from 2003 to 2011,
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Posted June 11, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – When it comes to U.S. Senators with agendas that cost taxpayers the most, look no further than Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin. Harkin ranked second when it came to the 10 largest spending agendas among senators in the 112th Congress. His proposals during 2011-12 reaching nearly $271.5 billion,
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Posted June 11, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – Iowa’s education leaders say they’re serious about cheating on state reading and math tests. But when it comes to preventative measures, the state could use some remedial education, according to officials at the Iowa Department of Education. Districts aren’t required to keep records of the chain of custody
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Posted June 07, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – The U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s inspector general has denied an Iowa lawmaker’s request to investigate spending of federal dollars by Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz, according to a letter recently sent to the Iowa State Auditor’s office. State auditors, however, will look into whether Schultz improperly
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Posted June 06, 2013in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” Wednesday night took aim at 15 states, including Iowa, that have shunned free federal dollars to expand Medicaid and the number of poor people it covers. The problem for the Comedy Central funnyman is that those dollars are anything but free
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