Iowans deserve a governor, not a ruler
The Iowa Supreme Court chamber is a magnificent venue for the seven justices who referee the thorniest legal questions in our state. The courtroom seats a few dozen spectators. Last [...]
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Posted May 05, 2021in Stray Thoughts
Posted May 03, 2021in Stray Thoughts
Government needs room for common sense
People like to talk about what the law says. And in Iowa, the law has a lot to say. Just look at the Iowa Code. It now fills eight volumes [...]
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Posted April 20, 2021in Stray Thoughts
Charter schools must have sunshine, too
The 2021 session of the Iowa Legislature will end in a few weeks, and one big issue moving toward a final vote would make charter schools easier to create as [...]
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Posted April 12, 2021in Stray Thoughts
Where oh where are today’s Bob Rays?
It’s hard for those of us of a certain vintage to realize it has been 39 years since Robert Ray was Iowa’s governor. In spite of the passage of so [...]
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Posted April 06, 2021in Stray Thoughts
Blunt Boehner blisters Republicans in Congress
It’s time for a confession. I have misjudged John Boehner. Oh, I knew he might speak candidly. Or, more precisely, I knew he could be extremely blunt. But where I [...]
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Posted March 30, 2021in Stray Thoughts
Iowans deserve a governor, not a ruler
The Iowa Supreme Court chamber is a magnificent venue for the seven justices who referee the thorniest legal questions in our state. The courtroom seats a few dozen spectators. Last [...]
Read More →
Posted March 22, 2021in Stray Thoughts
How you can still lose while winning in court
Many years ago, during a conversation with an old lawyer, he made a comment I still remember: “You can sue the bishop of Boston for bastardy, but that doesn’t mean [...]
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Posted March 15, 2021in Stray Thoughts
Iowa should stop keeping police discipline secret
The actions of journalists and police officers were in the spotlight last week in a Des Moines courtroom. The scrutiny came at the trial of Andrea Sahouri, a Des Moines [...]
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Posted March 09, 2021in Stray Thoughts
There’s more at stake than new road signs
Tucked away among hundreds of bills being considered this year by the Iowa Legislature is one people might have quickly embraced in a different era. But times have changed. It [...]
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Posted February 22, 2021in Stray Thoughts
These changes won’t improve election security
Iowa’s 2020 election was one for the record books — with 1.7 million people marking ballots. It was an impressive turnout in Iowa — with 76 percent of Iowa’s eligible [...]
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