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Opinion

Dengler Domain: Fighting for the People

Local Columns

A couple weeks ago, the government made some last-minute attempts at fighting for the people and not large corporations. It is evident when large corporations regulate society it leads to disastrous effects. Look no further than the constant climb of egg prices. Putting more egg laying hens in ...

District 53 Newsletter: January 23, 2025

Editorials

Week 2 of the session is done, and the committee work of moving bills through the system is well underway. The first bill that I’ve begun to advance is a resolution, House Joint Resolution 1, that seeks to add the right to hunt, fish, and trap to the state constitution. Our rights to these ...

Laity Reflection: A ‘Peculiar’ Start to the New Year

Local Columns

Our Christmas usually lasts beyond the first few days after Christmas to the 6th of January when we celebrate Epiphany, the arrival of the Magi to visit the now toddler, Jesus. We started that tradition when our oldest son was born on January 6th, and we could celebrate both occasions as the ...

Insights on advocating to legislators

Editorials

Effective advocacy requires understanding the legislative process and employing strategic communication. Iowans can impact legislation by providing their perspective on a bill and explaining the reasoning for their position. As a former Iowa State Senator from Maquoketa, I served in the Iowa ...

Sweeney from the Iowa Senate: Week 1 Session 2025

Editorials

Republicans have expanded their majority in both the House and the Senate. With a 67-33 majority in the House and a 34-15 majority in the Senate, the party is positioned for continued influence in Iowa’s state government. However, there was a slight reduction in this majority when Senator ...

Meggers’ Memo: The Start of a New Session

Editorials

At 10:00 a.m. on January 13th, the 91th General Assembly of the State of Iowa convened the 2025 legislative session. Last year, I worked with Iowa House Republicans to pass laws that would better Iowa communities. This is my second term in the Iowa House of Representatives, serving as the Vice ...

District 53 Newsletter: Jan. 16, 2025

Editorials

The 2025 legislative session is well underway. As I write this, the opening addresses from the Governor, the Chief Justice, and the head of the Iowa National Guard are all done, many bills are getting filed, and our committee work is underway. The major theme for this session will be the ...

New Year, New Beginning

Local Columns

Editor's note: Due to space constraints, Pastor Granchie's column will publish in the Friday, Jan. 24 print edition of the Sun Courier. For so many people a New Year signals a New Beginning, a time to start fresh with a clean slate. We often start by making resolutions of losing weight, saving ...

Dengler Domain: Volunteer

Local Columns

Monday, Jan. 20 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Besides being a day off for schools and federal and state employees, the most significant part of this day is to volunteer. Use this day as a chance to serve the community. Serving one’s community by volunteering is essential to creating a ...

Iowa Needs Trains

Editorials

Currently, only two Amtrak passenger trains serve Iowans. The Southwestern Chief that goes from Chicago to Los Angeles just clips Iowa with one station in Fort Madison. The other train is the California Zephyr that passes through southern Iowa with stations in Mount Pleasant and a few other ...