Author Archives: Paul Deaton

Senate File 75 Gets Real

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Paul Deaton

When Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 75 into law on April 11, 2025, the legislative fight gave way to an organized implementation that changed the politics of affected counties. The law requires Johnson, Story, and Black Hawk counties—those with … Continue reading →

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Pivot To The Primary

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Paul Deaton

When the legislature adjourned sine die at 7:08 p.m. last Sunday, the governor responded with a press release hitting my inbox at 7:12 p.m., proclaiming the 2026 session was a success. Long story short, “Republicans are delivering big for Iowans,” … Continue reading →

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Progressive Spring Reading

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Paul Deaton

When I fill in for Trish or Dave on Blog for Iowa I post about what I am reading. In part, I do so to share books I felt were worthwhile. In part to encourage people to read actual books … Continue reading →

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Being Progressive After Louisiana vs. Callais

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Paul Deaton

The saturated news coverage of Wednesday’s U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Louisiana vs. Callais makes it difficult to say anything useful about its impact. Simply put, this is about Chief Justice John Roberts’ long-time goal—four decades in the making—to gut … Continue reading →

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Green Up In Political Iowa

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Paul Deaton

In Spring, when the world starts turning green, hope is everywhere. For a Democrat that means hope to advance our policies and aspirations in a society where corruption, greed, and large scale grifters would swindle from us the hard won … Continue reading →

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Spring Politics In Iowa

Posted on April 25, 2026 by Paul Deaton

The period leading up to the June 2 primary is usually one of the quieter stretches on Iowa’s political calendar, and 2026 is following that pattern. Most candidates have entered their races, the filing deadline having passed in March, and … Continue reading →

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Shadow Workforce Revisited

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Paul Deaton

The rise of a shadow workforce—workers who perform essential labor without full rights or protections—is not a side issue in the American economy. It is rapidly becoming the model that reshapes work for everyone. During an April 2020 interview with … Continue reading →

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Defending Libraries And Museums Matters

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Paul Deaton

When politicians come after public libraries it gets my dander up. Libraries have become part of who I am and without them we would all be something less. The administration, which doesn’t give a fig about me and what I … Continue reading →

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Small Modular Reactors And Iowa

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Paul Deaton

A joke is circulating on the internet that SMR stands for Spending Money Recklessly. It isn’t funny because it is true, even if big money investors have a plan to recoup their investment in Small Modular Reactors with interest. Regular … Continue reading →

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Beyond Joe Trippi’s Technology

Posted on April 11, 2026 by Paul Deaton

Editor’s Note: Due to a glitch in the platform, this post was up last week, but not seen. I am running it again because the message remains important. Joe Trippi’s 2004 work to mine the internet and empower supporters of … Continue reading →

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