The 2023 legislative session ended last week after some long days debating bills and finishing up budgets. We have allocated $8.517 billion for the next budget year, spending only 88.25 percent of ongoing revenue. Responsible budgets have been a key principle since Republicans took the majority in 2017, and have allowed us to fund important priorities, like an extra $107 million to K-12 schools this year. more

We heard from Republican lawmakers that the recently completed legislative session was “historic.” It sure was — historically small. more

May 9, 1973: North Scott area voters rejected a bond referendum that would have provided funding for a proposed junior high building an elementary school in Park View. The vote not only missed the 60 percent approval threshold, it failed to get a majority, with 55 percent of voters casting a “no” vote. School board president Phyllis Heuer expressed disappointment, but said, “We’ll wait about a month or so and think about where to go from here.” more

Friends and family of our 25-year NSP contributing writer and friend, Phil Roberts, came together at the Starlite Ballroom Saturday afternoon for a fitting farewell. Phil, 73, died Nov. 28, 2022, at Davenport Lutheran Home after a brave battle with Parkinson's. more

A question I hear frequently these days is, "How's retirement?" more

Copyediting shares with poetry a romantic attention to detail, to the punctuation mark and the ordering of words. more

"Unfortunately, drug manufacturers are actively working to dismantle the 340B drug price program, which has successfully reduced the price of prescription drugs for patients for over thirty years ..." more

"By prioritizing telecom giants’ profits, the FCC’s decision disregards the needs of rural communities, senior citizens, and those residing in areas with limited internet connectivity ..." more

For the 20th time since 1933, Congress is writing a multiyear farm bill that will shape what kind of food U.S. farmers grow, how they raise it and how it gets to consumers. These measures are large, complex and expensive: The next farm bill is projected to cost taxpayers $1.5 trillion over 10 years. more

I don’t believe California Prop 12, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last week, specifically speaks to hogs raised in Iowa. If I am wrong, I welcome the correction. more

May 16, 1973: Local area officials cheered the news that John Deere & Company had purchased options on 960 acres near Mount Joy for future construction of a manufacturing plant. Most of the land was in the North Scott School District. Deere projected that the plant would initially employ 700 workers, with as many as 4,000 in the future. North Scott superintendent Melvin Heiler said he was “happy to see industry coming into the North Scott area,” and added that he anticipated the plant would bring additional residents to the district, with potential new students. more

It seemed the old coach would live forever. He was there for the 51st reunion of a state championship team in 2012, months before the star pitcher, Alan "Andy" Andresen died at age 68. And he reconnected for golf outings with members of the team since. more

The older you get, the more it seems like life moves faster. more

"But then you can’t help but wonder. Why do they keep choosing AR-15s? And at the same time, you try to ignore the thought that maybe, just maybe, it’s their immense killing power, and ease of use, that’s really the problem and that’s what is creating new mass killers ..." more

"Iowa seniors deserve to live with dignity, but Iowa’s House Republicans are denying our older Iowans that right ..." more

"The 18th annual North Scott Band Showcase May 7 was an awesome show and The Pit was packed.  The seventh- and eighth-grade bands, and two high school bands performed ..." more

"We, agriculture as a whole, must listen better to consumers’ understanding of animal husbandry practices and their evolution into the 21st century ..." more

The Iowa legislative session has adjourned with a balanced budget once again. Republicans in the Iowa Statehouse have proven time and again that we can cut your taxes while maintaining a balanced budget that adequately funds your priorities. more

May 23, 1973: A Scott County grand jury was convened to hear the case against Scott County Sheriff William “Blackie” Strout on charges of possession of stolen property. A U-Haul trailer and a garden tractor were found on property owned by Strout in Arkansas. Meanwhile, Strout had filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the owner of the rental agency from which the trailer was taken, and continued to maintain the charges were a political smear. more

In my soon-to-be 52 years writing for The North Scott Press, I can count on one hand the times I've felt threatened, but those times were mild compared with what Bruce Willingham, the editor of the McCurtain County Gazette in Idabel, in southeastern Oklahoma, experienced on March 6. more