.png)
Deciding Iowa
Deciding Iowa is a podcast tackling the tough political and people-focused issues shaping our state. Through honest conversations and deep dives into policy, Shawn Ellerbroek and Emily Boevers break down complex topics with expert voices and clear insights. Each episode explores what’s at stake and where Iowa goes from here.
Episodes
38 episodes
Season 2 - Episode 32
Another legislative session is over.Another season of Deciding Iowa comes to a close.This year we talked about:💧 Water quality🏥 Healthcare and Medicaid📚 Public education💰 Taxes and state budgets🌾 Landowner rights<...
.png)
Season 2 - Episode 31: Property Tax
Property taxes.School funding.Local services.State deficits.Corporate taxes.Rent.Healthcare.This episode of Deciding Iowa tackles one of the biggest — and most personal — issues of the 2026 legislative session.
Season 2 - Episode 30: We're Back - Quick Hits
We’re back. And Iowa’s legislature left us with a lot to talk about.🎓 Expanded charter school funding🏠 Concerns about homeschool oversight🌽 No movement on eminent domain reform🎗️ Pediatric cancer research funding approved...
Season 2 - Episode 29: Enrollment Update
A lot just moved at the Iowa Capitol… but what does it actually mean?In today’s Deciding Iowa, we break down a few key bills that just passed: ➡️ More time for legislative planning (60 days vs. 45) ➡️...
Season 2 - Episode 28: Repro Restrictions
When access gets tighter…voices matter more.In Episode 28 of Deciding Iowa, we take a closer look at House File 2563, a bill that could:➡️ Restrict telehealth access for early pregnancy care➡️ Create additional barriers for rura...
Season 2 - Episode 27: Healthcare Highs and Lows
Healthcare in Iowa right now?Some steps forward…and some real gaps.In Episode 27 of Deciding Iowa, we break down what’s happening at the Statehouse:⬆️ The highs:✔️ A bill allowing pregnant minors to consent to their ...
Season 2 - Episode 26: Skynet
We’re not saying it’s Skynet……but we are saying AI making calls on local budgets should raise some eyebrows. 🤖Episode 26 breaks down: ➡️ A $1M+/year AI tool to analyze local spending ➡️ The risk of decisions bein...
Season 2 - Episode 25: When the Levee Breaks
When the levee breaks… you don’t ignore the cracks.In Episode 25 of Deciding Iowa, we break down a state budget that:➡️ Spends ~$9.6 billion➡️ Brings in closer to ~$8.5 billion➡️ And keeps us on track for a third straight ye...
Season 2 - Episode 24: Zombieland
🧟♂️ Zombieland at the Capitol?Some bills may be “dead”…but in Iowa, they don’t always stay that way.In Episode 24 of Deciding Iowa, we break down how library-related legislation, stopped earlier in the session, has resurfaced t...
Season 2 - Episode 23: HMO Conundrum
We might be a little upside down…but the issues aren’t.In Episode 23 of Deciding Iowa, we break down a bill that:➡️ Went from introduction to law in just 12 days➡️ Raises taxes on HMOs➡️ Could increase health insurance costs...
Season 2 - Episode 22: Quick Hits 2nd Funnel Part 2 Nothing Truly Really Dies
After the 2nd funnel, we talked about what’s still alive…Now it’s time for what didn’t make it.And remember, nothing truly dies at the Capitol. It can always come back in another form. Nothing truly ever dies.In Episode ...
Season 2 - Episode 21: Quick Hits 2nd Funnel
After the 2nd legislative funnel, some bills are gone…and some are very much still alive.🎶 Yes… we went there.In Episode 21 Quick Hits, we break it down:✔️ Investments in pediatric cancer research✔️ Mental health car...
Season 2 - Episode 20: House Property Tax
🚢 “Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes.”That might be the best way to describe where Iowa property tax reform is headed right now.The House has its plan.The Senate has a different one.The Governor has another.
Season 2 - Episode 19: Monopoly: Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200
Monopoly: Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200Property tax reform sounds simple… until you follow the money.In Episode 19 of Deciding Iowa, we break down what’s actually in Senate Study Bill 3001 and why it may not be the “relief” it’s ...
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Make Iowa Healthy Again
🎥 New Episode: Make Iowa Healthy AgainWhat’s happening with Iowa’s health policy right now?In this episode of Deciding Iowa we talk about:• A pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease• A bill that tried to address it but n...
Season 2 - Episode 17: Following the Money
💰 Deciding Iowa – Episode 17 - Follow the MoneyYou’ve probably heard Iowa has a budget surplus.But where did it come from… and what happens when it runs out?In this episode, we break down the numbers ...
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Party of Lincoln
🎙️ New Episode: The Party of Lincoln?A bill about taxpayer-funded religious materials. A bill limiting local civil rights commissions. A bill that could hurt local newspapers.And yes… Franklin and Jeffe...
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Quick Hits
This week’s Deciding Iowa episode covers several issues moving through the Iowa Legislature that deserve thoughtful attention.One piece of legislation addressing human trafficking passed the Iowa House unanimously 89–0. Human traffickin...
Season 2 - Episode 14: Hardly Working
2,901 bills filed.Nearly 30% more than last year.With rising cancer rates, water concerns, underfunded schools, workforce shortages, and property tax questions…Are we tackling Iowa’s biggest challenges or targeting bookmobi...
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Who Pooped in the Park?
💧 Who pooped in the park?Yes… we actually talk about that.But underneath the humor is a serious issue: 58% of Iowans say water quality is a very serious problem. 72% say rising cancer rates are.So what has the legislatur...
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Governor Limitations
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Governor LimitationsFunnel week = fewer bills…but bigger questions.What’s moving forward could reshape how Iowa is governed...from emergency powers to budget decisions.🎧 Catch the latest Deciding ...
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Higher Education & More
🚨 New Episode of Deciding Iowa 🚨Annexing Illinois counties? Building an NFL stadium for the Chicago Bears? Rewriting higher education in Iowa?Some bills feel like distractions. Others could resh...
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Quick Hits - Vaccines, Homeschooling and More
Deciding Iowa – Quick Hits Episode Reducing vaccines in schools.Reducing homeschool oversight and grading.Allowing more guns on school grounds.These aren’t hypothetical debates, they’re real bills moving throug...