Brian Gongol
Iowa bill would apply new fees to groundwater use
Graphic of the day: Wily
Huckabee enters race
That makes 19 declared Presidential candidates or exploratory committees
Georgia lawmaker wants big restrictions on social-networking sites
US missile-defense coordinator shrugs off worries about China's anti-missile system
FBI accused of conducting huge Internet wiretapping program
Russia's first budget airline takes off
We can only hope it will have a better safety record than the Balakovo nuclear power plant, which just shut down over a safety problem
More budgetary madness
Governor Chet Culver has proposed a budget for the state of Iowa that spends 9% more than last year. That's a huge increase, and it relies on a big increase in the tobacco tax. So, in other words, the governor's addicted to other people's cigarettes. Meanwhile, the Legislature is planning to raise all kinds of fees, which may also be an attempt to bring in more taxpayer cash to pay for the new budget. Iowa cannot afford to over-spend; we're an at-risk state when it comes to Federal budget aid, and the state auditor has been warning for some time that the budget-makers need to cut back.
Iowa Senate considering bill to destroy Electoral College
SSB 1103 would make Iowa part of an interstate compact to distribute electoral votes on the basis of the national popular vote. It's a terrible, terrible idea -- especially for a state like Iowa, which is a smaller state and thus benefits from the insurance provided by the Electoral College. They're also looking at SSB 1104, which would require a type of paper trail for electronic ballots -- though not a very good one.
Not a union member? You may have to pay up anyway.
Iowa SSB 1120 would include a provision for unions to negotiate "fair share" agreements with employers that would charge non-union employees for their "fair share" of the union's representation. Another anti-market mark on the 2007 legislative scorecard.
Way to throw off suspicion, guys
Russian special forces caught using pictures of Litvinenko for target practice. Way to show the world you weren't behind his killing...
No beating up the ref
Iowa HF 136 would add specific charges for anyone caught beating up on refs or umpires at sporting events. Why they need specific protection aside from the normal laws on assault is anyone's guess.
20% to 30% of New Englanders may be victims of identity theft
A huge database hacking at TJX, which owns TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and other stores, could have compromised a staggering number of credit-card numbers
Sen. Hagel gets more press thanks to Newsweek
Hagel would be one of the few really free-market Presidential candidates if he ran, which would be a nice change.
