The Democratic nominee for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District seat for the last two elections is running for a third time.
Ryan Melton, of Webster City, in a release said he was heartened by his improvement in vote totals in 33 of the 36 counties in 2024 when compared to 2022. He lost elections to Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra by large margins both times.
Melton again vowed to not accept corporate political action committee donations, and used his frequent phrase of “speaking truth to power” as a key focus of his campaigning.
“Our district deserves a representative who listens to its constituents and acts in their best interests. Right now, we have a representative in Randy Feenstra who relies mostly on out-of-state corporate PAC money, which has rendered him unable to represent his constituents, because he’s beholden to the billionaires,” Melton said.
He plans to discuss water quality and Iowa's rising cancer rates. Melton, who works in the insurance field, plans to vocally oppose what he calls the abuse of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines.
The 4th Congressional District is the most conservative in Iowa and spans Western and Northwest counties. Feenstra hasn’t announced if he’s seeking re-election for a fourth term in office.
A specific criticism of Feenstra by Melton is the congressman’s refusal to support federal community improvement earmark money. He noted that the other Republicans in Iowa’s other three congressional districts have brought back millions of dollars via such earmarks.
*Legislative leaders in Nebraska and Iowa seem poised to tap reserve funds in order to plug substantial revenue budget holes for the upcoming 2025-26 year.
That possibility was aired in the Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday, then on Thursday Republican leaders in Iowa announced a budget deal that may break a stalemate that has led the session into overtime days.
Iowa House Republicans said they’ve reached an agreement with the Senate on the state budget.
They will budget about $9.42 billion for state services in the next fiscal year, which is closer to the Senate’s initial proposal. The deal includes $14 million dollars for paraeducator pay that was a priority for the House GOP. Lawmakers will have to use about $900 million of reserve funds because revenue is expected to decline due to tax cuts.
Republican Representative Gary Mohr chairs the House Appropriations Committee. He says that’s not a problem because the state has saved up $6 billion dollars.
However, Democrats are criticizing the Republicans for creating a potential budget crisis by using one-time money to cover ongoing expenses.
*Several Siouxland colleges will be holding graduation ceremonies this weekend on Saturday, as the spring semesters are wrapping up for students.
Wayne State will hold commencement ceremonies for a combined 627 graduate and undergraduate students that begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Willow Bowl amphitheater.
The 138th Commencement Ceremonies at the University of South Dakota begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
Four other colleges will have Saturday morning commencement ceremonies, with 9:30 a.m. for Dordt University in Sioux Center at the B.J. Hahn Auditorium. Those with ceremonies at 10 a.m. are Morningside University at Elwood Olsen Stadium in Sioux City, Briar Cliff University at the downtown Orpheum Theatre, and Northwestern College at the Rowenhorst Student Center in Orange City.
The ceremony for Western Iowa Tech Community College will be held Tuesday evening at Tyson Events Center.
The Buena Vista University graduation for 2025 was held last weekend.
*Additionally, the Iowa Natural Resource Commission has approved the state’s purchase of a former Boy Scout camp that covers nearly 1,800 acres in the Loess Hills of Western Iowa.
The mostly forested property connects to the Loess Hills State Forest and includes a 20-acre lake. It also provides habitat to several threatened and endangered species.
Travis Baker, the DNR’s land and water bureau chief, called the purchase “a real win for natural resources for conservation, for public access.”
The DNR is purchasing the property from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for $5 million dollars, which is $3 million less than the appraised value.
The property will be open to the public this fall.
The DNR will preserve a memorial to four Boy Scouts who died in a 2008 tornado.
