Iowa

Psst! Iowa's conservative economic development doctrine is not working • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Published

2 years ago

July 13, 2024

Psst! Iowa's conservative economic development doctrine is not working • Iowa Capital Dispatch

We should talk.

Please go to a quiet corner of the room, away from prying eyes and ears, and then read this column. If you tell anyone what I wrote here, I will deny it and claim an imposter posted under my name. Here is what you need to know: It is not working.

The cold, stark reality of this came to me when two events took place. The first was when I watched the conclusion of the Indianapolis 500 and observed the winning car drive over the black and white checkered tile to the winner’s circle sponsored by Hy-Vee. Hy-Vee, which closed three stores serving middle-income Iowans and cut the hours on another, could afford the pretty penny it took to land that advertising spot.

If that wasn’t enough, just this past month the darling of Iowa manufacturing, John Deere, started announcing layoffs a few at a time, but the total is now approaching 2, 000. The blame lay on the fact that the price of corn was falling, down under $5 a bushel.

The company, which recently drew its own national television audiences last weekend with the annual John Deere Classic golf tournament, had assets last year of $104 billion, up 15% from the previous year. Even with lower farm income projections for this year, Deere expects profits this year to exceed $7 billion.

Then came the kicker, the cold glass of water thrown in your face: Deere will move further operations to Mexico in 2025-2026.

It raises the question: What more can we give them and other large corporations so that they will come and stay in Iowa? That is the challenge when you consider all our state government has done since 2012:

Under Gov. Terry Branstad, we cut taxes on business equipment and commercial property.
We reduced the required contributions employers must make to the unemployed insurance fund and lowered and delayed benefits to those out of work.
We have expanded the labor force by allowing children 14 years old to work in factories, removed any restrictions on those 16- or 17-year-olds who are now permitted to work the same hours as an adult. This expanded the labor source in Iowa and reduced costs.
Iowa has given outright $30 million for manufacturers’ plant modernization.
Most recently, $93 million was made available to any two businesses that would create a mega site for future commercial enterprises to locate.
We crippled labor unions by basically abrogating the collective bargaining act for public employees. We require unions to certify their right to bargain for their members by mandating annual votes of approval of the membership.
We reduced and will eliminate income taxes on businesses’ highest-paid executives while cutting lower wage earners’ taxes only slightly.
We have lost count of how much cash and land we have given away to the titans of capitalism under the promise that it would create “good jobs.”

Even a critic would not say that our leaders have not pursued an aggressive and expensive policy of a conservative doctrine of economic development. But here is what I want you to know: It is not working.

A few factors jumped out in support of this conclusion. First, Iowa’s population grew in 2022 a reported 0.01% and of that growth, a substantial number was from immigrants. The average state saw a population increase of 0.03% and some went as high as 5 and 6%.

More bad news was what the Bureau of Economic Analysis told us most recently. Among all states, Iowa was 48th for growth in personal income. That was second-lowest score nationally, tied with Mississippi. Upon graduation, 46% of our college graduates leave Iowa and seek employment elsewhere. Over 300 teachers are planning to depart the state after we gutted Area Education Agencies. Nationally, our rank among those high school students taking the SAT continues to decline.

Now a cynic would argue that this plan represents what our leaders want Iowa to become: A primarily Christian, not public, taught population, poorly educated but worker trained. But I assume the governor and her allies are working in good faith.

To be helpful, I would only make one minor suggestion. Until recently, Iowa’s motto was “Iowa A Place to Grow.” Bring it back, it’s good. But a special and specific slogan for wealthy individuals and international corporations of vast financial resources: “Come to Iowa. Get the money and run, like a Deere, to Mexico.”

We all have witnessed the governor’s capacity for retribution for those who drew her wrath.

I deny that I wrote this article.

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Iowa

Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Published

2 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Nebraska men’s basketball faces a critical week that will determine its Big Ten Conference and NCAA Tournament seeding.

The Huskers play at UCLA on Tuesday night and finish the regular season next Sunday at home vs. Iowa.

The Huskers are currently tied for second place in the Big Ten with Michigan State. Both teams have four conference losses. They are one game in the loss column ahead of Illinois and Purdue, with five losses. Wisconsin has six losses.

The top four teams earn the coveted triple bye for the Big Ten Tournament. Regular-season champion Michigan has one spot locked up.

Here are the remaining schedules of the contenders for the triple bye, with conference record in parentheses:

Nebraska (14-4)
* Tuesday: at UCLA
* Sunday: vs. Iowa

Michigan State (13-4)
* Sunday: at Indiana
* Thursday: vs. Rutgers
* Sunday, March 8: at Michigan

Illinois (13-5)
* Tuesday: vs. Oregon
* Sunday, March 8: at Maryland

Purdue (12-5)
* Sunday: at Ohio State
* Wednesday: at Northwestern
* Saturday: vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin (12-6)
* Wednesday: vs. Maryland
* Saturday: at Purdue

Maintaining an NCAA seed no worse than 3 should benefit the Huskers, who wouldn’t have to play, theoretically, the No. 1 seed until the Elite Eight game.

It’s a ton to play for in the final week of a historic regular season for Nebraska. But that’s what March is all about.

Nebraska at UCLA

When: Tuesday, 10 p.m. CT
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; UCLA, 19-10, 11-7 in Big Ten
TV: FS1

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

UCLA rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 40
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 41
* ESPN Power Index: 34
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 41

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, UCLA is a 9-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament. The next Bracketology will be released Tuesday.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska-UCLA analysis

The Bruins are coming off a strange week. They crushed visiting rival USC, 81-62, on Tuesday, then lost at Minnesota, 78-73, on Saturday.

UCLA is 16-1 at home, its only loss to Indiana, 98-97, in double overtime on Jan. 31.

The game will be a homecoming for Huskers forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who played at UCLA in 2023-24, his freshman season. Buyuktuncel has started 27 games and averages 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season for the Huskers and frequently earns praise from coach Fred Hoiberg.

Nebraska thoroughly dispatched USC on Saturday, 82-67, an impressive performance on the road against a Trojans team desperate for a statement win to help — or save — their NCAA hopes.

Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one short of his career high — as the Huskers won their 14th conference game, a school record. Nebraska is 7-2 on the road in conference games.

This should be a great matchup — UCLA a strong team playing at home vs. a Nebraska team playing well and full of confidence. This feels like a one-possession game.

Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg goes to the basket as Iowa forward Cooper Koch defends during the first meeting in Iowa City. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa at Nebraska

When: Sunday, March 8, 4 p.m. CT
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; Iowa, 20-9, 10-8 in Big Ten
TV: Fox

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

Iowa rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 33
* NCAA Net Ratings: 28
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 30
* Kenpom.com: 24
* ESPN Power Index: 35
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 31

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Iowa is an 8-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska forward Braden Frager defends a fast-break layup attempt by Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz in the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 17. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska-Iowa analysis

The Hawkeyes are coming off a puzzling, 71-69 loss at Penn State on Saturday. Iowa led 67-62 with 3:49 to play, and then scored only one more basket. Iowa plays host to Michigan on Thursday.

Nebraska will get a final curtain call at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Huskers are 15-2.

Nebraska should have revenge on its mind after losing at Iowa, 57-52, on Feb. 17, in Sandfort’s return to Iowa City, where he played for two seasons.

Whatever Nebraska nerves were a factor at Iowa shouldn’t be in play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska shot only 21 percent from distance in Iowa City. Sandfort scored 13 points, his lowest total since Jan. 10, when he scored 12 at Indiana.

Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points. That won’t happen in this game. Neither will Nebraska’s ice-cold shooting from distance, especially if the game could determine the triple bye for the Huskers.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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Iowa

Iowa Boys High School State Basketball Tournament Sets Two Classes

Published

14 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Boys High School State Basketball Tournament Sets Two Classes

The Class 1A and Class 2A Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament brackets are now official following substate action.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Tournament begins Monday, March 9 from the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

St. Edmond, the top-seed in 1A, gets Woodbine in a rematch of a quarterfinal from a year ago. Woodbine ended the run of defending state champion Madrid in a substate final on the same court that St. Edmond qualified on when they defeated Riverside.

Burlington Notre Dame plays Bellevue, MMCRU meets Boyden-Hull and Bishop Garrigan battles Bellevue Marquette Catholic in the other elite eight games.

The other substate finals saw Burlington Notre Dame defeat Calamus-Wheatland, MMCRU eliminated North Union, Bishop Garrigan downed South Winneshiek, Bellevue bested East Marshall and Bellevue Marquette Catholic topped Montezuma.

In 2A, Kuemper Catholic is the No. 1 seed and will face Union Community in the opening game on Wednesday, March 11. The other quarterfinals see Treynor vs. Grundy Center, Unity Christian vs. defending state champion Western Christian and Iowa City Regina vs. Aplington-Parkersburg.

Kuemper Catholic survived vs. Roland-Story, Union knocked off Pella Christian in a nail-biter, Treynor bested Underwood, Grundy Center downed Beckman Catholic, Unity Christian handled Southeast Valley, Western Christian ran past Tri-Center, Iowa City Regina downed Northeast and Aplington-Parkersburg defeated Cascade.

Here are the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament pairings for Class 1A and Class 2A.

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, March 10

Semifinals

Thursday, March 12

Championship

Friday, March 13

Wednesday, March 11

Semifinals

Thursday, March 12

Championship

Friday, March 13

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Iowa

Minnesota Wild Recalls Tyler Pitlick From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota Wild Recalls Tyler Pitlick From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled forward Tyler Pitlick from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Pitlick, 34 (11/1/91), has tallied two goals, 24 penalty minutes (PIM) and 26 shots in 31 games with Minnesota this season and ranks fourth on the team with 76 hits. He has also collected 11 points (8-3=11) and 31 shots in 12 games with Iowa. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Minneapolis, Minn., owns 111 points (58-53=111) and 565 shots on goal in 451 career NHL games over 11 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (2013-17), Dallas Stars (2017-19), Philadelphia Flyers (2019-20), Arizona Coyotes (2020-21), Calgary Flames (2021-22), Montreal Canadiens (2021-22), St. Louis Blues (2022-23), New York Rangers (2023-24) and Minnesota (2025-26). He has tallied three points (2-1=3) in 22 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Pitlick has also recorded 140 points (60-89=149) in 289 career AHL games in parts of eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Barons (2011-15), Bakersfield Condors (2015-16), Hartford Wolf Pack (2023-24), Providence Bruins (2024-25) and Iowa (2025). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Pitlick was signed by Minnesota as a free agent on July 2, 2025, and wears sweater No. 19 with the Wild.

Minnesota hosts the St. Louis Blues tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.

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