Ed Tibbetts's blog

by Ed Tibbetts, Iowa Capital Dispatch
September 26, 2025

Fifteen months ago, the people of Davenport got a step closer to greater transparency in the long-running controversy over the city’s decision to pay $1.9 million to three former employees to drop their harassment allegations.

In a June 2024 opinion, a Scott County district judge said, over the city’s objections, that State Auditor Rob Sand was entitled to access the closed sessions of the city council held in connection with this issue. Sand had earlier subpoenaed records, including recordings, of the closed meetings.

In addition to saying Sand was entitled to the sessions to ensure compliance with the law, Judge Jeffrey Bert ordered an “in camera,” or private review by the court, of the meetings in order to exclude attorney work product and material irrelevant to the investigation. He also directed an evidentiary hearing be held to help the court understand what information Sand believed to be relevant.

Insofar as the search for transparency in this case is concerned, not a lot has changed since then.

by Ed Tibbetts, Iowa Capital Dispatch
August 2, 2025

Kim Reynolds and Brenna Bird have chosen their next target.

Fresh off an embarrassing defeat to Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx, the state’s chief enforcers of Iowa RightThink have decided to take on someone they undoubtedly believe is more vulnerable.

The governor has filed a complaint concerning a University of Iowa employee who had the misfortune of being captured on hidden camera disparaging the anti-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Gospel of the Republican Party.

by Ed Tibbetts, Iowa Capital Dispatch
November 2, 2024

This week, Paul Pate tried to clean up his mess.

Iowa’s top election official insisted at a news conference on Wednesday it is the federal government’s fault that he ordered county auditors in this state — just two weeks before Election Day — to challenge the votes of up to 2,022 potential American citizens. He’s doing this because at one point in time, perhaps years ago, these people once told the Iowa Department of Transportation they were not citizens.

Pate freely admits he doesn’t know how many of the 2,022 people on his list have become citizens since their initial declarations. But they’re being asked to cast a provisional ballot, which will require them to provide additional proof of eligibility. And since the names on the list haven’t been publicly released, affected citizens won’t even know they’re being singled out until they go to vote.

Which means many will have to make a second trip to get their vote counted.

Iowa Capital Dispatch
August 2, 2024

Joni Ernst calls herself the U.S. Senate’s “fiercest advocate” for government accountability.

Too bad she doesn’t appear to care about the country’s biggest tax cheats.

Over the past couple years, the Iowa senator has been fixated on the Internal Revenue Service. But rather than help the IRS try to recover the hundreds of billions of dollars in unpaid taxes each year, Ernst and her fellow Republicans are doing the opposite. They want to choke off the funding that is helping the IRS to rein in these abuses and give you better service.

Along the Mississippi

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says her plan to use taxpayer money to pay for private schooling gives people a choice to educate their kids where they want.

But that’s not what her plan says. Just look at the details: Only certain families with kids in public schools will get that choice.

What this plan really does is pay people who already are sending their kids to private schools.