January
January 10: Matt Strawn becomes chair of the Republican Party of Iowa, defeating former State Representative Danny Carroll of Grinnell by a vote of 10-7 to replace Stewart Iverson. Strawn, the Iowa Barnstormers co-owner and former state director for John McCain, takes his dark-horse candidacy on the road in the months after the November election. Members of the Republican State Central Committee attributed Strawn's win to his ability to use fresh approaches to bring in new members and said his state listening tour helped him gain credibility in his quest for the position.
January 20: The U.S. Senate confirms former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as the new U.S. secretary of agriculture on the same day that about 1,800 Iowa ticket-holders were among an estimated 4 million people in Washington, D.C., to see Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Iowa Governor Chet Culver and Iowa's congressional delegation were among those who had front-row seats to the inauguration on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol.
January 31: Michael Kiernan, 33, is elected as the new chair of the Iowa Democratic Party -- unanimously on a voice vote by members of the 55-member State Central Committee. There was no one else nominated as chair to replace Scott Brennan. That puts the fate of Culver's re-election in 2010 in the hands of Kiernan, a Des Moines city-council member and lifelong Democrat who led Culver to victory in his first statewide race in 1998.
February
February 7: A bunkhouse in Atalissa operated by Henry's Turkey Service is closed by the state fire marshal for unsafe conditions, and a state investigation is launched for labor-law violations. Twenty-one adult men with mental retardation who worked for West Liberty Foods were housed in the "bunkhouse" for the past 20 years and were only paid $65 a month. The place had boarded-up windows and no heating system. The state became aware of the situation through a tip on the Department of Human Services' abuse and neglect hotline.
February 11: State Representative Kerry Burt (D-Waterloo), a firefighter and former University of Iowa star football player, is arrested at 2:34 a.m. by Ankeny police on suspicion of drunk driving, hours after attending a legislative reception in downtown Des Moines. The 2004 Lexus SUV that Burt was driving sustained an estimated $10,000 in damage after it struck a concrete barrier on Interstate 35. Burt apologized in a written statement for the incident leading to his arrest.
February 23: In what officials called the longest vote in Iowa statehouse history, House Speaker Pat Murphy at 1:09 p.m. closes the voting machine on the prevailing-wage bill after two days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes, declaring that the bill had lost. The vote was 50-48, one vote short of passage. In an unprecedented move, Murphy decided at about 5:45 p.m. on a Friday to leave the voting machine open all weekend after Democrats fell one vote shy of passing a bill that would require contractors to pay workers the same hourly wages and benefits on public projects as they would on private-sector projects in the area.
March
March 20: The three-member Revenue Estimating Conference lowers estimates of state revenues by $129.7 million this fiscal year and $269.9 million next fiscal year. Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal calls the 10-percent decline in state revenues "the worst I've ever seen" in his 27 years in the legislature and said everything is at risk of being cut. "It's going to be difficult and it's going to be painful," he said.
March 31: About an hour into a public hearing at the Iowa Capitol over a proposal to eliminate federal deductibility, Murphy orders state troopers to clear the four House galleries after hundreds of opponents refused to stop applauding, booing, and hissing. More than 500 people packed the Iowa Capitol and the House galleries, largely in opposition to a plan that would eliminate the ability of Iowans to deduct their federal tax payments when calculating state tax liability. The crowd booed and hissed supporters of the legislation, and applauded opponents. They were reprimanded several times by House Ways & Means Chair Paul Shomshor, but the boos and applause continued.
April
April 3: In a unanimous decision, the Iowa Supreme Court upholds a district-court decision in Varnum V. Brien legalizing same-sex marriages, making Iowa the third state in the nation and the first in the Midwest to legalize same-sex marriages. Republicans call for the legislature to move quickly with a constitutional amendment specifying that marriage between one man and one woman is the only legal union valid or recognized in the state. The following week, hundreds of opponents and supporters of same-sex marriage descend on the Iowa Capitol and watch as Murphy declines twice to call up the constitutional amendment. The ruling takes effect April 27.
April 15: Senate Republicans flex their muscle in denying confirmation of Gene Gessow as director of the Department of Human Services on a 31-19 vote. Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) says Senate Republicans have concerns about Gessow stemming "from a failure of him to be forthright on the Atalissa issue." The Senate also denies confirmation of Carrie LaSeur to the Iowa Power Fund Board and Shearon Elderkin to the Environmental Protection Commission.
April 26: Iowa lawmakers spend the final hours of the 2009 session hashing out final details of the state's $6-billion-plus budget after passage earlier of sweeping sex-offender legislation and a $765-million plan to bond for infrastructure. Iowa lawmakers begin their marathon push to adjourn on a Friday morning and work almost around-the-clock for the 48 hours that followed, breaking only for five and a half hours early Saturday morning. The House adjourns at 5:04 a.m. Sunday; the Senate adjourns at 5:55 a.m. Key to the state budget for fiscal year 2010 is the spending of about $680 million of Iowa's $831.6-million share of federal stimulus money for Medicaid, education, and government stabilization.
May
May 14: Culver signs his $830-million I-JOBS bonding package for infrastructure into law, paving the way for hundreds of infrastructure projects across the state. The plan is controversial and opposed by Republicans. Part of the plan authorizes $650 million in bonds to pay for infrastructure statewide, including $22.5 million in improvements to the Iowa Veterans Home. Culver also signs a bill to allow for $115 million in bonding for Iowa's regents institutions, including $100 million for the University of Iowa.
May 21: Culver signs the Adam Walsh Act into law, officially changing Iowa's controversial residency rule for sex offenders. Law-enforcement officials and lawmakers said the new law will be more effective. The 2,000-foot rule would only apply to offenders who committed the worst crimes against minors. The law also creates 300-foot "exclusionary zones" -- areas such as schools, child-care centers, and playgrounds -- that sex offenders will not be allowed near. Sex offenders will be prohibited from working in those places frequented by kids as well.
June
June 2: U.S. Senator from Nevada John Ensign denies during a visit to Iowa that he is a potential presidential contender in 2012. "I'm not running for president," said Ensign, who was the head of the Republican Policy Committee at the time. "What I'm doing is raising my profile. I believe we need new voices and fresh voices in the Republican Party who can articulate a message of our core Republican principles." Two weeks later Ensign acknowledged an extramarital affair with a campaign staffer and resigned from his position as head of the committee.
June 9: The U.S. House votes 298-119 for H.R. 2751, the Consumer Assistance to Recycle & Save Act, which established a "Cash for Clunkers" program providing vouchers to consumers who traded in old, fuel-inefficient vehicles for new, fuel-efficient ones. The CARS Act was introduced by U.S. Representatives Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) and Betty Sutton (D-Ohio). It provided consumers with incentives of $3,500 or $4,500 to purchase new, fuel-efficient vehicles, depending on the improvement in fuel economy of the new vehicle. The program was later extended.
July
July 1: More than 130 new laws take effect, including new rules for sex offenders, a law that mandates equal pay in the state's workplaces, and an expansion of children's health insurance. A law requiring registration of boarding homes and allegations of abuse to be investigated by multiple agencies was also enacted, as were tax credits for wind-energy projects at farms, schools, and hospitals, and for individuals who launch those projects.
July 16: In addition to the drunk-driving charge stemming from a February incident -- which cost him his job as a firefighter -- Burt found himself in more trouble. A special investigation by the state auditor's office showed his was among nine families who underpaid on tuition for the Malcolm Price Laboratory School. The audit said he reported an incorrect address and paid less in fees to the school than he should have, saving him $37,139. The investigation showed Burt and his children never resided at the address provided to school officials. A video of Burt's traffic arrest was released later in July, in which he tells police he is a representative and he was drinking with Culver earlier that night. According to the police report, Burt tried to tell the officer that he couldn't be arrested.
August
August 7: With little fanfare, former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, 66, is confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Confirmation by unanimous consent came quickly for Leach (R-Iowa), who served in the U.S. House for 30 years. Leach, who lost his seat during the Democratic wave of 2006, garnered media attention by backing Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign.
August 12: National observers give U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) heat over his comment that "you have every right to fear" a health-care bill that provides for counseling for the end of life, and "we should not have a government program that determines you're gonna pull the plug on grandma." Rachel Maddow on MSNBC labels him "Senator Deather." and Braley accuses Grassley of spreading fear among senior citizens.
September
September 9: U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) becomes chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions, while U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) replaces him as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Harkin's new position puts him in the seat formerly held by the late Senator Ted Kennedy.
September 12: Norman Borlaug, an Iowa native who was founder of the World Food Prize and won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, dies at the age of 95 due to complications of cancer.
September 18: State economic-development director Mike Tramontina abruptly resigns amid an investigation over alleged abuses in the state's film-tax-credit program, including filmmakers' purchase of a luxury Mercedes and Land Rover that were not used directly on a film. Irregularities in the tax-credit program lead Culver to suspend it immediately.
October
October 8: Culver orders a 10-percent across-the-board cut in the state budget after the three-member Revenue Estimating Conference lowers estimates of state revenues by $414.9 million from its March estimate. The cuts amount to $564.5 million. Education takes the biggest hit at $265.8 million, with human services next at $132 million, while the Iowa Board of Regents took a $59.8-million hit and corrections saw a $35.7-million cut. Republicans say the cut will turn into a steep hike in property taxes, as Culver asks school districts to use their reserves to cover any shortages.
October 15: Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad resigns his presidency of Des Moines University to explore a run for governor in 2010. On the same day as Branstad's announcement, Culver launches a television ad called "balanced budget," explaining his decision to make an across-the-board budget cut and cut his own pay. He said his decision to begin running the ad was not influenced by Branstad's decision to enter the race.
November
November 7: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty headlines the state GOP's "Leadership for Iowa" event in Des Moines. He delivers a scathing review of Democrats and the Obama administration to about 700 at the Republican Party of Iowa's fall fundraising dinner, but he remains silent about his own potential run for president in 2012.
November 9: Democrat Roxanne Conlin files paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission to enter the race for U.S. Senate. Conlin, a former U.S. attorney and 1982 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, becomes the Democratic frontrunner in a primary race that also features Bob Krause of Fairfield, Tom Fiegen of Clarence, and Sal Mohamed of Sioux City.
November 21: Vice President Joe Biden is the keynote speaker at the state Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner at Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines. Biden's speech comes just as the U.S. Senate musters 60 votes to overcome the threat of a filibuster and bring health-care reform to the floor for debate. Biden says health-care reform is "alive and well and it will pass." Culver, Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge, and U.S. Representatives Braley and Leonard Boswell also speak at the event, which draws a crowd of nearly 1,500.
December
December 8: In a speech before the Iowa Taxpayers Association, Culver unveils 90 cost-saving recommendations proposed by consultant Public Works of Philadelphia that he said have the potential to save $341 million in the first year, and nearly $1.7 billion in the next five years. He implements 40 of those recommendations December 16 with an executive order. In a separate but related action, the legislature's State Government Reorganization Commission votes unanimously December 10 for a list of nearly 100 recommendations designed to make state government more efficient. There's lots of overlap between the two sets of recommendations, and many of them call for consolidation. Also in December, the Iowa Council on Human Services approves consolidation of nine administrative divisions into six in its central office, and eight regional offices into five. And Iowa Board of Regents President David Miles directs university presidents to identify additional areas that can be consolidated and streamlined to save money.
December 15: The White House announces plans to transfer suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois, just across the border from Iowa. Democrats such as Braley emphasize the economic impact it will have, saying use of the maximum-security facility will create 3,800 jobs over the next four years and inject $1 billion into the area. But Iowa Republicans blasted the White House decision to bring "dangerous terrorists" to the Midwest. Grassley said there's "a host of national-security concerns and risks that would obviously come with moving people to the heartland who wish to kill Americans."
This weekly summary comes from IowaPolitics.com, an online government and politics news service. Reporter Andrew Duffelmeyer and other correspondents contributed to this report.
