Bleeding Heartland
An independent website about Iowa politics
 Bleeding Heartland

Recognizing Bleeding Heartland's talented 2023 guest authors

Bleeding Heartland set another record for guest contributions in 2023, with more than 125 individual authors contributing a total of 358 posts. For many years after I became this website’s primary author in 2008, I wrote most of the material published here, but that’s no longer the case.

Guest authors covered a remarkably wide range of topics, and as noted below, some of their contributions were among the most-viewed posts on the site this year.

Writers provided exclusive reporting and in-depth analysis of topics ranging from the water usage associated with CO2 pipelines to federal farm subsidies to major constitutional questions to Iowa Supreme Court rulings to proposed new charter schools.

They covered important events in Iowa history, flagged pending business deals that warrant scrutiny, and showcased wildflowers from diverse habitats. They offered insights about polling errors, ticket-splitting in Iowa’s 2022 elections, ways to address the teacher shortage, and policies to improve maternal health.

They shared personal experiences relevant to political debates over abortion, the COVID-19 pandemic, pollution caused by conventional agriculture, and bullying directed at teenagers who challenge gender stereotypes.

They recalled good times at the Hamburg Inn in Iowa City and memorable encounters with Governor Harold Hughes and Attorney General Lawrence Scalise.

They gave lots of advice and constructive criticism on how Iowa Democrats can win back some rural voters, rebuild a strong organization, handle logistics for the 2024 Iowa caucuses, and talk about economic opportunity.

They celebrated successes: organizing to defeat a library referendum in Pella and obtaining a favorable settlement in an open meetings case.

They warned that Iowa’s state government reorganization would politicize criminal prosecutions and could have severe unintended consequences for community-based corrections.

I doubt any other state-based political website in the country provides more quality coverage and commentary.

Please get in touch if you would like to write about any topic of local, statewide, or national importance during 2024. If you do not already have a user account on the site, I can set one up for you and explain the process. There is no standard format or word limit. This year, some guest contributions were just a few hundred words, but I also published the longest article in Bleeding Heartland history (which could have been submitted to a law review). I copy-edit for clarity but let authors speak their own truth.

Although most authors write under their real names, I allow pseudonyms under some circumstances. I ask authors to disclose potential conflicts of interest, such as being a paid staffer, consultant, or lobbyist promoting any candidate or policy they discuss here. Bleeding Heartland does not plan to endorse in any 2024 Democratic primaries but will consider essays by candidates or their supporters.

Anyone can submit articles or commentaries for publication, including people who don’t currently live in Iowa or have never lived here. I especially welcome contributions by authors from underrepresented communities in Iowa political news and commentary: women, people of color, young writers, members of the LGBTQ or disability commuities, immigrants, or those who practice a religion other than Christianity or have no religious affiliation.

Now, on to the review. Authors are listed in descending order by number of articles or commentaries published here, and in alphabetical order for those who wrote the same number of times.

Randy Evans distributes a regular weekly column to various Iowa publications, and Bleeding Heartland published 36 of those posts:

Bruce Lear wrote 31 posts for the site in 2023:

Daniel G. Clark allowed me to republish 23 of the Iowa history essays he wrote for the Muscatine Journal, inspired by the 19th century civil rights leader Alexander Clark (no relation).

New guest author Nancy Dugan did tremendous original reporting. Most of her seventeen articles were related to the Summit Carbon Solutions proposed CO2 pipeline:

Ira Lacher wrote fifteen posts this year:

Rick Morain writes a regular column for the Jefferson Herald, and Bleeding Heartland republished fourteen of those essays:

Gerald Ott also wrote fourteen posts this year:

Herb Strentz wrote twelve posts this year:

Kurt Meyer writes a regular column on Substack and for the Nora Springs – Rockford Register. Bleeding Heartland republished seven of those essays:

Steve Corbin wrote six posts this year:

Scott Syroka also wrote six posts:

New contributor Kara Grady wrote five posts for the Iowa wildflower Wednesday series:

Five people each wrote four posts for the site. Alexandra Dermody:

Henry Jay Karp:

Dan Piller:

Randy Richardson:

Wally Taylor:

Ten authors each contributed three posts during the year. Rachel Bruns:

Katie Byerly:

Jim Chrisinger:

Gordie Felger:

John Hale and Terri Hale

Bruce Morrison:

Pat O’Donnell:

Diane Rosenberg:

Bernie Scolaro

Deb VanderGaast:

Nineteen authors each wrote two Bleeding Heartland posts. Al Charlson:

Lora Conrad:

Nick Covington:

Bonnie Ewoldt:

Dan Guild:

Mitch Henry:

Joseph Howe:

AJ Jones:

Doris Kelley:

Pam Mackey Taylor:

Jim Nelson:

Kenny Slocum:

Julie Russell-Steuart:

Anne Schechinger:

Macklin Scheldrup:

Larry Stone:

“Strong Island Hawk”:

Janice Weiner:

Nate Willems:

The following 84 people wrote one post each.

Amie Adams:

Iowa naturalist B.O. Wolden remembered

Amy Adams:

Iowa parents deserve real rights

Jason Benell:

Religion in politics: the biggest threat to our liberties

Emily Boevers:

Reflecting on the “Labor” Day impact on my patients

Joe Bolkcom:

MAGA nanny state thrives in Iowa

Brian Bruening:

I lost my state House campaign. I would do it again

Charles Bruner:

Democrats must offer a vision for children and families

Douglas Burns:

A pioneering Iowa Democrat: Don’t tell Josh Turek what can’t be done

Jodie Butler:

Peace in the Middle East? History has some lessons

“Cato and Cujo”:

Article III, Section 29: Iowa Supreme Court, legislature both got it wrong

Greg Cohen:

What have I learned? A rural family physician’s pandemic experience

Pete D’Alessandro:

To move Iowa forward, progressives may need to go it alone

Paul Deaton:

Book Review: The Hidden History of American Democracy

John Deeth:

Iowa Democratic Party ends months of denial and secrecy

Joshua Doležal:

It was time for the Iowa caucuses to go

Sondra Feldstein:

Iowa court’s use of qualified immunity threatens our rights

Sean Flaherty:

TFW you need an empirical argument for democracy

Lisa Fleishman:

Professional temperament vs. temper tantrums in Warren County

Jan Flora:

Another view of the Palestine-Israel conflict

Jerry Foxhoven:

A “woke” view of a classic Christmas story

Arnold Garson:

Woodbury County offers lesson in how not to build a jail

Neil Hamilton:

Who speaks for nature? Can justice and citizenship guide us?

Shawn Harmsen:

Surprise Iowa DOT office move is voter suppression

Dan Henderson:

Iowa Republicans take a wrecking ball to education (twelfth most-viewed post of the year)

Jonna Higgins-Freese:

Schools choose

Luke Hoffman:

Iowa Rivers Revival’s cleanup at Fourmile Fest

Chuck Holden:

In today’s culture war, Iowa is 1950s Ireland

Jay Howe:

Greenfield was perfect backdrop for Jesse Jackson’s Iowa campaign

Glenn Hurst:

Brittany Ruland: The only choice for Iowa Democratic Party chair

Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature Board of Directors:

Laws that ban books run contrary to Iowa’s history, legacy

Chuck Isenhart:

No eminent domain solely for private gain

Tracy Jones:

My mom died because she couldn’t get an abortion

Clark Kauffman:

Iowans sue governor for cutting off pandemic unemployment benefits

John Kearney:

Kim Reynolds and religion

Bradley Knott:

Election deniers lost in 2022. What to do next to protect democracy

Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter:

Iowa nice, except if you’re blind

Thomas Laehn:

New Iowa law will politicize criminal prosecutions

Dave Leshtz:

Souvenirs (A Hamburg Inn memoir)

Tony Leys:

Mental health care by video fills gaps in rural nursing homes

Beth Lynch:

Iowa wildflower Wednesday: Meet the baneberries

Brian McClain:

Iowa Democrats demand Arab, Climate caucuses be seated on governing body

Porter McNeil:

Building the Midwestern Blue Wall

Ryan Melton:

Brian McClain for Iowa Democratic Party vice chair

Ian Miller:

Brenna Bird’s free PR via a child ID program and two utility companies

RJ Miller:

Why I’m running for Des Moines City Council

Tyler Mills:

Is the Iowa Democratic Party still a big tent? Thoughts from a Webb Democrat

John Morrissey:

Why U of Iowa business school is running TV ad campaign

Patrick Mullen:

Finding more than meets the eye when Iowans gather

Linda Murken:

Keep the community in Community-Based Corrections

Tim Nelson:

Brittany Ruland for Iowa Democratic Party chair

John Norris:

From Greenville to Greenfield: Jesse Jackson’s 1988 Iowa caucus campaign

Robin Opsahl:

Ag/natural resources budget holds surprises on public lands, water quality

Larry Osweiler:

Memories from better times in Iowa politics

Kay Pence:

Republicans use debt ceiling fight to cut safety net

Susie Petra:

Due diligence on school vouchers

Diane Porter:

Iowa wildflower Wednesday: Compass plant

“PrairieFan”:

Chemical trespass, a rural Iowa reality

Dianne Prichard:

Questions for lawmakers who voted for “school choice”

Herman Quirmbach:

Iowa’s tobacco use, student aid commissions play valuable role

Don Ray:

CO2 pipelines: The same-old, same-old

Michael Reagen:

Wanted: Ethical behavior in public service

Marcia Rogers:

How relationships fortify politics, public service

Sami Scheetz:

Reflections on a destructive legislative session

Linda Schreiber:

Can Republicans and Democrats find common ground?

Leland Searles:

Iowa wildflower Wednesday: Illinois bundleflower

Richard Sherzan:

The U.S. economy is broken. Time for a New West!

Katy Siddall:

Winning the message war: A handbook for Iowa progressives

Bernard L. Spaeth, Jr.:

Moves to impeach justices would undermine Iowa courts

Zach Spindler-Krage:

How a Grinnell fender-bender fueled a misleading campaign narrative

Karen Spurgeon:

Iowa teacher: “communication junkies” need more self-discipline in class

William R. Staplin:

Cartoon: An exodus from Iowa

Sam Stockard and Anita Wadhwani:

Iowa AG warns Fortune 100 companies over race-based policies

Patrick Swanson:

Experiencing Iowa’s beautiful northern Loess Hills on foot

Cheryl Tevis:

Cast your vote November 7 to keep Iowa a state of minds

Ed Tibbetts:

Scott County supervisors violate the law

Tim Urban:

Public education: Poison or promise?

Alicia Vasto:

2013—2023: A decade of declining water quality in Iowa

Jay Waagmeester:

ACLU: Iowa ordinances restricting drag performances are unconstitutional

Tom Walton:

David Young’s narrow win in House district 28 cost everyone too much

Mary Weaver:

Crisis in Iowa nursing homes demands our attention (20th most-viewed post of the year)

Aime Wichtendahl:

Iowa leaders, don’t ruin kids’ lives

Jennifer Winn:

Iowa House passed carbon pipelines bill: What’s in, what’s out, what’s next

Rebecca Wolf:

Iowa needs a fair Farm Bill

Al Womble:

When you love America like you love your child

Tags: Blogging

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Laura Belin

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