Latest news with #TroneGarriott
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott holds roundtable on proposed Medicaid cuts
Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, a Democratic candidate for Iowa's 3rd district, held a roundtable with health care providers and Medicaid recipients at the West Des Moines Public Library June 4, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, running for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, held a roundtable discussion Wednesday on congressional Republicans' plan to cut Medicaid and the potential impact on health care in Iowa. Trone Garriott is one of the Democratic candidates aiming for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican. Nunn, alongside Iowa's other Republican representatives in the U.S. House, voted in favor of the budget reconciliation bill that analysts say would reduce federal spending for the program by $625 billion over the next decade. The West Des Moines Democrat said she wanted to hold a town hall on the proposal because of the 'dismissive statements' Iowa's congressional delegation has made when talking about the impact of the Medicaid cuts — specifically referencing U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's town hall statement that 'we all are going to die' after an attendee yelled that people will die because of the cuts. Trone Garriott also criticized Nunn and other members of Iowa's House delegation for not hosting public events on the issue. 'We have seen our congressmen not hold open town halls and not have conversations to hear these hard stories, and we need to be listening so we can do a better job for the people of our state,' she said. The changes to Medicaid include work requirements with several exemptions, including for people with disabilities and complex medical conditions, minors and seniors as well as pregnant people and parents of dependent children. Republicans have argued the proposed changes will not impact Medicaid coverage for people in need, such as those with disabilities, and will instead target waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system. At an event last week, Nunn said public assistance programs like Medicaid, as well as Medicare and SNAP, help Americans, but 'have to be used in a way to help Americans with a hand up, not a handout,' the Des Moines Register reported. But Trone Garriott said she believed the work requirements will add new burdens on people with real health care needs, without necessarily addressing the actual problems in the system. 'They're indiscriminate cuts,' Trone Garriott told reporters. 'It's not about addressing any kind of fraud — which is more an issue from providers and billing, so that's not addressing that concern. And it's already very stringent, very challenging to get on Medicaid. There's a lot of people who should be on it who are not being served. So it's actually the opposite problem we have … more people could be eligible, but the process is so challenging that they can't get on and stay on Medicaid.' Iowans at the roundtable event said the proposed Medicaid changes will make it more difficult for people with covered medical conditions to get the care they need. Paula Connolly, the parent of an adult child with a rare disability, said that while she and her husband were raising their child as an infant, Medicaid — and later Medicare — were the only ways for her family to access the medicine and other specific items, such as specialized formula, needed for their son. Adding new barriers to Medicaid will not only make it harder for families like hers to access the support they need, Connolly said, but will also have a greater impact by decreasing the number of providers willing to provide services and health care through Medicaid. She gave an example of Medicaid coverage for a wheelchair repair — an already months-long process that could stretch out longer if cuts to the program are made. 'If the person who fixes the wheelchair doesn't get adequately compensated to run the business, then he can't fix a wheelchair,' Connolly said. 'Or if the part for the wheelchair takes a year to get, well, then you essentially don't have that wheelchair. And that means as a family — because disability does not only impact the child, it impacts the family — that means we sit at home and we don't get out. We're not doing healthy things to destress with caregiving, we're not going to church.' Health care professionals echoed these concerns, saying the Medicaid cuts could put health care providers across the state either out of business or in a situation where they cannot treat all patients in need. Ed Friedmann, a physician's assistant who is the sole health care provider at the Redfield Rural Health Clinic, said Medicaid and health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act have helped keep the clinic in Redfield, a rural town in Dallas County, in business. Not having insurance does not stop hospitals and clinics from giving patients' medical treatment, he said — but not having payment and reimbursement through public health programs for individuals who would otherwise be uninsured could lead to more rural health care providers shutting down. 'If Medicaid patients lose their insurance, there'll be less income for the clinic, and less likely for the clinic to be able to continue going in a town like Redfield and towns throughout the United States,' Friedmann said. Trone Garriott said having more uninsured people in the system will mean 'health care providers have to shift costs when they can't cover costs, which means raising costs on everyone.' If elected, she said she would support raising Medicaid reimbursement rates, tying them to economic indicators, as a way to help Iowa health care providers stay open. 'It's already a narrow margin, as providers are trying to continue to serve Medicaid patients, and there are a lot of areas where they're just not able to make that work,' Trone Garriott said. 'So we're seeing labor and delivery units close. We're seeing dental care providers just unable to take Medicaid patients. We're seeing more and more folks with Medicaid not being able to access care or waiting a long time to get it.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Experience the ‘dark side of the bloom' when corpse flower named Stink Floyd blooms at Reiman Gardens
AMES, Iowa — Reiman Gardens in Ames is inviting the public to experience the 'dark side of the bloom' when their corpse flower named Stink Floyd blooms in just a couple of weeks. The Amorphophallus titanum, commonly known as the corpse flower, is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom — which means it's the largest plant with a group of flowers growing from one main stem. The corpse flower is also often described as one of the smelliest plants, as when it's in bloom it emits a strong odor akin to rotting flesh. Investigation underway into small airplane crash in Dallas County In a post on Facebook, the Reiman Gardens announced that staff are on 'bloom watch' as their 10-foot-tall corpse flower is getting ready to bloom. Over the next two weeks or so the Reiman Gardens will be posting updates about the plant on social media. Corpse flowers don't have an annual blooming cycle, and their blooms can often be unpredictable, blooming roughly every five to ten years. When a corpse flower blooms it only lasts for about 24 to 36 hours. On July 25, 2017, a corpse flower at the Des Moines Botanical Garden bloomed. Over 12,000 people visited the botanical garden to see the corpse flower from July 13-31, with over 4,600 visiting on the day the plant finally bloomed. Iowa News: Experience the 'dark side of the bloom' when corpse flower named Stink Floyd blooms at Reiman Gardens Investigation underway into small airplane crash in Dallas County Scholastic Spotlight: U.S. Academic Decathlon & I-35 yearbook goals Community helps save historic Webster Theater again Trone Garriott running for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Investigation underway into small airplane crash in Dallas County
DALLAS COUNTY, Iowa — An investigation is underway after a small airplane crashed in Dallas County over the weekend. Johnston man jailed for driving drunk with 3 kids in van, police say On Sunday at around 7:15 p.m. the Dallas County Sheriff's Office responded to an airplane crash at the Husband Field Airport in Dallas Center. According to the sheriff's office, a small Ultralight airplane was attempting to land when it crashed. The pilot of the plane was not injured. The sheriff's office said the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash. Iowa News: Investigation underway into small airplane crash in Dallas County Scholastic Spotlight: U.S. Academic Decathlon & I-35 yearbook goals Community helps save historic Webster Theater again Trone Garriott running for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District Creston PD search for driver involved in hit-and-run on Saturday Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott launches congressional campaign in Iowa's 3rd District
Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott speaks at the Celebrate Iowa's Outdoors Day March 20, 2025 in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott announced Monday she will run as a Democratic candidate for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District. Currently, the 3rd District is represented by U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican who has held the seat since defeating former U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat, in the 2022 election. The Iowa House seat, covering much of the Des Moines metropolitan area and much of of central and southern Iowa, is expected to be one of the most competitive districts in the 2026 general election. Trone Garriott, currently representing West Des Moines in the Iowa Senate, said in a video announcing her campaign she was well-suited to run for the seat because of her track record winning in competitive state legislative races. 'I'm no stranger to tough fights,' Trone Garriott said. 'I'm the only Iowa Democrat who flipped two seats from red to blue, then won a district that went to Trump in 2024. I know how to win, and I know how to deliver for Iowans.' She was first elected to the Iowa Legislature in 2020, when she defeated Republican Scott Cirksena to represent Iowa State Senate District 22. In 2022, she defeated then-Senate President Jake Chapman to represent Senate District 14 after redistricting, and won a close race against GOP challenger Mark Hanson in 2024. Trone Garriott, a 46-year-old Lutheran pastor, said she would work in Congress to lower the costs of child care, health care and housing, as well as 'restoring the rights and freedoms lost in recent years.' She also criticized Nunn's time in Congress, saying 'Zach Nunn has failed us.' 'As Iowans struggle with higher costs, attacks on our personal freedoms and reckless cuts to our public schools, Zach Nunn is not showing up,' Trone Garriott said. 'He's not listening, and he's not working for us. Iowans know that I show up for all my constituents, and that I listen and that I speak out.' Emily Tuttle, a spokesperson with the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House Republicans' campaign arm, criticized Trone Garriott in a statement Monday. 'Out of touch Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott is another activist attempting to radicalize Iowa — pushing a dangerous, extreme agenda that would raise costs, allow men in girls' sports, and weaken public safety,' Tuttle said. 'Iowans want leaders who deliver commonsense results, and that's exactly why they'll send Zach Nunn back to Congress.' While Nunn has not officially announced a reelection campaign, he is expected to run for the seat again in 2026. He ruled out a run for governor last week in an interview on the WHO AM Simon Conway show, saying he is focused on his work in Washington, D.C., on issues like cutting taxes and securing the U.S. southern border. Nunn won in 2024 against Democrat Lanon Baccam with roughly 52% of the vote. In the previous election, the race was rated as a 'tossup' by some political forecasters — Sabato's Crystal Ball now has the seat, alongside Iowa's 1st Congressional District currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, listed as 'tossup' races heading into 2026. House Democrats' campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has highlighted Nunn's seat, as well as Miller-Meeks' and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson's, as 'Districts in Play' in the upcoming midterm elections, areas where Democrats plan to focus their efforts to flip seats and potentially regain control of the U.S. House. 'Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, and Zach Nunn are running scared, and they should be,' DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in an April statement. 'From tanking the economy, gutting Medicaid, abandoning our veterans, to making everything more expensive, they've broken their promises to Iowans, and it's going to cost them their seats. The DCCC is already working to recruit authentic and battle-ready candidates in Iowa who reflect these districts and will work to better Iowans' lives, not line Elon Musk and their DC party bosses' pockets.' Trone Garriott is not the only Democrat expected to run in Iowa's 3rd District. Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst and Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, have also said they are considering running for the seat, though Trone Garriott is the first to officially launch her campaign.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trone Garriott running for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District
DES MOINES, Iowa — State Senator Sarah Trone Garriot has announced she is running for U.S. Congress. The Democrat from West Des Moines reavealed Monday morning she is running for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District. If she earns the party's nomination, she'll likely face incumbent Republican Congressman Zach Nunn in the 2026 election. Trone Garriott was first elected to the Iowa Senate in November 2020, serving a term for the 22nd District. Because of redistricting, she and her family moved to the 14th District in 2022, and her bid was successful to oust then-Senate President Jake Chapman. Gov. Reynolds discusses decision not to run for office, role in the primary race In her announcement video, Trone Garriott said, 'I'm the only Iowa Democrat who flipped two seats from red to blue then won a district that went to Trump in 2024. I know how to win and I know how to deliver for Iowans.' She also took aim at her presumptive opponent, Rep. Zach Nunn. 'Zach Nunn has failed us as Iowa struggles with higher costs, attacks on our personal freedoms, and reckless cuts to our public schools. Zach Nunn is not showing up, he's not listening, and he's not working for us.' Trone Garriott is the coordinator of interfaith engagement at the Des Moines Area Religious Council. She's been with the organization since 2017. She's also an ordained pastor through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Trone Garriott is the mother of two sons, who attend public school in West Des Moines. She is married to William Garriott, a law professor at Drake University. The National Republican Congressional Committee issued a statement on Trone Garriott's decision to run: 'Out of touch Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott is another activist attempting to radicalize Iowa – pushing a dangerous, extreme agenda that would raise costs, allow men in girls' sports, and weaken public safety. Iowans want leaders who deliver commonsense results, and that's exactly why they'll send Zach Nunn back to Congress.' NRCC Spokeswoman Emily Tuttle Scholastic Spotlight: U.S. Academic Decathlon & I-35 yearbook goals Community helps save historic Webster Theater again Trone Garriott running for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District Creston PD search for driver involved in hit-and-run on Saturday Caitlin Clark hits Carver-Hawkeye Arena again, fans turn out to see Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
