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Kudos to ACLU of Iowa for calling out incivility. I have often questioned the professionalism and necessity of SLPD’s “funny” social media posts when they intentionally punch down. When our unofficial tagline is “Be a Better Human,” it is crucial to consider whether those in positions of power are truly upholding that message.
Sabrina Martinez, Storm Lake
Iowa’s ethanol industry stands at a crossroads. For decades, we’ve fueled America’s cars with homegrown energy. But as electric vehicle sales rise — 1.3 million in 2024 alone, now nearly 10% of new cars — we must evolve to stay competitive.
Enter Sustainable Aviation Fuel — the biggest opportunity Iowa agriculture has seen in decades. Planes won’t run on batteries anytime soon, and SAF needs low-carbon, liquid fuel. That’s a lane Iowa ethanol can dominate, but only if we have the infrastructure to compete.
Carbon capture unlocks that path. By storing CO2 emissions from ethanol plants, we lower the carbon intensity of ethanol and qualify for the booming SAF market — a market projected to demand billions of gallons annually. That means stronger corn demand, more stability for farmers, and long-term investment in Iowa’s future.
This isn’t theoretical. More than 1,320 Iowans have voluntarily signed easements with Summit Carbon Solutions to make this future real. In some counties, voluntary participation is 70%, 80%, even 90%. These are farmers and landowners — people who understand exactly what’s at stake and are choosing to lead.
That’s what makes the legislation passed by the Iowa House and Senate so disappointing. It doesn’t get the job done. It doesn’t solve the problem. And it sets back the very industry it claims to support.
Today I am asking Gov. Reynolds to veto this bill.
Not because she supports any one company, but because she supports Iowa’s largest industry — agriculture — and one of its most important products — ethanol. She knows what’s at stake for our state, and for the 42 ethanol plants already producing 4.6 billion gallons annually. Without access to SAF markets, we’re cutting off their future.
This bill is a step backward. It adds confusion, weakens our competitive edge, and threatens the kind of private investment Iowa needs to grow. And the unintended consequences are real. This bill doesn’t just apply to carbon pipelines—it affects all hazardous liquid infrastructure. If we start blocking one type of project, what’s next? Today it’s ethanol infrastructure — tomorrow it could be broadband, transmission lines, or even rural water systems. That’s a slippery slope Iowa can’t afford.
Let’s come back next year and do it the right way. Let’s bring agriculture, ethanol producers, landowners, and lawmakers to the table and find a real solution that balances property rights with progress. That protects our rural communities while paving the way for market access and long-term growth.
The sky’s the limit for Iowa — but only if we clear the runway. Gov. Reynolds, veto this bill.
Bill Couser, Nevada
President Trump says foreign students at Harvard are occupying spots rightfully belonging to Americans. Therefore, a recent Executive Order bans Harvard from accepting international students.
Trump’s inability to see beyond his latest DEI revenge tour has blinded him to the myriad ways in which the world has benefitted from the contributions of Americans who made the arduous journey to Paris from 1830-1900, seeking experiences unavailable to them then in the U.S. Historian David McCullough’s 2011 book, “The Greater Journey” could enlighten him about this.
What if Samuel Morse had not braved the ocean journey, homesickness, harsh Paris winters, and the language barrier in pursuit of improving his art to then return home with his idea for the telegraph?
What if Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. had not formed his infection theories in France and put them into practice here, henceforth saving women from childbed fever? What if Holmes had not learned enough there to return here to teach evidence-based medical practices at Harvard?
What if James Fenimore Cooper had not lived in France and then returned home to write uniquely American fiction like “The Last of the Mohicans?”
What if Napoleon III had refused entrance to Morse, Holmes, Cooper, and other Americans whose knowledge gained in France has enhanced lives world-wide?
It seems to me that the greater journey for Americans living now is to make learning great again, to instill those values in our children, and to resist the short-sighted revenge of Trump and his loyalists.
Karen Heidman, Sioux City
I couldn’t help thinking as I viewed the photos that not only is America losing WWII vets on a daily basis, it’s losing honor too.
Mike Wellman, Des Moines
On Inauguration Day, Trump said, “Our power will stop all wars.” He promised to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. World peace turns out to require a bit more than Mr. Trump has to offer, apparently.
He also said, “We will make Martin Luther King’s dream come true.” I wonder if MLK ever contemplated inviting white refugees from South Africa to America to save them from “genocide” at the hands of blacks there. Likely not, since 10,000 or so blacks get murdered here each year as opposed to about 30-50 white farmers per year in South Africa.
Trump announced, “I will bring back free speech to America.” He forgot to mention that free speech will not be extended to international students, mayors like Newark’s, media companies he is suing, etc.
He also prophesied, “There will be no crime.” That has been problematic, as blue-collar crime, white collar crime and Presidential “high crimes and misdemeanors” have continued unabated.
Finally, the most messianic promise of all: “I will fix every single crisis affecting our country.” Unfortunately, the crisis that most everybody agrees is the worst of all is the one Trump himself is creating — the constitutional crisis.
Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah
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