The electorate, of course, is made up of the citizen voters.
When Ben Franklin came out of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, he was asked “What have we got, a Republic or Monarchy?” His answer was “A Republic, if you can keep it”
Is the electorate in Iowa doing its job?
Regrettably, we have witnessed the leadership in the Iowa Senate working against the will and best interests of the voting citizens and their own land-owning constituents. Senator Mike Klimesh represents Iowa District 32. He has been elected as the new Majority Leader of the Iowa Senate. Senator Klimesh held a Q and A at the Machine Shed in West Des Moines, on December 17, 2025. Senator Klimesh was asked why a competent senator was stripped of committee assignments in what appears to be reprisal for a differing vote on the eminent domain issue last session. The questioner likened it to being more like an Oligarchy or a good ole boys club.
Senator Klimesh replied “…one of the foundational pillars of the success of the Iowa Senate Republicans has been loyalty. Loyalty to the caucus. Loyalty to each other… it requires a lot of loyalty. And when we don’t have that kind of loyalty, it makes all our jobs a lot more difficult.”
What about the elected Senate caucus members having loyalty to their constituents?
Isn’t that how a Constitutional Republic is supposed to work?
Has Senator Klimesh’s job been made more difficult by Senators who stand up for their constituents and dedicate their loyalty to the land-owning citizen voters of Iowa?
If you believe Senator Klimesh should be loyal to his constituents, then please give him a call and politely share your opinion. His published office phone number is 515-281-3371.
Senator Annette Sweeney represents Iowa Senate District 27. She is a personal friend of Bruce Rastetter. Bruce Rastetter is the founder and executive chairman of Summit Agricultural Group. Summit Carbon Solutions, a spinoff of Rastetter’s Summit Agricultural Group, seeks to build a 700-mile pipeline in Iowa that would be used to capture carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants, liquefy it under pressure, and transport it to North Dakota, where it would be sequestered deep underground. In actuality, the CO2 in will be used to stimulate aging oil wells enabling more oil to be extracted. Rastetter is a mega donor to many in leadership positions in Des Moines including Governor Kim Reynolds. Governor Reynolds and former Gov. Terry Branstad, with whom she served as lieutenant governor for six years, have received $423,200 in contributions from Rastetter over 13 years, according to OpenSecrets.org, a nonprofit research group that tracks money in U.S. elections. Summit has the potential to receive about $18.4 billion in federal tax credits over 12 years for the pipeline that does nothing to improve the environment.
Do we have a pay-to-play environment in Des Moines?
This is taken directly from Senator Sweeney’s newsletter:
“Commitment to Property Rights and Balanced Progress
My record demonstrates unwavering support for private property rights-that remains my guiding principle. In the upcoming session, I aim to facilitate responsible infrastructure development with strong safeguards prioritizing landowner voluntary participation wherever possible. A vast majority of lowa farm families will voluntarily enjoy a renewal in farm profitability in the years to come. A small and fiercely resistant minority may be force-fed prosperity.”
Is Senator Sweeney representing the interests of her constituents or Bruce Rastetter?
If you believe Senator Sweeney should represent her constituents, then please give her a call and politely share your opinion. 641-373-4899 is her published office number.
It is time for the electorate in Iowa to do its job in preserving our Constitutional Republic? If the electorate does not do their job, will special interests control what happens in Iowa?
Sincerely,
Howard Vlieger
Concerned Citizen of Iowa
