State Representative Tracy Ehlert

10/14/2026

👏🏼

Congratulations to the 7th and 8th grade volleyball "A" teams on their undefeated seasons. Well done TIGERS! 7th grade shown, will add 8th tomorrow.

10/14/2026

IN-PERSON ABSENTEE "EARLY" VOTING starts today. Here is information from Linn County (IA) Election Services about how to vote early in-person.

- Available in one, two, or three locations in Linn County each day from October 14 - November 2.

- See all the Linn County Early Voting locations and hours via LinnCountyIowa.gov/843 (where you can choose to view a PDF sorted by location, or an online calendar to quickly see the options on a particular day)

- Bring your Iowa Driver's License or Non-operator ID if you have one. If not, see the Voter ID link below in the Election Day section.

- If you need to do a same-day voter registration, you will also need to provide proof of residence from a list available via that same link.

- You must vote your ballot on site, seal it in a special envelope we'll have you sign, and submit it to a secure ballot box. Early voted ballots will be stored securely, then counted on Election Day.

10/14/2026

Early Voting starts today!!

In Linn County there will be many opportunities to vote early, but today (October 14) you can vote early at:

Jean Oxley Building: 7:30am-4:30pm
Lindale Mall: 11:00am-6:30pm

(Don’t forget to bring your id)

10/14/2026

Thank you to constituent Katie Townsend for reaching out to talk mental health. Aime For Iowa and I spent the evening talking with her about her and her daughter Saniyah’s story. Through the death of her daughter, Katie has become a tireless parent advocate and has been sharing her story to help drive change in the tech and youth mental health arena.

We discussed services that failed her daughter, services that are missing that are needed to support youth like Saniah and the role tech companies are playing in youth mental health.

You can find many news stories that feature Katie, or if you were at the Hope Walk you may have heard her share. She also showed us the trailer tonight of a documentary she was a part of that features youth activists and grieving families as they confront the devastating toll of online perfection, and addiction, exposing a global crisis igniting a movement demanding accountability from a behemoth adversary.

You can learn more about the documentary at: https://www.thebeautifuldoc.com/

10/13/2026

The most important years for brain development occur between ages birth to 5. The care and education teams working with those age groups are helping educate set children up for success before they even enter a pre-K or kindergarten classroom. 

10/13/2026

10/12/2026

Changes to Medicaid are coming, and new rules may affect Medicaid coverage. Some Iowa Medicaid members may need to meet new monthly requirements to keep their coverage. If you have Medicaid, please check your coverage and take action today to make sure you remain covered.

What should you do?
1. Check your mail and email for information from Iowa Medicaid.
2. Make sure your contact information is up to date at medicaid.gov/renew-info.
3. Find out if the new rules apply to you and what you need to do.

If you have questions, contact Mercy’s Eligibility team at (319) 398-6479 or [email protected]. Visit https://www.mercycare.org/patients/patient-info/changes-to-medicaid-are-coming--what-you-need-to-know/ for additional resources.

10/11/2026

Update from the Iowa House Economic Growth & Technology Committee:

IEDA approved tax credits for six manufacturing companies, which will create 346 jobs and result in $246.5 million in new capital investment.

https://opportunityiowa.gov/press-release/2026-09-18/ieda-board-approves-assistance-six-manufacturers-two-startups-and-three-community-quality-life
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IFA announced their 2027 Preferred Homeownership Partners, recognizing ten mortgage lenders and two real estate agents for their leadership.

https://opportunityiowa.gov/press-release/2026-09-17/iowa-finance-authority-names-2027-preferred-homeownership-partners
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Merle Hay Plaza Apartments won the Iowa Housing Innovation Competition, which will transform underutilized space in Merle Hay mall into affordable senior housing.

https://opportunityiowa.gov/press-release/2026-09-10/merle-hay-plaza-and-apartments-wins-iowa-housing-innovation-competition-bringing-affordable-senior
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IFA awards $200,000 to test new approaches to homelessness prevention and response in Council Bluffs and Iowa City.

https://opportunityiowa.gov/press-release/2026-09-10/iowa-finance-authority-awards-200000-test-new-approaches-homelessness-prevention-and-response
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$39.84 million in Workforce Housing Tax Credits will add nearly 2,100 Iowa homes in 39 counties across the state.

https://opportunityiowa.gov/press-release/2026-09-08/3984-million-workforce-housing-tax-credits-will-add-nearly-2100-iowa-homes
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A new conference in Southeast Iowa is aiming to educate people about the condition of the area economy and how this could be affecting them.

https://www.ktvo.com/news/local/southeast-iowa-state-of-the-economy-to-be-held-in-ottumwa-on-tuesday/article_f96687cb-a42c-4bc4-a7a4-821fb82429a9.html

10/11/2026

Nearly 2,000 child care business owners. Five states. New insight into what helps these essential businesses endure—and what puts them at risk.

Explore First Children’s Finance’s first-of-its-kind analysis of financial resilience across Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, and Vermont.

Read the report at:
https://www.fcf-webinar-series.com/_files/ugd/d069cb_f3363353c69b468285556eec71137733.pdf

10/11/2026

Linn County has once again been recognized nationally for excellence in financial reporting and transparency. The Government Finance Officers Association has awarded the County two national awards for its fiscal year 2025 financial reports.

• Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for our Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the 37th year.

• Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting for our easy-to-read Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for the 28th year.

The ACFR provides a detailed look at the County’s finances, while the PAFR gives residents a simpler overview of how public dollars are collected and spent, along with highlights from the past year.

Both reports are reviewed and scored by an independent panel of judges. The GFOA says the Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Want to take a closer look? Linn County’s ACFR, PAFR and annual budget are available on our website: https://www.linncountyiowa.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/4575