Crossroads (with lunch) | Sorting out politics today

Sorting out politics today

Laura Belin
Editor, Bleeding Heartland

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DECEMBER 19, 2025  |  11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Plymouth Congregational Church, Des Moines
** in-person event **

It’s been a wild and often confusing time in politics over the last few years, both nationally and in our state. But there are voices in Iowa who help to sort it all out and make some sense of the chaos. Laura Belin, editor of Bleeding Heartland, is one of those key voices.

Laura Belin was called “probably the hardest-working – and perhaps the best – political reporter in the state” by Cityview’s Civic Skinny. Painting a picture of Belin’s qualities, other publications have used "outstanding," "essential," "smart," and “must follow” – all perfect descriptors of Laura Belin and her take on state and national politics.

Join us for Crossroads on December 19 when Laura Belin will be our guest speaker, providing her analysis of politics in Iowa and the country from her expert perspective. She'll also preview key issues likely to come up during the next Iowa legislature session – and offer her take on the 2026 election landscape.

You may make your reservation to attend in-person (with lunch) by clicking on the "Register Now" button. Four bag lunch sandwich options are available: turkey, roast beef, ham salad, and vegetarian; brown bag lunches are $15 each. Please note: You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, December 17. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch will not be available.

If you have any issues registering, please email info@interfaithallianceiowa.org or call 515.279.8715.

ABOUT OUR PRESENTER | Laura Belin found her love of politics growing up with parents and siblings who discussed current events at the dinner table. She has followed Iowa elections closely since the 1980 caucuses, when she took on the role of liberal Republican candidate John Anderson for a classroom debate. She first participated in an Iowa Democratic caucus as a Paul Simon supporter in 1988.

As Bleeding Heartland’s lead author, Belin writes about Iowa politics under her own byline. After Governor Kim Reynolds’ staff stopped responding to public records requests during the COVID-19 pandemic, Laura was one of the plaintiffs in a 2021 lawsuit against the governor and her office. The Iowa Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in Belin v Reynolds has since been cited in other state open records cases.

In early 2021, Belin began working part-time as the statehouse correspondent for KHOI Community Radio in Ames (89.1 FM), where she regularly appears on the program Capitol Week (available on podcast platforms as “KHOI’s Capitol Week”). She maintains two free email newsletters: Evening Heartland, which compiles links to all articles and commentaries recently published at Bleeding Heartland, and Iowa politics with Laura Belin, which shares audio files and recaps from each weekly radio program, as well as occasional cross-posts from Bleeding Heartland.

In January 2024, the Institute for Free Speech represented Belin in a federal lawsuit over the Iowa House chief clerk’s repeated refusal to grant her press credentials. Several days later, the House chief clerk approved Belin’s application, allowing her to cover Iowa House proceedings from the press box for the remainder of the 2024 legislative session.

Crossroads is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Des Moines.