State Representative Tracy Ehlert

09/01/2026

Hard to believe Fall is almost here. Just about two months left until Election Day and Rep Ehlert is still hitting the ground running, connecting with constituents, attending events and listening and learning more about the needs of Iowans. Here is just some of what she was up to in August….

09/01/2026

The 5th Annual Legislative Softball Game was a home run! ⚾️

Together, we raised $30,000 for the Aiming for a Cure Foundation to support kids and families impacted by pediatric cancer, and for Blue Star Mothers to support our veterans.

Team Blue may have come up a little short on the scoreboard, but it was a great day of friendly competition for even better causes. 💙 Thank you, Iowa Cubs and Greater Des Moines Partnership, for sponsoring this great event!

09/01/2026

A little behind on sharing…In my quest to learn more about our public safety and judicial systems, I spent my final weekend before heading back to school doing a 3rd shift (9pm-7am) ride along with CRPD.

In that 10 hour ride along we responded to quite the variety of activities.

•accident with a potentially impaired driver (ended up not being impaired and we gave the driver a ride to the hospital to meet his daughter who was taken by ambulance)

•a fight and possible intoxicated driver (this did turn into an owi and I then got to see that process start to finish as we then had to take the individual to jail. I also got to see how the officers use Language Line when they encounter an individual who does not speak English. This full process took about 3 hours with having to use the language line)

•downtown bar checks (officer had to leave on foot to respond to a fight outside so I stayed back and just watched that process from a distance)

•after bar street watch, caught a driver going down a one-way street (they were not impaired but had a suspended license and no Insurance)

-had to head back to the station to drop off some items so I got to see how the evidence room operates and see a little more of the station

-a ticket for public urination turned into an arrest (when their id was checked they ended up having a warrant so we went back to the jail and I got to see how a non-owi individual is processed)

-responded to a mental health call

-pulled someone over for speeding 23 over

-and ended the shift with a trespass warning

Was definitely an interesting job shadow and a reminder that one bad decision can change your life in an instant (was the first time the individual with the owi had ever been arrested) Others had long recorders and that made me wonder what more could be done to help discourage the repeat offenders.

Another thing I took note of was the two times the officer did have to turn their lights and sirens on while I was with them, not very many people moved moved out of the way. The one instance we were also following the ambulance so it was frustrating to see the ambulance also not be able to get through as quickly as they needed. Luckily in this case the situation wasn’t that severe, but it could have been and sometimes those minutes really count when it comes to responding to an emergency. Please move over when you see those emergency vehicles.

08/31/2026

Save the date and plan your visit! The AAMI's next exhibit, 'Right Where We Belong: Black Resilience, Culture, & Community, 1964-1999' opens to the public this Friday! Learn more at blackiowa.org/RWWB

08/31/2026

Cancer and firefighters is something we’ve heard a lot about in my time in the legislature

“Cancer has become one of the biggest health concerns in the fire service, and Cedar Rapids fire leaders say replacing or updating several aging stations could help reduce firefighters’ exposure to harmful chemicals they bring back from calls.

Firefighters say cancer-causing chemicals can cling to their gear, equipment and trucks after a structure fire. At older stations, they say there is not always a safe, separate place to clean contaminated items.”

Read/listen to more in the story below

08/30/2026

Linn County representing in the charity softball game today. The Democrats raised $15,000 for the Aiming for a Cure Foundation.

Aiming for a Cure Foundation supports children and families who are affected by cancer through the funding of research, covering non-insured expenses, and improving patient care.

Something unique about them is that a 100% of the fundraising proceeds they raise each year go to patient’s & their families in hospitals right in our own backyard. They do grassroots fundraising and are comprised entirely of volunteers.

You can learn more about them at:
https://aimingforacure.com/

08/30/2026

Today is game day!

Looking for something to do today? Head to Des Moines and watch us play.

Team Blue (House & Senate Democrats) will be playing to raise money for Aiming for a Cure to fight pediatric cancer and Team Red (House & Senate Republicans) will be playing for Blue Star Mothers of Iowa, who support our veterans. It’s a win no matter who you support.

Grab your tickets at: https://tinyurl.com/dbwk23yx

CHARITY LEGISLATIVE SOFTBALL GAME THIS SUNDAY: Cheer on Team Blue at the Annual Legislative Softball Game on August 30th. Tickets include the Iowa Cubs at 1:08 PM, then stick around to watch lawmakers battle it out on the field. Proceeds support Aiming for a Cure to fight pediatric cancer and Blue Star Mothers of Iowa, who support our veterans. Grab your tickets at: https://tinyurl.com/dbwk23yx

08/29/2026

Thank you to the ALS Association for the invitation to this mornings mural unveiling.

This event was hosted by United for Cures, a national organization dedicated to advancing disease research and medical innovation.

The Iowa Is United for Cures Mural is a one-of-a-kind, artist-led public art installation inspired by the stories of patients, families, researchers, and advocates whose lives have been shaped by medical research.

This event is part of a national effort to elevate the importance of medical research and featured remarks from national advocates and research leaders.

We heard remarks from a parent-advocate who shared about cystic fibrosis. We heard from Dr Swenson from the University of Iowa and we heard from Rylie who is a patient-advocate and a remarkable young lady, someone I’ve been following since I first started hearing her story back when she was at Coolidge Elementary (she’s been a vocal advocate since a young age).

She shared her story of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and how in 2nd grade she couldn’t even lift a glass of water but due to research and medical advancements she was able to start a medical protocol that changed her life for the better. She is now a student at Jefferson High School and starting to plan for college next year. She’s hoping to go to the UofI. She been enjoying being a part of theatre and speech at Jefferson and shared a heartwarming story with me about her theatre teacher and how they built a ramp for her to get to the stage.

This morning was another reminder of how important research funding is. It has the potential to change people’s lives and everyone deserves to live their best life.

If you are heading to Market After Dark stop tonight, stop by and take a look at the new mural. It’s located right next to the We Are CR mural on the side of the Adcraft building.

08/29/2026

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office will increase impaired driving traffic safety enforcement on "Saturation Saturday," August 29, as part of a nationwide effort to prevent impaired driving ahead of Labor Day weekend.

Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is one of 24 law enforcement agencies across Iowa participating in this effort to help keep our communities and roadways safe.

Saturation Saturday is a coordinated effort with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a national nonprofit dedicated to ending impaired driving and supporting victims and survivors. The effort is also in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

If you plan to celebrate, make a plan for a sober ride before you go. Don’t drive impaired – help make sure everyone gets home safely.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.