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Iowans launch marijuana reform campaign aimed at showing public support
Robert “Lewy” Lewis of Windsor Heights has been in pain since 1974, when he had spinal surgery at the age of 21. To repair a blockage in his spine, surgeons removed eight inches of his vertebrae and then sewed them back on, using about 300 steel stitches. “I’m a perfect barometer for the weather,” he […]
This is what political courage looks like
We all know what courage looks like. It’s at the core of our favorite stories. It’s central to the plots in most movies and television shows. It’s the backbone of the legends we cherish from history and from daily life. Political courage is not so familiar. It’s an oxymoron these days, or one of those […]
Legal loophole creates confusion over prosecution of teens with guns
President Biden, in a prime-time address last week, called on Congress to ban semiautomatic “assault style” rifles – or at least raise the age for legal purchase from 18 to 21. He was reacting to the spate of horrific and heartbreaking mass shootings that killed 22 people, most of them children, on May 24 at […]
Iowa GOP touts legislative victories; Democrats decry ‘culture wars’
Republican legislative leaders cheered the accomplishments of the 2022 legislative session, which ended early Wednesday and included major tax cuts and the culmination of years of work on issues ranging from the bottle bill to biofuels. Gov. Kim Reynolds, in a statement early Wednesday, applauded the approval of many of her priorities. “This legislative session, […]
Lawmakers eliminate open-enrollment deadline before session adjournment
Iowa lawmakers ended the 2022 legislative session early Wednesday with action on some familiar topics: school choice and election law. The Iowa Senate adjourned for the year at 12:11 a.m. and the House followed at 12:17 a.m. Before they went home, Republicans in the Iowa House and Senate voted Tuesday night to eliminate a deadline […]
Senate Democrats defeat four governor’s appointees to the judicial nominating commission
Democrats in the Iowa Senate on Tuesday defeated four appointees by Gov. Kim Reynolds to the Iowa Judicial Nominating Commission. Meanwhile, Republicans approved legislation aimed at giving the governor more control over the state’s judicial nominations. A shouting match erupted on the Senate floor during debate of the commission nominations as lawmakers accused each other […]
State’s oldest workplace misconduct cases have been pending 1,200 days
The state of Iowa has at least three workplace misconduct complaints that have been pending for more than three years, the director of the Department of Administrative Services told members of the Iowa Senate on Tuesday. State Sen. Janet Petersen had asked the department about a month ago how many cases it had pending involving […]
Legislature prohibits COVID-19 vaccine mandates for K-12 school, college, licensed child care
Iowa children will not face a requirement to be vaccinated for COVID-19 for attendance in school, college or a child care center under a bill that is headed to the governor’s desk. The bill would not allow mandates for attendance at any licensed child care center, elementary or secondary school or postsecondary school before July […]
Lawmakers drop private school scholarships, advance budget bills
The Iowa House and Senate gathered Monday at the State Capitol for the first time in weeks with a goal of completing action on the state budget and a few remaining policy bills and possibly winding up their session this week. Lawmakers have been idling while GOP leaders and Gov. Kim Reynolds negotiated points of […]
Reynolds administration ignores senator’s questions on 200 unresolved sexual harassment claims
The state of Iowa had a backlog of nearly 200 employee sexual harassment complaints as of April 20 that had not been investigated, state Sen. Janet Petersen said during a recent budget meeting. “Taxpayers, since 2012, have paid out $28 million in claims and I see nothing in this budget addressing sexual harassment or hostile […]
Lawmakers resume public consideration of state budget
Iowa lawmakers will resume public discussion on the state budget Wednesday, just over four weeks past the 100th day of the 2022 session. The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning and begin preparing budget bills for floor debate. For the past several weeks, discussion has been behind closed doors as legislative leaders […]
Why should aid for families be contingent on overturning abortion rights?
The leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that signals the potential demise of constitutional abortion rights has some in the Republican Party suggesting that maybe it’s time to get on board with programs that support parents with young children. The Washington Post last week quoted several GOP senators who acknowledged new interest in […]