Health Care
Trump made his pitch for 4 more years. Pelosi ripped up the speech
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered his third — and possibly final — State of the Union address Tuesday night on the floor of the U.S. House, where he was impeached in December. And the partisan animosity that has gripped Washington throughout the impeachment proceedings was on stark display throughout the annual speech by the […]
Tears mix with policy in Iowa House
It was a good thing there was a box of tissues on the table in the Iowa House lounge, where Sandy and Scott Van Veldhuizen came to tell the story of how their 12-year-old son died. Lawmakers, staff, lobbyists and even one reporter were wiping away tears as Sandy Van Veldhuizen talked about the day […]
Trump policies could put my family’s health care at risk
Like every parent, I’m biased about my child — I think my son Kyle is a great young man. He’s smart, warm, and he lights up a room. Unlike most young men, though, Kyle has Down syndrome, and he receives on-site job coaching under his Medicaid coverage. It’s hard for me to overstate how essential […]
LGBT advocates: GOP bill would strip rights from transgender Iowans
Update: Iowa Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, tweeted Wednesday evening that he is not moving the gender identity bill forward. Holt is the chair of the Iowa House Judiciary Committee. —— A new bill supported by a group of Iowa House Republicans aims to remove “gender identity,” from the Iowa Civil Rights Act — a move […]
Iowa lawmakers want improved CBD labeling, transparency as sales boom
As methamphetamine use grows in the state of Iowa, some state senators want to create more regulations on who is allowed to sell glass and metal pipes. The sale of drug paraphernalia is already illegal in the state of Iowa, but stores are bypassing that law and selling pipes under the connotation that they’re for […]
Iowa’s major medical groups continue to oppose state licensing for midwives
Hayli Netterlund’s first home birth went well. The 27-year-old mom from Reinbeck wanted to use a midwife, rather than go to a hospital to give birth, after she saw the U.S. ranking when it came to maternal mortality, which has increased substantially, according to the Center for Disease Control. Death rates have grown in the […]
Retirement is a luxury – and a right, older Iowa women say
Iowa women age 50-plus talk about retirement
Constitutional amendment on abortion moves forward in the Iowa Senate
An Iowa Senate committee on Thursday advanced a constitutional amendment stating abortions are not a right under the Iowa Constitution. The amendment aims to nullify the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2018 that struck down a law requiring a 72-hour waiting period for abortions and strengthened abortion laws. It states that Iowa’s Constitution does […]
Bill would let EMTs carry firearms in high-risk situations
A new bill going through the Iowa Legislature would allow Emergency Medical Technicians to carry a firearm if they are a part of a police tactical team. Senate File 2006, introduced by Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, would allow emergency medical professionals to obtain a professional permit to carry weapons if they train with a […]
Senate panel advances bill to ban public vaping
Legislation to outlaw vaping in Iowa’s public places passed a three-member Senate subcommittee Tuesday, over objections from vape shop owners who said it would damage their businesses. Vaping industry representatives and business owners argued there isn’t enough scientific evidence on the effects of second-hand vapor to justify the harm to businesses and to people who […]
One Iowa caucus moment: Undecided Booker supporters warm up to Warren
Sen. Elizabeth Warren demurred Saturday when a woman at a Des Moines house party asked her about the recent dispute with Sen. Bernie Sanders that was publicized before this week’s debate. But she impressed the former Cory Booker supporter nevertheless. Tanya Keith, 48, of Des Moines, told Warren, “As a woman working in construction and […]
GOP lawmakers begin new push to restrict abortion rights
Iowa Republican leaders are once again pushing for a constitutional amendment that would limit abortion rights in Iowa after an attempt to pass a similar measure fell short in 2019. The amendment aims to nullify the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2018 that struck down a law requiring a 72-hour waiting period for abortions. […]