Posted inCommunity/News

Proposed constitutional amendment would require supermajority to raise income tax

A Senate subcommittee moved forward with the second step in amending the state constitution Wednesday to require a two-thirds majority vote of the Legislature for income tax increases. SSB 1221 is a follow-up from HJR 2006, passed in 2024 with the same language. To amend the Iowa Constitution, lawmakers must pass the amendment language in […]

Posted inCommunity/News

After a year of pop-ups, Diversions Tabletop Game Lounge is opening a permanent home in Coralville with 400 games

“Cozy” was a word that kept coming up as Nolan Petersen and Sean Finn were discussing Diversions, the tabletop game lounge they have just opened in Coralville. The partners and co-owners want Diversions to have a welcoming feeling for newcomers and casual gamers, as well as longtime veterans of Catan or role-playing games (RPGs).  “Sometimes […]

Posted inCommunity/News

Iowa City rallies for immigrants, federal workers, the VA, health benefits, science and LGBTQ rights at Hands Off! protest of Trump administration

People in more than 1,300 cities across the country rallied on Saturday for Hands Off! protests against the sudden, brutal actions of the Trump administration. In Iowa, there were rallies in 17 cities, stretching from Red Oak to Davenport. In Cerro Gordo County, which Trump carried by 12 percentage points in November, more than 250 […]

Posted inCommunity/News

No vote on bill protecting pesticide manufacturers from cancer lawsuits as Iowa House Republicans balk

The Iowa House will not vote on a bill passed by the Senate that would have provided new protections against lawsuits for corporations that produce pesticides, Speaker Pat Grassley said on Thursday. Even though Republicans control 67 of the 100 seats in the House, there was not enough support for the bill to guarantee passage.  […]

Posted inStatewide

Iowans will rally in cities across the state to protest Trump administration actions on Saturday

So far, the strongest pushback against the rapid, chaotic cuts and changes being made by the Trump administration has happened in courtrooms, and tangentially, in protests at Tesla dealerships. But on Saturday, things will be different.  “Hands Off!” protest rallies are scheduled for cities across the country on Saturday. Local grassroots organizations and bigger activist […]

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Iowa Senate Education Committee OKs bill to change anti-bullying code

The Iowa Senate Education Committee approved legislation Monday to change state law defining bullying in schools, keeping it alive ahead of this week’s committee deadline. The panel also sent five other bills to the Senate floor dealing with topics ranging from National Guard scholarships to attendance policies. The anti-bullying legislation was the only bill that […]

Posted inCentral Iowa

Des Moines locals fight to save Birdland Pool and prove the North Side isn’t ‘a path of least resistance’

Generations of Des Moines residents have flocked to their neighborhood swimming pools for fun and to find relief from the heat, especially during potentially deadly heat waves. For almost 90 years, destinations have included the historic Birdland Pool at 300 Holcomb Ave in Highland Park, which opened to the general public on May 31, 1936. The […]

Posted inCommunity/News

‘I can’t get a passport in this country right now’: Iowa City marks Transgender Day of Visibility in the shadow of anti-trans state, national laws

Approximately 100 people gathered at College Green Park in Iowa City on Tuesday for a rally to mark this year’s International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV).  “Visibility is power. Visibility is defiance,” Mandi Remington, founder and director of Corridor Community Action Network (CCAN) and a member of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, told the […]

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Sen. Chuck Grassley will hold Judiciary Committee hearing on courts blocking Trump actions

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is set to play a top role as the Senate Judiciary Committee chair in hearings next week on courts blocking President Donald Trump’s actions. Members of Iowa’s congressional delegation also introduced legislation to make English the official language of the nation and to address a shortage of truck drivers. The Senate […]

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