Letters

Submitted by Alyssa Palante on behalf of the ICCSD Districtwide Parents Organization In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3-7), the Iowa City Community School District DPO (Districtwide Parents’ Organization) would like to thank each and every one of the amazing teachers, teacher librarians and other district and Grant Wood AEA employees who work […]

By Mallory Hellman, Iowa City I’ve lived in Iowa City for just over a decade. Like so many of us, I came here for grad school and never left. Also like many of us, I’ve spent these final gasps of pandemic-altered life privately harboring serious concern about what our beloved city will look like once […]

By Ellen Ballas, Iowa City Second-District Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 7), an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that created a minimum wage under FDR. The Paycheck Fairness Act “addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex,…”. Specifically, it limits an employer’s defense that a pay […]

By Christina Bohannan, State Rep. House District 85, University of Iowa law professor; and Janice Weiner, Iowa City Councilor In response to racial justice protests last summer, Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have introduced bills that ramp up penalties on protest activity and limit local government discretion in dealing with protests and public safety issues. […]

By Chad Cooper, Cedar Rapids Re: Brock About Town: Being an adult in Cedar Rapids is weird After reading, I wondered if the writer was paid by the stereotype. There are plenty of valid swipes one can take at CR; you just won’t find any in this article. In addition to the author’s yikes-inducing take […]

By Trish Nelson, Iowa City Riding on President Biden’s coattails, second-District Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks, who voted against the American Relief Plan, is making hay from a tour administering COVID-19 vaccine shots. She even sent a letter to President Biden offering “targeted, meaningful” coronavirus relief before voting to oppose the plan. If Democrats did not make […]

By Miriam Kashia, North Liberty One of the ways I manage the isolation and stress of the COVID pandemic is to take long walks. I’m blessed by living in North Liberty adjacent to the Cherry Creek pedestrian trail, so I often walk or bike there, and nearly always find a plastic bag which I put […]

By Miriam Kashia, North Liberty If you are paying attention to the news, you’re undoubtedly getting a major daily dose of crisis, dishonesty, corruption, conspiracy, illness, death, conflict and on and on and on. This is a tough time to be living on planet Earth, whether you have skin, scales, horns, fur, feathers or leaves. […]

By Heather Dunn, Iowa City As a trans woman I’m tired of bullies! I’m tired of the bullies in our state government who try to vilify us, erase us, deny us our rights based off their narrow ideology rather than modern science and medicine. I’m tired of healthcare providers and parents of trans and non […]

Submitted by Liz O’Hara Iowa’s Republican lawmakers are relentless in their drive to create a firearms free-for-all in our state. First, they ignored overwhelming public opposition and passed the gun lobby’s constitutional amendment, making “any and all” restrictions on the right to bear arms subject to “strict scrutiny” by the courts. They tried to assure […]

By Trish Nelson, Iowa City Second-district Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks voted against coronavirus relief despite adding her name to a letter sent from freshman House Republicans to then President-elect Biden. In part it read, “we hope to work with you to extend targeted, meaningful coronavirus relief for families…” What is the point of offering help if […]

By Kenn Bowen, Iowa City A bill (SF 413) has passed both chambers and been put on the governor’s desk for her signature. She will sign voter suppression into law. According to the statewide statistical report published by the Secretary of State’s office, 430,116 of the 562,606 registered Democrats who cast a ballot in the […]