As 2024 draws to a close, the Iowa Hunger Coalition (IHC) is making one final push to persuade Gov. Kim Reynolds to participate in the USDA Summer EBT for Children program in 2025. That program, also known as SUN Bucks, provides $40 a month per child to a family’s SNAP benefit card during the three […]
Gov. Kim Reynolds
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In a history-making pick, Gov. Reynolds appoints Sen. Chris Cournoyer to replace Adam Gregg as lieutenant governor
Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed Chris Cournoyer lieutenant governor. The LeClaire Republican was in her second term in the Iowa Senate, representing District 35 — which covers Clinton County, as well as parts of Scott and Jackson counties — when she was selected for her new position. Chief Justice Susan Christensen administered the oath of […]
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State officials cancel Iowa Satanic Temple celebration, claiming it’s ‘harmful to minors’ without stating why
Last year on Dec. 14, the Satanic Temple (TST) of Iowa’s sanctioned holiday display in the Iowa State Capitol rotunda was vandalized. The culprit was a failed Republican congressional candidate from Mississippi who traveled more than 800 miles just to smash the display, which consisted mostly of electric candles and a cloaked mannequin with a […]
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Iowa Hunger Coalition calls on Gov. Reynolds to stop rejecting millions in federal aid for food-insecure Iowa kids
The Iowa Hunger Coalition has renewed its call for Gov. Kim Reynolds to have the state participate in the USDA’s Summer EBT program. The program provides direct funds to families with children receiving federal food assistance to help them cover the increased cost of food during summer months when kids aren’t in school. Iowa was one […]
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Under a near-total abortion ban, crisis pregnancy centers peddling free, phony care are even more dangerous
Chances are, you’ve seen a crisis pregnancy center — also known as a CPC, anti-abortion center, pregnancy resource center or fake clinic — without realizing it. They market themselves as healthcare clinics for women facing unintended pregnancies while targeting women who are considering having an abortion. They make it seem as though they will walk […]
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Iowa scientists address ‘climate despair’ and individual action as disasters from human-driven climate change increase
For the first time in its 14-year history, the Iowa Climate Statement is focused on what individuals can do about climate change. “We want to be clear that the solution is bigger than individual action, and we need leaders at all levels to enact policies if we want to avert even greater disasters than those […]
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All of the ‘Big 5’ publishers are now suing Iowa over its school book ban
All of the “Big 5” publishing houses are now suing Iowa to overturn the state’s school book ban signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May 2023. Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, MacMillan Publishing Group and Simon & Schuster have joined Penguin Random House as plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging the book ban. […]
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Brenna Bird joins other Republican AGs to threaten the American Academy of Pediatrics over its support for transgender young people
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joined a group of other Republican state attorneys general this week in sending a letter to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) accusing the organization of possibly violating consumer protection statutes. The Republican group claims the AAP’s guidance on standards of care for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) young people […]
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Gov. Kim Reynolds job approval rating hits a new low in the Iowa Poll
The number of Iowans who approve of the job Gov. Kim Reynolds is doing has dropped to an all-time low, according to the latest Iowa Poll. In the poll published Tuesday by the Des Moines Register, only 45 percent of respondents approve of Reynolds’ actions as governor. That’s the lowest job approval number for the governor […]
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Iowa Poll shows large majority oppose state’s new abortion ban, support reproductive choice
A new Iowa Poll shows an overwhelming majority of Iowans opposed the state’s new near-total abortion ban. Support for the right to an abortion has also increased since Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the ban into law in July 2023, according to the poll published by the Des Moines Register on Sunday. Fifty-nine percent of respondents […]
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Iowa Board of Regents begins review of university DEI programs for compliance with new anti-DEI law
The Iowa Board of Regents is working with board staff and state universities to analyze diversity, equity and inclusion programs and positions and ensure their compliance under a state law set to take effect next summer. President Sherry Bates said during the board meeting Thursday that she, along with Regents Greta Rouse, David Barker and […]
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Despite opt-outs by Iowa and other GOP states, debut of kids’ summer food program seen as a success
A U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative to feed hungry kids during the long summer months is mostly winding down, with advocates calling it a success despite some hiccups — and the federal government and many states are already working to bring the permanent program back in 2025. The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program — or Summer EBT — has popped […]
