Hundreds gathered in the hallways and rotunda of the State Capitol to protest the attempt to strip transgender Iowans of civil rights and stop the state government from recognizing the existence of their identities via a bill Republicans are fast-tracking through the Iowa House. “Trans rights are human rights” and “Say no, fight back,” they […]
Iowa House of Representatives
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‘Pointless, unnecessary and unbelievably cruel’: Rep. Steve Holt proposes bill eliminating civil rights protections for trans people
Iowa would make history by gutting protections enshrined in its Civil Rights Act for almost two decades to make discrimination against transgender Iowans legal, if a bill introduced in the Iowa House on Thursday becomes law. HSB 242 would also alter definitions used in state law to eliminate acknowledging the existence of transgender people as […]
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Iowa House subcommittee advances bill restricting political party changes before caucuses, primaries
A House proposal would require Iowa voters to be registered with a political party one month in advance of that party’s caucuses or primary elections in order to participate. HF 353 would require voters who want to participate in a party caucus or primary to be a registered member of the party at least 30 […]
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Iowa House Republicans advance bill making it a crime to allow minors to ‘view a drag show’
Over 100 protesters gathered in the hallways of the Iowa State Capitol on Tuesday, chanting, “Trans rights are human rights” and “Hey hey, ho ho transphobia has got to go,” as lawmakers on an Iowa House subcommittee considered the latest bill targeting transgender Iowans. According to the explanatory section of HSB 158, the bill is […]
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Higher education leaders seek clarification on ‘return on investment’ for new Iowa House committee
As a new Iowa House higher education committee gets its start with the beginning of the legislative session, college and university leaders are signaling their willingness to work with lawmakers while seeking clarification about what “return on investment” the Statehouse is seeking. Higher education committee chair Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said at the committee’s first […]
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Iowa lawmakers debate until 2 a.m. in race to finish 2024 legislative session
Iowa lawmakers debated budget bills into the early morning Friday as they aim for the end of session in the coming days. Though legislators spent much of their days in party caucus meetings Thursday, members of both the House and Senate moved through dozens of bills during debate, in addition to meetings of the chambers’ […]
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Feds: A dozen Iowa water suppliers need to fix ‘forever chemical’ contamination
At least 12 community drinking water supplies in Iowa are unacceptably contaminated with enduring chemicals linked to various health ailments, under new restrictions announced Wednesday by federal regulators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented a new drinking water standard that limits certain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” — […]
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State will pay $49,000 settlement to journalist Laura Belin after six-year denial of media credentials
The state of Iowa will pay journalist Laura Belin $49,000 for legal expenses in the lawsuit Belin filed after repeatedly being denied media credentials by the Iowa House of Representatives. Less than a week after Belin filed her lawsuit in federal court in January, the chief clerk of the House reversed her decision and Belin […]
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Lawmakers express outrage over City of Davenport’s ‘disgraceful’ actions
The Iowa House Committee on Government Oversight held a rare meeting Wednesday to discuss the City of Davenport’s refusal to disclose information tied to $1.9 million in settlements paid to former city employees. The city is opposing a subpoena that Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand has issued for records related to settlements with the […]
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Lawmakers advance bill to ban civilian police review boards and increase protections for police officers considered ‘unsuitable or unfit’
Republicans in the Iowa Legislature are advancing a bill that would eliminate civilian police review boards, and change civil service rules to make it harder for police chiefs to fire, suspend or demote officers they have determined to be “unsuitable or unfit” for their positions.
“Today we send a clear message to the brave men and women who put on their uniform every day, who stand on that thin, blue line,” Sen. Scott Webster, a Republican from Bettendorf, said during Monday’s floor debate on the bill in the Iowa Senate. “We have their back. We stand with them. We respect them.”
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House Republicans vote to immediately ban guaranteed income programs in Iowa, before results from the first study are known
Less than a year after a program to study the impact of a guaranteed income in Iowa was launched in the Des Moines area, Iowa House Republicans approved a bill to prevent city or county governments from starting or supporting any basic income program in the future.
HF 2319 passed the House on Monday on a vote of 55-43. Seven Republicans joined all the chamber’s Democrats in opposing it.
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Poll shows opposition to Gov. Reynolds’ proposal to change transgender Iowans’ birth certificates
A plurality of Iowans oppose Gov. Kim Reynolds’ effort to change how the state issues birth certificates in order to identify transgender people, according to a new Iowa Poll. In the survey of 804 adults conducted by Selzer & Co. for the Des Moines Register and Mediacom, 49 percent opposed the proposed change, while 44 […]
