A bill that would halt state funding to any city or county that reduces the budget of its local law enforcement agency is making its way through the Iowa Senate and House of Representatives. SSB 1203, known in the House as HSB 230, was introduced last Thursday and approved by subcommittees in the both the […]
Iowa House of Representatives
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Iowa House will hold a public hearing on bills to restrict voting Monday evening
The Iowa House of Representatives has scheduled an online public hearing at 5 p.m. on Monday for the election bill that was fast-tracked through both the House and Senate last week. HF 590, formerly HSB 213, along with its companion bill in the Senate, which was SSB 1199 before being renumbered SF 413, was introduced […]
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‘It’s voter suppression’: Iowa Republicans target voting access, citing Trumpian election conspiracy theories
At least 33 state legislatures around the country, most of them controlled by Republicans, are working on bills that restrict voting. Iowa is one of them. “These bills are an unmistakable response to the unfounded and dangerous lies about fraud that followed the 2020 election,“ the Brennan Center for Justice said in a report on […]
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Eliminating tenure, identifying Democrats, controlling spending: Republican lawmakers seek to change Iowa’s universities
An effort by Republicans in the state legislature to eliminate tenure at Iowa’s three public universities advanced this week, as the House Education Committee passed a bill to end tenure at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, and a Senate subcommittee approved the Senate version of that bill. […]
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Iowa House Republicans push through an amendment to add anti-abortion language to the Iowa Constitution
Shortly after 9 on Wednesday night, the Republican-controlled Iowa House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to eliminate the existing protection for abortion rights in Iowa. The vote was 55-44, with three Republicans — Jane Bloomingdale of Northwood, Lee Hein of Monticello and David Maxwell of Gibson — joining all the chamber’s Democrats in opposing […]
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Iowa House Republicans reject COVID-19 precautions; Iowa ranks last among states in reporting test results
On Tuesday, the Republican majority on the rules committee of the Iowa House of Representatives rejected proposals from Democrats that would have required face masks to be worn in the Iowa Capitol Building and made it possible for lawmakers and members of the public to participate remotely during this year’s legislative session. Democrats proposed two […]
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Wear a mask, Iowa Public Health Association asks state lawmakers
The Iowa Public Health Association (IPHA) sent an open letter to the state legislature on Thursday, asking lawmakers to “accept your position of critical role models to the people of Iowa” and “lead by example and always wear a mask during your work at the Capitol and ask others to do the same.” As IPHA […]
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Iowa surpasses 200,000 COVID cases; Republican lawmakers talk about relaxing restrictions
During her news conference on Thursday morning, Gov. Kim Reynolds said the number of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks was about to spike by 20; but as of Friday afternoon, the Iowa Department of Public Health has added 25, pushing the number of ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities to […]
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Republicans push through new abortion restriction in Iowa legislature’s last session of 2020
Republicans in the Iowa legislature fast-tracked a bill imposing a 24-hour waiting period on women seeking an abortion. The bill was passed just hours after the new waiting period was first introduced. The quick series of votes came during the final session of the year for both the Iowa House of Representatives and the Iowa […]
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Two lawmakers call for an oversight committee investigation of Test Iowa, as the Iowa legislature prepares to reconvene
When the Iowa legislature reconvenes this week, the House of Representatives’ Government Oversight Committee will have to consider a request from two lawmakers to investigate Test Iowa. The legislature suspended its 2020 session on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers will return to the capitol on Wednesday, June 3 to complete work left […]
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Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek is running for the Iowa House of Representatives
Lonny Pulkrabek announced on Thursday he is running for the Iowa House of Representatives in District 73, which covers eastern Johnson County and all of Cedar County. Pulkrabek, who has been Johnson County sheriff since 2005, said in May 2019 he would not seek another term as sheriff. “After 35 years in law enforcement, I’ve […]
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Dave Jacoby announces he’s running for his 10th term in the Iowa House
Rep. Dave Jacoby of Coralville announced on Tuesday he’s running for reelection to the Iowa House of Representatives. Jacoby, who is currently in his ninth term in the legislature, represents District 74, which covers Coralville, Penn Township and parts of Iowa City. “It’s an honor serving the people of District 74, and I ask for […]
