An inspection by the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Agency (IOSHA) found that working conditions in the Iowa State Capitol Building were putting people at unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19, according to a “Hazard Alert Letter” the agency issued to the Republican leaders of the Iowa Legislature who control the building. But working conditions […]
Iowa Legislature
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4/20 in 2021: Iowans have come around to cannabis, but state and federal lawmakers are straying from their pot promises
The latest Iowa Poll from the Des Moines Register and Mediacom revealed several areas in which public opinion conflicts with state legislators’ priorities, from passing an anti-abortion amendment to the Iowa Constitution (opposed by 58 percent of respondents) to shortening early voting periods (52 percent were against), to slashing unemployment benefits for laid-off workers (of […]
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Student arrested for allegedly pushing state trooper’s arm during protest of ‘racist bills’ at State Capitol
An 18-year-old high school senior was arrested at the Iowa State Capitol after allegedly tapping a state trooper on the arm during a peaceful protest on Thursday. Josephine Mulvihill was part of a group of Black Lives Matter supporters from around the state protesting a series of bills that would grant expanded immunity to law […]
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Iowa Senate Republicans pass an anti-abortion amendment to the Iowa Constitution
Republicans in the Iowa Senate approved an amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would undermine a woman’s right to an abortion on Tuesday. Senate Joint Resolution 2 passed on a party-line vote, with all Senate Republicans voting in favor and all the chamber’s Democrats voting against it. “Everyone deserves the freedom to make medical decisions […]
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Gov. Reynolds doesn’t answer question about political divide on vaccines, announces college vaccination programs
As Iowa prepares to for its largest expansion of eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination — everyone 16 and older for the Pfizer vaccine, and those 18 and older for both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — Gov. Kim Reynolds was asked at her weekly news conference if she any insight into why many people in a […]
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Online students will have to return to school buildings for statewide standardized tests (Updated)
Update: On Tuesday, the Iowa City Community School District sent out an email “intended to clarify” the email it sent on Monday to families of students in the district’s Online Learning Program regarding the standardized test students in Grades 3-11 are required to take. There will be an online version of the ISASP test conducted […]
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Iowa Supreme Court hears arguments in state’s attempt to ban funding for Planned Parenthood’s sex education programs
The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday in the state’s appeal of a district court ruling that a 2019 law blocking Planned Parenthood of the Heartland (PPH) from receiving government grants to conduct sex education programs for Iowa teens was unconstitutional. At the time the ban on PPH was passed in 2019, the […]
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Iowa Senate Republicans push through bills eliminating gun permits and giving gunmakers new legal protections
The Iowa Senate passed two bills concerning gun sales on Monday. The first removes the requirement for a person to be licensed to buy or carry a gun, and the second provides broad immunity against lawsuits to gun manufacturers and dealers. Both bills passed the Republican-controlled chamber on party-line votes. HF 756 and HF 621 […]
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UI to hold graduation celebration at Kinnick Stadium in May
The University of Iowa announced on March 1 that it would be adding an “in-person option to celebrate graduation for our students and their families” for its spring 2021 commencement, and on Friday the university released more information about its plans. The official commencement ceremonies will still be held virtually, but there will be an […]
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HUD may sue Iowa if bill allowing landlords to discriminate against federal housing aid recipients is signed into law
The Iowa Senate passed a bill allowing landlords to discriminate against anyone receiving federal housing assistance on Wednesday. The Senate had previously passed the bill on a party-line vote, but Republicans in the Iowa House amended SF 252 (formerly SSB 1079) when it passed the bill on Monday, so the Senate had to approve the […]
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‘A denial of history’: Bill restricting racism and sexism discussions in diversity training passed by Iowa House
After more than four and a half hours of floor discussion on Tuesday night, the Iowa House of Representatives voted along party lines to approve a bill that imposes restrictions on diversity training offered by any state or local government agency and prohibits any instruction in public schools or universities on certain “divisive concepts” related […]
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Iowa House passes bill allowing landlords to discriminate against people receiving federal housing assistance
On Monday, the Iowa House of Representatives passed a bill already approved by the Senate, which would overturn ordinances in Iowa City, Marion and Des Moines that prevent landlords from discriminating against people who receive federal housing assistance. In addition to invalidating existing ordinances, SF 252 (formerly SSB 1079) would also prohibit any local government […]
