Two Iowa companies are suing the state over its interpretation of a new law that restricts THC levels in adult beverages. Climbing Kites, a Polk County beverage manufacturer, and Field Day Brewing Co., the Johnson County producer of the Day Dreamer line of cannabis sparkling water, are suing the Iowa Department of Health and Human […]
Iowa Legislature
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Gov. Kim Reynolds signs final bills from the 2024 legislative session, including hemp, traffic cameras, consolidation and secrecy laws
Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed the final slate of bills remaining from the 2024 legislative session, including new laws related to the regulation of hemp-derived product and changes to the state’s boards and commissions. The signing of 20 bills marked the end of action on legislation passed during the 2024 session. While some of […]
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Bill awaiting governor’s signature has ‘enormous loophole’ for meetings
A bill adopted by the Iowa Legislature this year that is meant to more harshly penalize open meetings violations might also enable city councils, school boards and others to deliberate in secret, according to the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB). HF 2539 would increase the penalties for violating a state law that generally requires governmental […]
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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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Two gun bills head to governor’s desk: one to prevent tracking of suspicious purchases, one to protect armed school staff from liability
Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have passed two bills dealing with guns this week. On Tuesday, the Iowa Senate gave final approval to a bill to prevent credit card companies from taking steps that would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to identify purchases of firearms and ammunition. A day earlier, the House voted […]
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Senate sends bill on traffic camera regulation, DOT oversight to governor
A bill regulating — but not banning — traffic camera use by local law enforcement was sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds by the Senate with bipartisan support Monday. House File 2681 passed 46-1 Monday, with Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, voting against he measure. The bill gives the Iowa Department of Transportation oversight of how Iowa cities […]
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Unable to find a qualified contractor to run its anti-abortion ‘pregnancy resource centers’ fund, the state administers funds anyway; Republicans pass bill to make it legal retroactively
Starting in 2022, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) began looking for a qualified independent third-party to administer a program that will use millions in tax dollars to fund privately run anti-abortion centers — which call themselves “pregnancy resource centers” — in the state. The More Options for Maternal Support (MOMS) program […]
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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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Bill restricting consumable hemp products heads to governor’s desk
The Iowa Senate sent Gov. Kim Reynolds a bill Tuesday that tightens Iowa’s laws and regulations on consumable hemp products as the products become more widely available. HF 2605, passed on a 31-18 vote, would put a limit of 4 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per serving in consumable hemp products, as well as a 10 […]
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‘This is our legacy’: ICPL hosts banned book giveaway as attacks on books and libraries continue
Update: The pop-up event at ICPL on Saturday was postponed due to a winter weather advisory. The new event date has yet to be announced. The Banned Wagon is coming to the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL) on Saturday, as the library hosts a pop-up event where Annie’s Foundation will be giving away free copies […]
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Senate committee advances ‘sin tax’ for consumable hemp products
As lawmakers consider restrictions on hemp-derived THC and CBD products, the Senate Ways and Means Committee passed a measure Wednesday that would add a sin tax to consumable hemp products. SSB 3186 would set a 25 percent excise tax on the sales price of consumable hemp products, with the tax revenue going to the state’s […]
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Bill eliminating regular health and safety inspections of hotels and motels in Iowa passes
The Iowa Senate gave final approval on Tuesday to a bill that addresses the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing’s (DIAL) decade-long failure to follow state law and inspect hotels and motels once every two years by eliminating the law requiring those inspections. HF 2426 repeals the biennial hotel inspection requirement, and instead requires […]
