The Iowa State Education Association and Penguin Random House filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday challenging parts of a state law prohibiting books that depict sex acts from being available in Iowa K-12 school libraries. It’s the second lawsuit filed against Senate File 496 this week. On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of […]
Iowa News
‘I am not shameful’: Iowa Safe Schools, seven students sue the state over anti-LGBTQ law SF 496
On Tuesday, the ACLU of Iowa and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a nationwide civil rights organization dedicated to defending and advocating for LGBTQ people, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Des Moines challenging SF 496, the education bill signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May. “This is a federal civil […]
Election roundup: History is made in DSM and CR, an incumbent defeats an incumbent in IC, school board voters send a message, bond votes go both ways
There were some history-making victories in the city and school board elections on Tuesday, as voters in Des Moines elected the city’s first woman mayor and, in Cedar Rapids, a member of the LGBTQ community won a seat on the city council for the first time. But for the most part, Tuesday’s elections followed the […]
Election Day FAQ: Where you need to go and what you need to know to vote on Tuesday
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. City offices and seats on local school boards will be on the ballot, and in some areas public measures involving bond issues and taxes will also be submitted to voters. In Johnson County, voters in Hills, Lone Tree and West Branch will decide whether their city will add the […]
Trump still has overwhelming lead among Republican caucusgoers, even though they feel he isn’t anti-abortion enough
Donald Trump has an overwhelming lead over every other GOP candidate for president in the latest Iowa Poll, just as he has in every other poll conducted this year. According to the new poll results, which the Des Moines Register published over the course of this week, Iowa Republicans aren’t concerned that the 91 felony […]
Iowa Democratic Party starts its new caucus process: Democrats can now request mail-in ballot to vote for president
The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) began accepting requests on Wednesday for the mail-in ballots it will use for the presidential candidate preference part of its 2024 caucus. The new mail-in vote replaces the in-person selection process at precinct caucus meetings. The in-person part of the 2024 Iowa Caucus on Jan. 15 will be devoted to […]
‘More than 1,000 books’ removed from Iowa schools, as districts work to comply with new state book ban; Scholastic apologizes for book fair ‘bigot button’
The impact of the book banning provisions in SF 496, which Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law in May, is becoming clearer as the Des Moines Register continues to update its database of books pulled from classrooms and school libraries. “More than 1,000 books have already been removed from 39 public school districts,” the Register […]
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird endorses Donald Trump for president
On the same day a judge in one of Donald Trump’s ongoing federal criminal trials imposed a limited gag order to stop the former president from making further statements attacking prosecutors and court personnel, or attempting to intimidate witnesses, Iowa’s top law enforcement officer endorsed Trump for president. “I am proud to announce my endorsement […]
Iowa Dept. of Education doesn’t know how much the new school choice program will cost this year, but it’ll exceed estimates by millions
A total of 18,893 applications for Gov. Reynolds’ new school-voucher-style education savings account (ESA) program were approved this year, the Iowa Department of Education disclosed on Thursday. That’s far more than the enrollment estimate provided to lawmakers by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA) when the bill creating the program to divert public school funds […]
Iowa dog breeders responsible for 36% of all violations in the U.S. last year
Iowa’s dog breeders had the worst record of compliance with federal regulations in 2022, accounting for 36 percent of all violations cited nationally. The U.S. Department of Agriculture cited dog and cat breeders and brokers for 795 violations in 2022, a total that excludes citations for “missed” inspections resulting from USDA officials not gaining access […]
Iowa continues to lead the nation in puppy-mill violators
Iowa continues to lead the nation in puppy mills sanctioned by the federal government and is expanding its lead over other states. During the second quarter of 2022, a total of 23 Iowa breeders and brokers were cited for regulatory violations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Missouri came in a distant second place for […]
RAGBRAI 2022 route announced, Iowa Ride’s former website up for sale
On Friday, RAGBRAI announced the route its cyclists will follow across Iowa this summer. Participants in the week-long ride will start at the Missouri River in Sergeant Bluff and head for Lansing, where they will dip their wheels in the Mississippi. In between, RAGBRAI will stop for the night in Ida Grove, Pocahontas, Emmetsburg, Mason […]

