By Anthony J. Zarzycki, Des Moines On March 10, Governor Reynolds signed Senate File 579 into law. The act, among other measures, prohibits cities from adding more protections from discrimination than what is in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Although I serve on the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission, I speak only on […]
letters to the editor
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Letter to the editor: Democracy does not protect itself
By Joel E. Wells, Iowa City What would you do if armed federal agents were pounding on your door? Not in a movie or a history book — but tonight. Your house. Your family. History shows that free societies rarely lose their freedoms overnight. They lose them gradually, while citizens assume the institutions of democracy […]
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Letter to the editor: Two bills would require Iowa schools remove and punish kids who are even mildly disruptive
By Jenny Schulz, Cedar Rapids; Kids First Law Center executive director My dad was a high school teacher. Once, school kids threw a rock through our living room window. The “Party Crew of 1982” spraypainted our house and car. My dad took it in stride and said, “Kids will be kids.” He understood kids misbehave […]
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Letter to the editor: Community ID has only helped Johnson County. It is under threat by the state.
By Mazahir Salih, Johnson County As HF 2296 moves to the Iowa Senate, Johnson County residents should understand what is at stake. Johnson County is currently the only county in Iowa operating a Community ID program. This program did not appear overnight. Nearly 13 years ago, the Center for Worker Justice began raising questions about […]
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Letter to the editor: ICCSD, get the books straight before asking for more money
By Joe Younker, Iowa City Public school advocates have argued that a 2 percent increase in state funding isn’t enough. Class sizes are growing. Programs are being cut. Teachers are leaving. The funding formula is broken. That’s what they say, and they’re right. And then there’s the Iowa City Community School District. Last August, district […]
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Letter to the editor: Due process is long overdue for migrant detainees in Iowa
On Feb. 25, 2026, community organizers and detainees learned that a class action lawsuit may preserve due process for migrant detainees in Iowa. The final judgment of Maldonado Bautista vs. DHS clarifies a path for attorneys nationwide to restore due process and prevent indefinite detainment amidst crowded jail cells.
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Letter to the editor: As governor, Rob Sand should reset the Board of Regents
By Alisha Sena, Iowa City Iowa’s education reputation has faded under a partisan attack. As State Auditor Rob Sand continues his 2026 gubernatorial run, he should adopt the Virginia model used by Governor Abigail Spanberger, who demanded university board resignations to prioritize stability over political theater. Current strategy follows a two-pronged assault. First, the voucher […]
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Letter to the editor: Local libraries — and free thought — are under threat in Iowa
By Sam Helmick, Iowa City; American Library Association president I come to this conversation because, for generations, Iowans of all walks of life have sent up a righteous cry: Free people read freely. That principle is not abstract in our state. Iowa has more libraries per capita than any other state in the nation. Nearly […]
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Letter to the editor: Like millions of migrants, my dad is indispensable
By Anthony Arroyo, Des Moines ICE is a continuation of America’s oldest tradition: state-sanctioned violence against people of color, especially Latinos. It grows out of a history that has always needed someone to be labeled alien, invader, criminal, deportable. Language becomes a weapon. Once a group is reduced to a threat, their humanity becomes optional. For decades, the United […]
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Letter to the editor: Minnesotans are showing us how to defend freedom
By Patricia Bowen, Iowa City Minnesotans across races and origins, faiths and genders, are demonstrating that the brave of us stand with and for each other. And the cowardly MAGA regime has escalated their attacks, assaulting families in the streets, invading homes, kidnapping children, and now killing Alex Pretti and Renee Good as they were looking […]
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Letter from Joe Bolkcom: It’s time to clean the statehouse
Iowa Republicans can’t be trusted to manage your money anymore. Their reckless revenue and spending decisions have made a shambles of the state finances. They have created a huge $1.2 billion budget deficit that will soon blow a massive hole in the state budget and undermine essential services we depend on. Since they took over […]
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Letter to the editor: The United States is not Denmark. The CDC’s new vaccine schedule is dangerous
By Jennifer Sotelo, Atalissa If you are bone weary with a throat on fire, aching muscles and chills that make your teeth chatter… it could be because you have the flu. The Center for Disease Control estimates 15 million illnesses from influenza this season so far, 180,000 hospitalizations and 7,400 deaths, the highest level on […]
