Nikoel Hytrek is Iowa Starting Line’s longest-serving reporter. She covers LGBTQ issues, abortion rights and all topics of interest to Iowans. Her biggest goal is to help connect the dots between policy and people’s real lives. If you have story ideas or tips, send them over to nikoel@new.iowastartingline.com.
Nikoel Hytrek
Latest from Nikoel Hytrek
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Johnston School Board Approves Turning Point USA Chapter
Johnston High School will officially have a Turning Point USA chapter following Monday night’s school board meeting. The board voted 5-2 to approve Turning Point as an official school-affiliated club. This item was initially presented to the school board on March 8. Monday’s vote was taken after being postponed during the April 11meeting because the…
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Democrats Criticize GOP Dysfunction On End To Session
Although the 2022 Iowa legislative session has gone over 100 days—the traditional end date— there’s still no conclusion in sight. “Just because they’re narrowing the number of issues that are left to be determined does not mean that they are near an agreement,” Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls (D-Coralville). The main roadblock is Gov. Kim…
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Equipment Manufacturers Urge Iowa Lawmakers To Finish Innovation Act
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is asking Iowa’s federal legislators to step up and support their industry. AEM is an organization that represents construction and agriculture manufacturers including Iowa notables such as John Deere and Vermeer. The association wants Iowa’s delegation to get behind the bipartisan Innovation Act, which includes multiple smaller bills that…
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Axne And Buttigieg Highlight Infrastructure Bill’s Investment In Rural Iowa
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) held a press conference Thursday to discuss the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, what it has done for Iowa—and other rural areas—and what it will do in the future. Highlighting the potential for new opportunities such as expanded partnerships at airports, job creation, and…
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Iowa Senate GOP Passes Bill To Let Teenagers Work Unsupervised In Daycares
Iowa Senate Republicans passed an amended child-care bill on Monday that included language to address daycare worker shortages by putting teenagers to work. House File 2198 allows 16- and 17-year-old employees and substitutes at child care centers to watch school-aged children without supervision. Senate Republicans amended the bill to change the minimum ratios of children-to-providers…
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Why More Students Are Walking Out At Iowa Schools
In light of recent education bills at the Iowa Legislature, whether it’s promoting vouchers for private schools or restricting what teachers are allowed to mention in class, many Iowa students are getting fed up. And they’re standing up. Friday afternoon in Johnston, a group of close to 100 students walked out of class and stood…
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Biden Announces Investment in Biofuels at Iowa Event
In an effort to drive down gas prices and support rural America, President Joe Biden announced waiving the summertime ban on E15 fuel while he visited POET Bioprocessing, an ethanol plant outside of Menlo on Tuesday. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue an emergency waiver to make E15 fuel available this summer, which has…
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Nine New Ways Biden’s Rescue Plan Is Helping Iowa Communities
A little more than a year after it was passed, more Iowa communities are starting to approve the use of American Rescue Plan money for projects Some of these projects aim to solve problems related to water, public safety, and other social services. In many cases, this is only the first round of funding coming…
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Low Wages For Workers Are A Big Reason for Iowa’s Child-Care Struggles
Everyone knows Iowa has a child-care problem and yet, little progress has been made to solve it. Rep. Tracy Ehlert (D-Cedar Rapids), an early childhood educator for about 15 years, said the crisis has existed for her whole career. She said it took parents leaving the workforce, or not coming back after the pandemic, for…
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Residents Question Ankeny School Board For Removing DEI Job Posting
At Monday’s Ankeny School Board meeting, community members spoke in favor of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) position the district removed a job posting for. The new DEI position was supposed to increase the district’s ability to handle the diverse needs of its student population, from students with disabilities to students of color and…
