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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UnityPoint Requires Staff Vaccinations; How Will GOP Legislators Respond?
UnityPoint Health announced Thursday it will require all of its more than 33,000 staff members to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1. The hospital system is one of Iowa’s largest and its flagship hospital is in Des Moines. They also operate in Wisconsin and Illinois. It joins the growing trend of health care facilities…
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Biden to Reynolds: ‘Get Out of the Way’ on COVID Safety Measures
Looking around Iowa, you might not know the COVID-19 pandemic is ramping back up. When school resumes, only some Iowa districts will have online options, masks won’t be required, and administrators have few options beyond encouraging their use. The Iowa State Fair will be open to everyone regardless of vaccination status, and masks won’t be…
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Iowa Working Through Rent Assistance Backlog as Eviction Moratorium Extended
In light of a potential housing crisis, the Centers for Disease Control announced a limited, extended moratorium on evictions nationwide. The new notice, released Tuesday, covers counties with “substantial” or “high” levels of COVID-19 spread, and it will last until Oct. 3. Hours before CDC’s announcement, Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters in Sioux City the…
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Thousands of Iowans Face Eviction Saturday as Moratorium Ends
More than 30,000 Iowans think they will be evicted within two months. The federal eviction moratorium, put in place to help renters who have struggled to make rent and utility payments, ends on Saturday. It was originally set to expire on June 30 but was extended one month. President Joe Biden asked Congress on Thursday…
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How Miller-Meeks Seeks to Stop new Water Quality Regulations
A bill to improve water quality and monitor for harmful chemicals passed the US House of Representatives recently without the support of any Iowa Republicans. Instead, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, alongside Sen. Joni Ernst, support a set of rules that prioritize local control over certain waterways and limit how much the federal government can regulate those…
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Sending Troopers to Texas Cost Iowans $300,000
Iowa taxpayers will foot the bill for a $300,000 14-day mission to the Southern US Border that included 28 Iowa State Patrol personnel. Gov. Kim Reynolds held a press conference Wednesday to give an update on the effort, which took place July 8-22. Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Baynes estimated expenditure to cost about $300,000. Of…
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Iowa Democrats Criticize Reynolds for Public Health Vacancies
After two months without meetings to address the ongoing pandemic, Democratic leaders in Iowa criticized Gov. Kim Reynolds for vacant positions on the State Board of Health. Those vacancies mean a lack of quorum, which has prevented the board from meeting regularly to form public health policies for the state and to advise the governor…
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Iowa Parents Debate Return of In-Person School and COVID
Nicole Riggs, a mom of two in West Des Moines, really hoped her 8-year-old son’s school, Hillside Elementary, would offer virtual classes for this school year. They did last year and Riggs said it worked well. Her son wanted a virtual option too so he could protect his vulnerable family members, including his sister. “We…
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Clean Water Bill Passes US House Without Iowa Republican Support
A bill that passed the US House of Representatives on Wednesday aims to track dangerous chemicals impacting water quality. The PFAS Action Act passed 241-183 and US Rep. Cindy Axne was the only Iowan to vote in favor. The Democrat, who represents Iowa’s Third Congressional District, was joined by 23 Republican colleagues who voted with…
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Abortions Continue to Increase in Iowa After GOP’s Family Planning Change
There were 4,058 abortions performed in Iowa in 2020, a trend that’s increased over the last three years. In 2018, there were 2,849 abortions, followed by 3,566 abortions in 2019, according to state data. The data came from the Iowa Department of Public Health and was released to legislative staff. State Sen. Janet Petersen shared…
