Ty Rushing

A decision on whether or not to move forward a bill that would mandate cameras in almost every Iowa public school classroom happened off-camera. A Wednesday Iowa House subcommittee hearing on HF 2177—the aforementioned classroom camera bill—that  was set to be livestreamed never took place as House members effectively killed the bill ahead of time.…

Supporters spoke overwhelmingly in favor of the Oskaloosa School District adopting the Wit & Wisdom curriculum after some parents tried to derail its implementation because they thought it covered critical race theory (CRT), an outlawed subject not taught in Iowa K-12 schools. The new curriculum was approved 5-2 with board members Kathy Butler and Clint…

Four Iowa Democrats introduced a bill to phase out Native American mascots in Iowa public and private schools by 2024, which one Indigenous organization said is long overdue. HF 2224 was introduced by Molly Donahue (D-Cedar Rapids), Brian Meyer (D-Des Moines), Art Staed (Cedar Rapids), and Mary Wolfe (D-Clinton). The bill would prohibit schools from…

Rep. Norlin Mommsen (R-DeWitt) wants to add cameras that provide a live feed to just about every public school classroom in Iowa as part of his bill, HF 2177. While there are a number of concerns with the bill—the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)…

There’s a proposal to expand the size of Iowa school boards. Rep. Garrett Gobble (R-Ankeny) introduced a bill Tuesday that would place three non-voting members on the board to serve one-year terms. The three non-voting members would consist of: A student who is enrolled in the district A parent/guardian with a child enrolled in the…

Sarah Trone Garriott didn’t mince words when talking about Jake Chapman, her Iowa Senate colleague and upcoming opponent—thanks to redistricting—and his continued assault on teachers, including a new bill he introduced to prosecute educators over books he feels are obscene. “The only sinister agenda here is the damage that Jake Chapman and his Republican colleagues…

A new proposal from an Iowa House Republican would place cameras in every public school classroom with the exception of physical and special education rooms. HF 2177 was introduced by Rep. Norlin Mommsen of DeWitt. According to Mommsen’s bill, the cameras would be connected to the internet, and parents and guardians would have access to…

Iowa unions came out swinging against a new proposal from Gov. Kim Reynolds that would substantially alter unemployment benefits some argue to the detriment of seasonal and low-wage workers. A few changes HF 631 would bring to unemployment include: Creating a one-week waiting period before benefits start Cutting unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 16…

Some Oskaloosa parents are building an opposition movement to the school district’s new curriculum proposal in part because they think it includes critical race theory—a subject not taught in any Iowa school and banned last year—and other items they deem inappropriate. One of the Oskaloosa parents, who opposes the Wit & Wisdom curriculum being considered,…

Federal dollars continue to flow into Iowa as Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $38 million in funding for three water infrastructure projects Friday morning, including up to $15 million toward the Iowa Confluence (ICON) Water Trails Project in Des Moines. The money comes from the Water Infrastructure Fund (WIF), a state program financed through Iowa’s allocation…