News
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Gov. Reynolds signs AEA bill ‘that no one really likes’
Story updated after the bill was signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday, March 27.
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VIDEOS: Iowa Senate debates AEA overhaul bill
The Iowa Senate debated an amended Area Education Agency (AEA) bill on March 18, during which many Democratic legislators focused on the thousands of constituent emails, comments, and testimonies against the governor’s initiative to dismantle how the AEA system currently functions. Sen. Bill Dotzler (D-Waterloo) specifically called out Iowa Republicans’ repeated dismissal of public opinion,…
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Former Trump staffer one step closer to leading Iowa schools
McKenzie Snow’s critics note she has never taught inside an American classroom and that her only degree is in political science; however, some prominent education officials in Iowa believe she is qualified to lead the Iowa Department of Education. The Iowa Senate held a subcommittee on Snow’s confirmation as director of the Iowa Department of…
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Birth control is the key to women’s freedom. Here’s why
Birth control of some kind has existed for all of recorded human history, and the ability to change when and how one becomes pregnant has been a cornerstone of women’s rights. “What [birth control] has really done is allowed women to control their destinies, and that their destiny can include being a mother and a…
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Opinion: I was an Iowa legislator. Where’s the substance to today’s bills?
In today’s hyper-partisan, emotion-fueled political environment, where policy proposals are seemingly presented and defended with facile slogans and tribal appeals, how can any citizen differentiate between the truly good and beneficial ones and those that either serve only a few or harm or denigrate others? I would like to advance a modest proposal based upon…
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7 Iowa events for Transgender Day of Visibility 2024
Transgender Iowans need joy these days. Eight separate bills have been considered in the latest session of the Iowa Legislature specifically targeting transgender youth, contributing to Iowa Republicans’ 40 anti-LGBTQ bills in total. Fearmongering legislation—like bills banning people from school bathrooms, or erasing LGBTQ history—has led to further stigmatization of the transgender community. That’s contributed…
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As cancer rates rise, Iowa could make it illegal to sue pesticide manufacturers
As cancer rates rise in Iowa, the Iowa Senate is considering a bill that would prevent people from suing manufacturers of pesticides—a product linked to increased cancer risk—for not providing adequate warning labels on products. SF 2412 would prevent Iowans from being able to sue pesticide manufacturers if the product’s label was approved by the…
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80% of House Republicans support plan to cut Social Security, ban abortion, and restrict IVF
The Republican Study Committee’s proposed budget calls for cutting Social Security and Medicare and banning abortion after 15 weeks nationwide. It would also pose a threat to IVF and slash funding for rental assistance and programs that help build housing, and more.
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Linn-Mar cutting 19 teachers, 31 staff, cites ‘underfunding’ from state
One of the largest school districts in Iowa announced it was cutting 50 staff positions, including 19 full-time teachers, beginning next school year. The Linn-Mar Community School District announced Thursday it would be forced to cut $2.5 million from its budget for the 2024-25 school year. This comes on the heels of a $3 million…
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Fox News seems to think it’s all white people getting laid off in Perry plant closure
Fox News Host Jesse Watters was irate when he found out about Tyson Foods closing its pork plant in Perry. Not because 1,276 people were losing their jobs, but because he seemed to think that white people were losing their jobs to be replaced by undocumented migrants. In a recent segment on his show, Watters…
