2021
-
The Crucial Protection For LGBTQ Iowans Still Missing In Iowa Law
In the past decade, the LGBTQ community has made significant strides in their fight for equal treatment by society. But the fight isn’t over. Twice now, the Iowa House has unanimously passed a ban on defendants using someone’s sexuality or gender identity as a defense for assaulting or killing them. But the Iowa Senate never…
-
Iowa Can Fix Its Water Quality Problem, But ‘Voluntary’ Actions Limit Progress
Every other year the Environmental Protection Agency requires states list which bodies of water don’t meet federal standards. In Iowa, that list had 584 entries. Iowa’s water quality is impacted mostly by manure and pesticide runoff from agriculture, meaning E. Coli and toxic bacteria that look like—and are called—algae blooms. Already, four beaches in Iowa…
-
With No State Vaccine Incentives Planned, Polk County Kicks Off Its Own Lottery
Though Gov. Kim Reynolds has no plans to incentivize vaccination in Iowa, the state’s counties and municipalities do. Today Polk County announced a lottery running from today to Aug. 22. To register, individuals have to be at least 18 and must have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna) or be fully…
-
Four Iowa Beaches Already Under Water Quality Advisories
With Memorial Day passed and schools out, it’s officially summer in Iowa. And that means the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has started monitoring water quality at Iowa beaches. Iowa’s waterways are routinely flagged for too-high levels of pollutants and bacteria, mostly from livestock runoff. This can lead to swim advisories or outright closure in…
-
With Eviction Moratorium Ending, Here’s How Iowans Can Still Get Help
At the end of the month, the federal eviction moratorium is ending for renters who fell behind on payments or struggled keeping up during the pandemic. In Iowa, that means thousands of people are suddenly at risk, according to data from the Census Bureau. The likelihood of eviction or foreclosure hangs over more than ten…
-
Can Biden Peel Back Iowa’s New Voter Suppression Laws?
With COVID-19 relief out of the way and other priorities in motion, the Biden administration is shifting focus to protecting voting rights with the For the People Act. The bill, also known as H.R. 1 and S.R. 1, is aimed at making it easier for people to vote, end corrupting influences in American elections like…
-
How Do You Change The Government? This Group Will Explain
It all started when a podcast host pointed out how little Americans know about how their government works or how they can influence it. So a group of Iowans came up with a plan to change that. The plan is called Democracy Defenders of America, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization with the goal of educating Americans…
-
Reynolds All Out Of Ideas For Boosting Iowa Vaccinations
With vaccination rates stalling and demand plummeting in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters yesterday she doesn’t plan to offer incentives for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. That means no lottery, no giveaways, no cash payments. Reynolds said pop-up clinics at sporting events and the Des Moines farmer’s market are enough to catch those who haven’t…
-
Who Will Lead Iowa Democrats’ Ticket In 2022?
Iowa Democrats are eager to set their sights on the future following yet another poor election showing in 2020, one that saw the party again fail to win the top statewide race on the ballot. To get that effort moving, they’ll need candidates to take on Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Chuck Grassley for the…
-
How Can Relief Funds Help Iowans? Debate Is On In City Councils, Municipal Elections.
To help the country rebound from the economic and human devastation caused by COVID-19, President Joe Biden and Congress have allocated significant funding support from the federal government. The American Rescue Plan includes money for states and local governments to use for recovery, and Iowa cities will receive around $335 million in total, according to…
