2023
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Lies, Threats and Near-Death Experiences: Iowans Share Stories About Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Ray Garbers almost died at 19 when an anti-abortion center failed to detect his ectopic pregnancy. After getting a positive pregnancy test, Garbers, who is a transgender man, was directed to Bridgehaven Pregnancy Support Center in Cedar Rapids, and he had an ultrasound during his second appointment. “The person doing the ultrasound told me they…
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Quiz: How Much Do You Really Know About Girl Scout Cookies?
Girl Scout cookie season is upon us! Let’s see if you know your Do-Si-Dos from your Tagalongs with this new quiz.
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Des Moines Will Host Job Fair For Formerly Incarcerated Workers
A job fair specifically for people who were formerly serving time in jail or prison is happening this week in central Iowa. The Reform Iowa Job Fair will be from 1-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. It is the first such job fair the group has put on…
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House Bill Would Let Iowa Get On Board With Light Rail Compact
Could Iowa finally get on board with the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact (MIPRC)? A new legislative bill hints at that possibility. An Iowa House Transportation Committee hearing was held on Tuesday for HSB 132, a bill that would allow the Hawkeye State to join the 23-year-old rail compact that already includes Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,…
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GOP Aims To Stop Iowa Schools From Teaching About AIDS, HPV
Some Iowa Republicans—including Gov. Kim Reynolds—have proposed changes to the state’s sexual education curriculum that could remove instruction about AIDS and/or the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the associated vaccine. Reynolds’ office has proposed three types of such legislation and Rep. Jeff Shipley (R-Fairfield) introduced a separate bill that only targets the HPV vaccine. In SSB…
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Hinson Talks Abortion, Marriage Equality And Land Rights At Town Hall
Republicans angry the party they voted for was giving companies tax credits to take farmland to build carbon capture pipelines let their representative know it at her first town hall of the year. Fewer than 20 Iowans made it to a Monday morning town hall in Grundy Center put on by US Rep. Ashley Hinson.…
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GOP Structuring Book Hearings So Only Parents In Favor Of Bans Are Heard
House Republicans are designing their special government oversight public hearings on school book banning so that they only get input from parents who agree with them. Last week, the House Government Oversight Committee met to hear from five women who want books removed or restricted from their school libraries and curricula. Legislative Republicans decided this…
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Explainer: What SEL Really Is And Why This Senator Wants To Ban It
Iowa Sen. Sandy Salmon (R-Janesville) is hellbent on removing social-emotional learning (SEL) from the state’s public schools, and she has a small but vocal and politically-motivated group of supporters backing her. Salmon introduced a bill to ban the Iowa Department of Education from promoting SEL and chaired a Senate subcommittee that voted to move the…
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Iowa Brags About Award It Received For Limiting Unemployment Benefits
A national nonprofit group that promotes taking away earned unemployment benefits has awarded Iowa its top prize for adding more restrictions for folks on unemployment. The American Institute for Full Employment (AIFE), based in Oregon, named Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) as the recipient of its 2022 Full Employment Award, IWD announced in a Friday press release.…
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Reynolds’ New Education Bill Would Fine Schools Over Books, Re-Train Teachers
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office filed a bill Thursday that would fine school districts up to $5,000 for violating what her bill calls “parental rights” in education. The first violation would result in a written warning to a school board, and a second or subsequent violation would involve a civil penalty of up to $5,000. The…
