2023
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New Iowa Child Labor Bill Puts Teens In ‘Very Dangerous Spot,’ Opponents Warn
Opponents of a bill that could expand more types of work to younger Iowans had “real problems” with the bill, including a provision exempting nearly all liability from businesses who employ children in work-based learning programs. The bill, Senate File 167, was described by supporting senators and lobbyists as a way to make up for…
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Iowa Senate Bill Would Allow Band And Choir Kids To Skip PE
Band and show choir kids across Iowa may have reason to rejoice this year because of a new proposal coming from the Iowa Senate Education Committee. SF161 would change language to excuse students from physical education (PE) requirements if they participate in show choir, marching band, or color guard. Previously, only students enrolled in sports,…
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Guest Post: Iowa Grad Student Workers Deserve Real Raises
This month, UE Local 896, The Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS)—the labor union representing nearly 2,000 graduate teaching assistants and research assistants at the University of Iowa (UI)—is beginning contract negotiations with the Iowa Board of Regents (BOR). Following certification in 1996, COGS drastically improved working conditions for UI graduate assistants (GAs), securing a…
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Iowa Republican Who Had Three Abortions Calls For Total Abortion Ban
Rep. Luana Stoltenberg (R-Davenport) announced Monday at a “Prayer for Life” rally at the Iowa State Capitol Building that she would introduce a bill to ban abortion completely in Iowa by defining life as starting at conception. As the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported, Stoltenberg said she had three abortions as a teen, and the procedures left…
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At Majority-White UNI, Highlighting Black History ‘Extremely Important’
The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is the state’s whitest public university and the school’s 50-year-old Black Student Union hopes to use Black History Month as a jumping-off point for several events that “open up doors for the strong and needed conversations.” UNI’s undergraduate student population was 81.9% white in 2020, compared to 72.7% at…
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LGBTQ Students Called Mentally Ill At Forum With Iowa GOP Leaders
Iowa Republicans continued leaning into their obsession with LGBTQ children and school libraries during a Thursday night forum hosted by Moms For Liberty. Moms For Liberty is a right-wing organization pushing to ban books in schools nationwide and to restrict education about LGBTQ people. Targeting LGBTQ Students “There’s been a flood of mental illness, let’s…
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GOP Leaders Lob Accusations At Teachers Of Child Abuse, Indoctrination, Hating America
Iowa Republican lawmakers promised that passing the private school voucher bill was only the beginning of their plan to reshape education and fight against public school “indoctrination” during an event in Des Moines on Thursday. Moms for Liberty, a Florida-based right-wing organization that has led a nationwide crusade to ban books they don’t approve of,…
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Senate GOP Pressured Into Slightly Increasing Its School Funding Bill
A bill for public school funding is ready for floor debate in the Iowa Senate. Republicans on the Senate Education Committee advanced a bill on Wednesday calling for general increases to the amount of money the state gives to schools, though that language was part of an amendment to the original bill. It passed 11-5,…
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Accusations Counted Against Iowa Schools In ‘Divisive Concepts’ Reporting Bill
Concerns were raised today about a House Republican bill that would create a system to report educators for teaching banned “divisive concepts” from a new law—which can include forms of racism and sexism—in Iowa public schools and that would also levy fines on school districts where it was proven to have taken place. During a…
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GOP Bill Shields Truck Companies If They Crash Into You
Republicans are trying for a third year in a row to pass legislation that would limit how much the victims of crashes involving trucks from a trucking company could receive in financial compensation. The bill would limit non-economic damages (injuries) to $1 million, which one representative noted would be the only law of its kind…
