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“If you decide you want to censor Iowans, then you forgo your special tax breaks. And they are rich tax breaks in this state,” warned Iowa Republican Sen. Jake Chapman during debate on a bill which would halt financial incentives for big tech companies that “censor” speech. The bill, which was met with significant opposition…

Nearly every day since late January, when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill that required Iowa School districts to offer 100% in-person learning options amid concerns of COVID-19, Cedar Rapids Sen. Rob Hogg has been updating his social media accounts with pediatric case counts. The numbers have been increasing lately. “Since January 29,…

After a summer filled with public activism on racial justice issues following George Floyd’s murder, an Iowa Senate subcommittee on Tuesday advanced a wide-ranging law enforcement protections bill meant to clamp down on future protests. “I think we all know that over the past several months, law enforcement here in Iowa and around the country…

After last summer’s derecho storm brought wind gusts over 100 mph, devastating much of central and eastern Iowa’s crops, infrastructure and foliage, GOP lawmakers are continuing to move a bill forward which would raise property taxes on privately-owned forests in the state. Ninety-three Iowans who participated Monday on a Zoom subcommittee meeting were overwhelmingly opposed…

“Do we really have to do this now, during a pandemic?” That was a question repeatedly asked during a roundtable with Iowa union members Tuesday morning, following an earlier, contentious debate in the Iowa House Labor Committee which advanced a bill that cuts unemployment insurance benefits. The legislation, which has been proposed but not signed…

Two million Iowa adults and 800,000 children are slated to receive $1,400 stimulus checks, new data from the Biden administration finds. The sweeping COVID-19 relief package that President Joe Biden signed last week also includes extended unemployment benefits, increased tax credits and will pump states with funding to aid in reopening. For Iowa, the American…

A top Democratic elections lawyer filed a lawsuit Tuesday morning against Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and Attorney General Tom Miller, challenging the voter suppression bill signed into law Monday afternoon. The rapid response case, filed by voting rights attorney Marc Elias and the League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa, comes after…

Iowa House Democrats say they’re concerned with little communication between House and Senate Republicans, a lack of public input and early adjournment in the chambers during the weeks leading up to Iowa’s $8 billion budget allocation. On Tuesday during an Iowa House Democrats Facebook Live event, House Democratic Leader Rep. Todd Prichard and Sioux City…