State History
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How we got here: Iowa’s abortion ban was years in the making
Well before the Iowa Supreme Court ended an injunction that blocked the state’s near-total abortion ban from taking effect, anti-abortion activists and Republican lawmakers—including Gov. Kim Reynolds—laid a foundation for the ruling. Sen. Pam Jochum remembers what it was like to live in Iowa when abortion was still illegal outside of extreme circumstances. “When I…
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Van Meter Visitor & other folklore: Explore Iowa’s 3 creepiest cryptids
From the Van Meter Visitor to phantom black dogs, dive into the fascinating world of Iowa’s creepy creatures.
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How Iowa’s ‘religious freedom’ law could be used to discriminate
Legalized discrimination on religious grounds could be a major consequence of Iowa’s new “religious freedom” bill when Gov. Kim Reynolds signs it into law. During the Iowa Senate debate on this legislation, Sen. Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City), one of Iowa’s three Jewish legislators, said this legislation would be a “blank check for discrimination.” She is…
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‘Big shoes to fill:’ Johnson hopes to replace Abdul-Samad in Iowa House
Rob Johnson knows no one will truly be able to fill the footsteps left by Ako Abdul-Samad, but he hopes to continue to the longtime Des Moines lawmaker’s legacy as the next representative of Iowa House District 34. “People always say, ‘Those are big shoes to fill with Ako,’ and I always tell people, ‘We’re…
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Long-lost photographs capture Dubuque history in 1912
History buffs in the Dubuque area should check out a pair of books that trace a century of Dubuque history. In 1912, one of the most popular ways for photographers to make a living was to travel the country and offer their services to anyone they found. So it was when at least two photographers…
