State House
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A look at the Democratic contenders considering a run against US Sen. Joni Ernst
The road to 2026 couldn’t have higher stakes. The Democrats considering a run are among Iowa’s heaviest-hitting (pun intended) members of the Iowa Legislature. Here’s a look at what they’re bringing to the table. As Iowa’s political landscape takes shape ahead of the 2026 election cycle, prominent Democratic legislators have emerged as potential challengers to…
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Iowa House Democrats propose worker relief package amid Iowa economic headwinds
Iowa House Democrats unveiled a series of legislative proposals aimed at supporting working families as the state faces economic headwinds, including recent layoffs of 780 workers in Decorah and Amana. Iowa has seen major layoffs this week that have put at least 780 people out of work. As these workers look for what’s next, the…
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Iowa Republicans rush anti-apprenticeship, anti-union contracting bill, raising safety concerns
In 24 hours, Republicans in both chambers passed a bill that takes away an Iowa city’s ability to prefer contracts with established training programs for taxpayer funded projects. Iowa Republicans passed a controversial bill this week stopping local governments from requiring workforce training standards for contractors on public projects, a major blow to union and…
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Iowa Republicans’ bill to criminalize vaccine providers advances amid funnel week chaos
MRNA vaccines were key to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa Senate Republicans cooked up a bill to criminalize the providers of numerous widely-used immunizations. But at the last minute, the bill’s sponsor said the language may be scrapped for something new entirely. Iowa Republicans are barreling through funnel week. If a bill hasn’t passed committee…
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Iowa Legislators advance bill to put free menstrual products in schools
A House Republican bill advanced that would require public schools to provide free menstrual products to students. The bill has bipartisan support, but the state won’t reimburse schools after three years. Legislation is advancing in Iowa this year that would require public schools to provide free menstrual products in at least half of school restrooms…
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Iowa House Republicans renew effort to strip transgender protections from Iowa civil rights law
House Republicans want to remove Iowa’s discrimination protections for transgender Iowans. The bill is a long list touching on bathrooms, birth certificates and introduces a new phrase “gender theory” into Iowa law. Just like all other Iowans, transgender residents of the state are protected under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, meaning they cannot be discriminated…
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Iowa senators advance crypto ATM fraud prevention bill
Iowans are losing their life’s savings to scammers using crypto ATMs to separate people from their money. A bill aims to regulate these kiosks in hopes of preventing future losses. A story keeps repeating. Iowans—particularly the elderly—get a call. The person on the phone says it’s their grandson. They’ve just been arrested and need someone…
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State agencies block Auditor Sand during review of private school voucher program
The State Auditor is raising the alarm, saying state government is stonewalling his office over details on the state’s private school voucher program. Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand said he has concerns about the $104 million school voucher program. According to an annual audit released this week, multiple state agencies refused to provide documentation about…
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Iowa House Republicans reject amendment to condemn antisemitic groups in the US
Iowa House Republicans found themselves in an awkward position last week. While pushing forward a resolution opposing international antisemitism, they rejected an amendment that would have condemned antisemitism from extremist domestic groups right here at home. Iowa House Republicans last week passed a bill to unconditionally support Israel’s war in Gaza and unconditionally denounce antisemitism…
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Iowa Republicans advance public school Bible study bill
Iowa Republicans want public schools to offer elective coursework teaching the Christian Bible. Supporters say teaching the Bible as literature is essential to an education. Schools can already offer these classes, but Republicans say that’s not enough. In the beginning, Democratic State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott of West Des Moines asked a question: does Iowa…
