State Politics
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Stillbirth prevention group celebrates legislative win in VP Kamala Harris’ office
Healthy Birth Day spent years advocating for a bill that would allow the use of federal funds to prevent stillbirths. July 22 would have marked Grace Elizabeth’s 21st birthday had she not been stillborn due to a true knot of the umbilical cord. Her parents thought her death was preventable and have spent the ensuing…
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As Iowa food banks hit record demand, advocates push Reynolds to approve Summer EBT
Gov. Kim Reynolds blamed childhood obesity on her decision not to feed Iowa kids over the summer, but the coalition hopes to change her mind with a petition. As food pantries across Iowa continue to face record demand, a group of anti-hunger nonprofits is renewing its calls for Gov. Kim Reynolds to accept $29 million…
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VIDEOS: Iowa reproductive rights orgs aren’t giving up
Despite the devastating blow to the fight for reproductive freedom, Iowa advocates and care providers say they remain committed to helping Iowans find the care they need. Francine Thompson, executive director of the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City, said Iowa’s new near-total abortion ban will not stop the clinic from providing other forms of…
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Opinion: In the wake of Tyson, let’s rethink Iowa’s immigration stance
In Iowa, we often pride ourselves on our resilience and self-reliance. However, the truth is our state’s prosperity heavily depends on, both documented and undocumented, Black and Brown immigrants. The looming impact of the Tyson plant closure in Perry and the recent shutdown of West Liberty Foods underscores a stark reality: Without our immigrant workforce,…
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Can anything be done legally to stop Iowa’s abortion ban?
After Friday’s ruling, the legal options to stop Iowa’s abortion ban are limited, but they do exist.
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Iowa reproductive rights orgs vow to keep fighting after abortion ban
Supporters of reproductive rights are disappointed that Iowa’s abortion ban will take effect, but they won’t stop fighting for bodily autonomy. Leah Vanden Bosch said Friday’s ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court was an “absolute devastation that violates human rights.” The Iowa Supreme Court dissolved a 2023 injunction that blocked a near-total abortion ban in…
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Iowa’s statewide elected officials react to abortion ban
Iowa Republicans celebrated while Iowa Democrats lamented after the Iowa Supreme Court allowed the state’s six-week abortion ban to take effect on Friday.
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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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Iowa’s near-total abortion ban takes effect
A near-total abortion ban is now in place in Iowa. The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday, June 28, ruled 4-3 to dissolve the injunction placed on the law in July 2023 by Polk County District Judge Joseph Seidlin, at the request of Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. The majority included Matthew…
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Miller-Meeks, a doctor, makes up fake Biden drugs accusation on live TV
Is Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks using the Biden drug hoax as a way to appeal to MAGA voters? Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) alleged that President Joe Biden will be on drugs during Thursday’s presidential debate with Donald Trump, further spreading a right-wing conspiracy theory that started around Biden’s State of the Union address. Miller-Meeks, who represents…
