State Politics
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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…
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Meet Lanon Baccam, candidate in Iowa’s 3rd District
Democratic hopeful Lanon Baccam’s origin story revolves around paying it forward and solving problems for others.
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Guest post: Iowa’s attempt to regionalize services hurts smaller communities
The main issue that got me active in politics is the impact that regionalization of services has on smaller cities and rural areas. In October 2013, I was working as a sexual assault advocate in my hometown of Muscatine when my company’s CEO announced the closure of our local domestic violence shelter. What this meant…
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Kalbach: Why aren’t Grassley and Ernst supporting MCOOL in the Farm Bill?
Guest columnist Barb Kalbach questions why Iowa’s two US senators haven’t endorsed mandatory country-of-origin labels for beef in the Farm Bill, which she says could help family farms.
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Rep. Miller-Meeks keeps taking credit for funding she voted against
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has publicly touted the roughly $470 million in infrastructure funding that’s been promised to her district, even though she voted against the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which is providing the funding.
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Miller-Meeks contorts herself on Trump and Hunter Biden convictions
Republican Iowa congresswoman agrees Mariannette Miller-Meeks with Hunter Biden’s conviction, but minutes later, she said she has “great concerns” about Donald Trump’s conviction.
