State Senate
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Zach Wahls joins field of hopefuls campaigning to unseat Joni Ernst
Iowa state senator from Coralville announced a run to take on Iowa’s junior US Senator. State Sen. Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) ended months of speculation Wednesday morning by announcing he will challenge Republican US Sen. Joni Ernst for her seat in 2026. The 33-year-old from Coralville told Iowa Starting Line that he is framing his campaign…
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Iowa students will have to watch inaccurate video thanks to Republican lawmakers
Iowa lawmakers have passed a bill that will make students watch a medically inaccurate video on fetal development. A pregnancy education bill, Senate File 175 (SF175), has passed both houses of the Iowa Legislature and is awaiting Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature. If signed, it will require students in grades 5-12 to view a fetal development…
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Iowa pumps brakes on crypto ATM transaction fees
A new law caps daily crypto ATM transactions at $1,000, limits fees to 15% of the transaction amount, and requires operators to provide full refunds when customers can prove they’ve been scammed. The law also mandates written warnings for customers and gives Iowa’s attorney general authority to levy hefty fines against operators who violate the…
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Iowa Legislature passes budget bill, adjourns with no property tax cut
Lawmakers worked through the night Wednesday to reach a budget deal after a contentious session went into overtime. While most of us were sleeping, the Iowa Legislature adjourned — 13 days late. Legislators had to burn the midnight oil to close out a 123-day session and pass a nearly $9.4 billion budget. Before the session…
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Iowa senator accused Republican leadership of ‘bullying tactics and threats’ over eminent domain vote
A Republican state senator is raising the alarm about his own party leaders retaliating against him after he joined an effort to force a vote on regulating carbon pipeline projects. A Republican state senator is raising the alarm about his own party leaders retaliating against him after he joined an effort to force a vote…
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The floodgates are open to help the wealthiest Iowans pay for private school
Iowa Republican lawmakers have passed a bill to boost K-12 education funding by 2%—not nearly enough to keep pace with what’s needed for a once-thriving public school system. Meanwhile, Governor Kim Reynold’s budget includes a 44% increase for vouchers. “My kids go to one of these schools where we are going to see cuts.” Things…
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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 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…
