A new lawsuit alleges Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ staff and an assistant attorney general approved of sexual-arousal experiments on the mentally disabled residents of Glenwood Resource Center.
The Spirit Lake school district has until June 30 to find new liability insurance or repeal its policy allowing school staff to carry firearms on campus, according to an email sent by the district to parents. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Wondering why so many college-educated Iowans are leaving the state? "Iowa Republicans are spending more time restricting liberties than expanding opportunities," guest columnist and college student
@zspindlerkrage
writes. via
@IowaCapDispatch
A former Waukee school teacher is suing the school district, alleging she was forced to resign after being accused of slandering Gov. Kim Reynolds over the state’s ban on schoolhouse mask mandates. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Gov. Kim Reynolds said on FOX News that Iowa kept meatpacking plants open during the
#COVID19
pandemic and ensured safety for workers. Her statement omitted plant closures, thousands of worker infections and reports of unsafe conditions.
#iagov
The child labor legislation awaiting Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature does not comply with federal law, according to a letter from U.S. Department of Labor employees released by Democratic lawmakers. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Democrats in Congress reintroduced a bill Wednesday that would guarantee access to birth control regardless of any future Supreme Court rulings,
@JenniferShutt
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
New column from
@KObradovich
: "Gov. Kim Reynolds and her gang of helicopter mothers are clutching their pearls so hard they must be cutting off oxygen to their brains." via
@IowaCapDispatch
All Iowans should want someone like Rob Sand and his staff "doing the spade work to find possible financial irregularities in state and local governments," guest columnist Randy Evans writes.
Legislation encouraging Iowa schools to offer firearms and hunting classes as early as kindergarten amounts to NRA “indoctrination” of children into the gun subculture, guest columnist
@RobertLeonard
writes via
@WritersIowa
. via
@IowaCapDispatch
"The state of Iowa is planning to dramatically scale back the routine inspection of restaurants and other food-service establishments by making only one onsite inspection every five years," Clark Kauffman reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa Capital Dispatch requested emails between Dr. Caitlin Pedati and the Centers for Disease Control after the state declined to answer why Pedati initially rejected the CDC’s help with meatpacking plant outbreaks.
The cost for the emails? $8,000.
A potential class-action lawsuit claims Gov. Kim Reynolds’ refusal to pay pandemic-related jobless assistance to 30,000 Iowans was unlawful and deprived those individuals of “life-sustaining benefits.” via
@IowaCapDispatch
BREAKING NEWS: The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission has unanimously denied Navigator CO2's application to construct a carbon capture pipeline in South Dakota,
@SDSearchlight
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
"It’s not acceptable to provide stories with six Iowans from one political viewpoint and none from the other side," guest columnist
@DavidBusiek
writes of a lack of Democrats represented in news stories. Via
@WritersIowa
via
@IowaCapDispatch
Drake University is expanding and promoting its diversity, equity, inclusion and justice initiatives as publicly funded universities have been required to curtail theirs,
@BrooklynDraisey
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
@Report4America
State Auditor Rob Sand said Thursday a Senate-passed bill to curtail his office’s authority may be retaliation for his call for University of Iowa’s athletic director to resign or be fired. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Commentary by
@KObradovich
: When elected officials try to pretend all choices are equally valid to avoid offending anyone, that’s not leadership. It’s pandering.
Cindy Axne, former representative for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, was appointed USDA senior adviser for rural engagement, delivery and prosperity. via
@IowaCapDispatch
For two years, a hog confinement just northeast of Ankeny operated with up to seven times the number of animals than what its owner told the state was inside the facility, according to a recent DNR order. via
@IowaCapDispatch
More than 500,000 gallons of manure-contaminated water has been pumped from a creek in Greene County because an aging storage basin began to leak, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Gov. Kim Reynolds' school choice plan would primarily pay people who have already made the choice to send their kids to private schools, guest columnist
@EdTibbetts
writes via
@WritersIowa
. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Responding to a lawsuit over her decision to deny federally funded unemployment benefits to tens of thousands of Iowans, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a statement Friday saying “the federal government doesn’t get to run the state of Iowa.” via
@IowaCapDispatch
When Gov. Kim Reynolds says a federal summer food aid program for kids is "unsustainable," what that means is that she simply doesn't support it politically, guest columnist Randy Evans writes. via
@IowaCapDispatch
@DMRevans
Our exclusive investigation: $4.2 million of Iowa taxpayer money is going towards dating workshops operating by a faith-based non-profit organization. One of the classes? "How to Avoid Falling for a Jerk (or Jerk-ette)."
Columnist Randy Evans: "The enforcement mechanism created by Texas lawmakers is un-American. It farms out enforcement of a state’s laws to vigilantes and bounty hunters."
For the first time in history, the White House has launched a national plan to address gender-based violence on a federal level. Report via
@ArizonaMirror
. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst blocked legislation Wednesday that would guarantee women can continue using contraception if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the long-standing precedent, the way it did with abortion.
#iasen
via
@IowaCapDispatch
Ten weeks ago, Iowa's daily average of
#COVID19
cases stood at 66 cases a day. This week, the state was averaging 1,187 cases a day. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa Health PAC, a nursing home industry organization, is one of the state’s biggest contributors to political campaigns, spending a total of $1,493,612 on campaign donations and related expenses since 2016, Clark Kauffman reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
A man whose fertilizer tank ruptured while he was driving in Burlington this week did not report the spill, drove away from it and initially refused to help clean a creek it contaminated, according to Iowa DNR,
@jstrong712
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska stands to receive 1,600 acres of land along the Iowa side of the Missouri River that was taken a half century ago for a recreation area that never materialized,
@NE_Examiner
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
The Biden administration announced several new protections for LGBTQ+ youth and families, including the position of a federal coordinator to counter the massive wave of book bans across the country,
@ArianaLFigueroa
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
"It’s brilliant: Republicans using public money to fund private schools that will teach their ideology. It’s a near-perfect plan by Republicans to maintain power into the distant future ...," guest columnist
@RobertLeonard
writes. via
@IowaCapDispatch
An Iowa judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging Auditor of State Rob Sand violated Open Records Law, concluding the emails that a conservative law firm had sougt to obtain “were properly maintained as confidential and withheld” from disclosure.
The last privately owned stretch of undeveloped land along East Okoboji Lake will become a wildlife sanctuary and low-impact public park after a $8.2 million fundraising effort wrapped up with a day to spare.
"Iowa’s disabled community is one vastly untapped resource" for the state's employers -- but state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympics gold medalist, says that can change, guest columnist
@douglaswburns
writes via
@WritersIowa
. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Concerns from GOP legislators that assistance to poor people will kill the state’s work ethic don’t seem to apply to millions of dollars in tax giveaways to wealthy corporations, guest columnist
@EdTibbetts
writes via
@WritersIowa
. via
@IowaCapDispatch
The Iowa Department of Public Health initially wanted to charge Iowa Capital Dispatch $8,000 for emails between Dr. Caitlin Pedati and the Centers for Disease Control.
Now the department said there was a typo and it's requesting $10,000.
An ethanol plant in north-central Iowa failed to maintain its equipment to limit air pollution and repeatedly emitted harmful chemicals over the course of more than a year, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand said Wednesday that Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is “avoiding accountability” for pausing payments for emergency contraceptives and other services for sexual assault victims,
@robinlopsahl
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Navigator C02 announced Friday it is canceling its carbon pipeline proposal amid the “unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes” of Iowa and South Dakota,
@jstrong712
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Deanna Mahoney's death shows that too many members of the Iowa Legislature, and our governor, "show too little concern for the sanctity of the lives of people in Iowa’s nursing homes," guest columnist Randy Evans writes. via
@IowaCapDispatch
@DMRevans
Iowa Capital Dispatch and our deputy editor, Clark Kauffman, are among the media plaintiffs in the open-records case. The Iowa Supreme Court agreed unanimously Friday to allow the lawsuit to proceed. via
@IowaCapDispatch
The state of Iowa notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture that Iowa will not participate in a program that provides additional food assistance for children during the summer,
@robinlopsahl
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Sen. Joni Ernst is complaining about federal government incompetency and overreach but she's pointing her finger in the wrong direction, guest columnist
@EdTibbetts
writes. His column is republished via
@WritersIowa
. via
@IowaCapDispatch
An Iowa physician who has been critical of mask mandates and the COVID-19 vaccine is now suing a Missouri hospital over its staff-vaccination requirements. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Exciting news: Brooklyn Draisey, a
@Report4America
corps member, is joining Iowa Capital Dispatch as a higher education reporter. Please consider a donation today to help support our expansion. via
@IowaCapDispatch
@GroundTruth
As Gov. Kim Reynolds continued to push for passage of her proposal to overhaul Area Education Agencies and their special education services, an Iowa House panel put the brakes on the legislation in favor of more debate.
#ialegis
via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa schools may request to temporarily close if their local area has an outbreak of COVID-19 at 15% or higher.
But this number is higher than what’s recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General and World Health Organization for reopening.
An unknown pollutant flowed from a stormwater sewer into a creek that runs through Hampton and killed a large amount of fish last week, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. via
@IowaCapDispatch
An Iowa man is suing the City of Newton for arresting him after he attempted to criticize the city’s police at a public meeting of elected officials. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin is "fast on the draw with a prescription for Democrats in Iowa in 2024," guest columnist
@douglaswburns
writes via Iowa Writers' Collaborative. via
@IowaCapDispatch
In a message to employees, Hy-Vee CEO Randy Edeker made it clear: Donald Trump and the chaos of his presidency have been good for business, writes
@lyzl
.
Congratulations to Iowa Capital Dispatch Deputy Editor
@ClarkKauffman
, named the Stephen Berry Press Freedom Champion tonight by the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa’s work to clean polluted waterways is so slow it will take as much as 22,000 years to meet some of the goals in the state’s voluntary plan, the Iowa Environmental Council reported.
Iowa’s state auditor issued a report Wednesday that indicates the privatization of
#Medicaid
in Iowa has resulted in an 891% increase in members being “illegally denied services or care.” via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa appears to be the only state that has permanently stopped reporting weekly
#COVID19
cases to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
@jstrong712
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
A new facility in northwest Iowa that was built to create environmentally friendly fuel from cow manure polluted a creek this week when it leaked an estimated 376,000 gallons of manure water, according to the Iowa DNR. via
@IowaCapDispatch
The retiring director of an Iowa State University sustainable agriculture center questioned if Gov. Kim Reynolds’ carbon-sequestration task force is designed mainly to increase payments to farmers.
#climate
#environment
via
@iowacapdispatch
State law that allows hazardous liquid pipeline companies access to private land for surveys is unconstitutional because it doesn’t provide compensation for intangible damages suffered by landowners, a district court judge has ruled. via
@IowaCapDispatch
A researcher told a group of Iowa farmers Thursday that concentrated livestock production is putting their health at risk and endangering the planet. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is among a coalition warning the nation’s largest companies — many of which have diversity and equity programs — they could face legal action for using race-based policies. via
@IowaCapDispatch
"The only liberty these groups – and apparently the governor – are interested in is their own; not yours or mine, just theirs," guest columnist Bill Tubbs writes. His column is courtesy of
@northscottpress
.
An Iowa judge has denied unemployment benefits for a dental technician who cited religious reasons for refusing to wear a face mask intended to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
#COVID19
.
@Tess_Seger
wins the prize for the first
#iacaucus
staffer to get a press release into the new Iowa Capital Dispatch email address for
@kobradovich
. What does she win? A mention of
@CoryBooker
, naturally. And she can sign up for a free newsletter at
Two infectious disease specialists say they are concerned about Iowa's new ban on local mask mandates, noting that children who aren't old enough for the
#COVID19
vaccine can transmit the virus. via
@iowacapdispatch
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa is urging an Iowa school board to deny a request from a group of residents to consider regulating student protests. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Columnist Randy Evans reflects on the ways Americans were willing to come together and make sacrifices after 9/11. Why can't we work together to combat COVID-19?
Two Iowa infrastructure projects, including replacement of nearly 30 bridges, will receive $50 million in federal grant funds, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Wednesday,
@JackOConnor71
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
New column from
@kobradovich
: Legislative leaders and the governor "are working out in secret the fate of legislation to require more transparency for other people. Isn’t that just typical?"
#ialegis
via
@IowaCapDispatch
"Our AEA system is essential to ensuring rural students have access to the same services as students in the cities and suburbs," guest columnist
@HockensonTeri
writes about legislation to change Iowa's Area Education Agencies. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa is expected to spend more than $9 million to place 100 out-of-state nurses and respiratory therapists at the state’s larger health care facilities for six weeks of the latest spike of
#COVID19
hospitalizations. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Kirsten Anderson won a $1.75 million court settlement in a sexual harassment case against Iowa Senate Republicans. In a guest column, she says the state hasn't learned its lesson and taxpayers are still paying the price.
#ialegis
Inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations this past month, including moldy taco meat, long-expired milk, and unskilled workers preparing sushi that failed to meet minimum safety standards. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Lawyers for Gov. Kim Reynolds are arguing in court that she was too busy to respond quickly to public-records requests this year due to the pandemic, and that her decision-making process is shielded from disclosure by executive privilege.
More than 7 million gallons of manure have been improperly kept at a former southern Iowa hog confinement for nearly 10 years, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources,
@jstrong712
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
After the Iowa Legislature passed a bill this week restricting abortions, the state’s only obstetrics and gynecological residency program will work to keep its accreditation,
@BrooklynDraisey
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
@Report4America
With Iowa’s newest Medicaid managed-care provider set to begin work in less than three weeks, the state is now being accused in a lawsuit of conflicts of interest in hiring the company. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Democrat Dave Muhlbauer, a Crawford County farmer and former county supervisor, has announced he's running for U.S. Senate in 2022. GOP incumbent Chuck Grassley has not yet said whether he'll seek re-election.
#iasen
#iapolitics
via
@iowacapdispatch
“Right wingers are trying to convince you Joe Biden is stealing from veterans to help illegal immigrants,” guest columnist
@EdTibbetts
writes via
@WritersIowa
. “It’s a lie, and Joni Ernst is in on the scam.” via
@IowaCapDispatch
The average number of new
#COVID19
infections and hospitalizations in Iowa have reached their highest point since 2020, with a statewide daily average exceeding 1,800 cases. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowans are forming a new nonprofit that aims to advocate and litigate for protection of Iowa’s natural resources, guest columnist Larry Stone writes via Iowa Writers' Collaborative.
Many Iowa Republicans protested the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program but they are silent on debt relief for farmers, guest columnist Randy Evans writes. via
@IowaCapDispatch
The family of a man who was allegedly left “crying, shaking, and begging God to take his life” before he died at a Fort Dodge nursing home is suing the former owners of the now-shuttered facility, Clark Kauffman reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Iowa GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst both voted against consideration of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
#iasen
#capitolriot
via
@iowacapdispatch
Spirit Lake’s public school district has repealed a policy allowing staff to carry guns on campus, the district announced during a special board meeting Thursday,
@jaywaagmeester
reports.
Both of Iowa's Republican senators voted against the bill, which would have bolstered security at the southern border and aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan,
@JenniferShutt
reports. via
@IowaCapDispatch
Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Des Moines on Friday to call on Iowans to fight back against what she called a “full-on attack against hard-won freedoms.” via
@IowaCapDispatch
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The Iowa House voted Tuesday to diminish the role and authority of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and combine individual commissions on the status of underrepresented populations into a single board. via
@IowaCapDispatch