Week in Iowa

Religious freedom bill passes Senate: Iowa is one step closer to having a Religious Freedom Restoration Act in place, which would set a higher legal bar for government actions that burden a person's exercise of religion. Supporters said it was necessary to preserve religious liberties, while opponents said it would provide free rein to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals, women and other minorities.

The Iowa Senate passed the bill on a party-line vote Tuesday. Majority Republicans argued the bill was necessary because of a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court case that eroded protections for religious freedom. Democrats warned of abuses that could allow denial of housing to unmarried or same-sex couples and shield child labor violations.

House declares “Caitlin Clark Day”: Iowa House members passed a resolution Thursday declaring Feb. 22, 2024, as “Caitlin Clark Day” in Iowa. The resolution comes after the Hawkeye basketball star broke the all-time NCAA women's basketball scoring record Feb. 15, dropping a school record of 49 points in the Iowa win against Michigan.

Iowa school cited for asbestos: The North Linn Community School District allowed staff to work while the high school building in Coggon was contaminated with asbestos, according to a citation from the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The worker safety agency fined the school $70,000, following a $6,000 fine from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources earlier this year.

House passes 3 percent school funding boost: Iowa House Republicans on Thursday passed a bill that would increase state funding to schools by $147 million, amounting to a 3 percent boost in state aid to K-12 education. The chamber must come to an agreement with the Senate, which has not publicly settled on a level of increase it will propose for school funding. The governor asked for a 2.5 percent increase.

The House bill would bring Iowa's general fund spending on K-12 schools to around $3.8 billion. The per-pupil spending would increase to $7,864. Democrats decried the bill as a de facto cut that does not keep up with expenses and inflation. Republicans argued it a sustainable increase and part of a larger package that includes increasing teacher and paraeducator salaries.

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Alcohol a factor in rising cancer rates: The Iowa Cancer Registry report released Tuesday shows Iowa continues to have the second highest cancer rate in the nation and the fastest growing rate of new cancers, with another 21,000 estimated this year. One reason behind the high rates could be Iowa’s high rates of alcohol use and abuse, according to the new report. “I think it’s a cultural thing in our state, and it’s something that I think people need to be aware of,” University of Iowa professor Mary Charlton said. According to a survey, “only 40 percent of the general public even knew that alcohol could contribute or cause cancer.”

Medicaid extension would leave out new mothers: The Iowa Senate passed a bill last week that would extend coverage of postpartum care under Medicaid from two months to 12 months, but make it harder to qualify for the benefit. The bill would lower the income eligibility to qualify for the care, resulting in 1,300 women and 400 infants losing insurance coverage.

Lawmakers hear input on AEA bill: Parents, educators and superintendents weighed in on a proposed Iowa House bill to change the funding structure and oversight of the state's Area Education Agencies. At a Wednesday hearing, parents of students with disabilities said they worried the legislation would weaken special education opportunities in the state and lead to inequities for students with disabilities.

They said …

“This is a defensive measure. The courts have eaten away at religious freedom nationally, and that applies to our state as well. This is a defensive mechanism saying we need to prioritize the First Amendment.” — Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, on religious freedom bill

“Religious freedom is important. Those of us who are members of minority religious communities are particularly cognizant of that. The rule of law is also important. We cannot create exemptions that encourage people to pick and choose which laws they will follow.” — Sen. Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, on religious freedom bill

Odds and ends

Iowa State Fair: The Avett Brothers and Gabriel Iglesias will join the lineup of grandstand performers at the Iowa State Fair, the fair announced last week. Other headliners will include Jelly Roll, Ne-Yo and Motley Crue. The shows will run from Aug. 8 to Aug. 18, with tickets costing $20 to $125.

Open meetings: Iowa House lawmakers passed a bill to increase penalties for violating Iowa's open meetings law, which requires public entities to hold public meetings. The bill was inspired by actions in Davenport that have been criticized as violations of open government laws.

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Water cooler

Opioid treatment: Iowa lawmakers are beginning the process of spending millions of dollars on opioid addiction treatment and prevention. The Opioid Settlement Fund holds money that Iowa won in settlements with major opioid manufacturers and distributors over their role in the opioid crisis. The state is expected to receive around $144 million from the settlements.

Child endangerment overturned: The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a Waterloo mother did not commit child endangerment when she left her five children at home while grocery shopping in 2021. Paula Cole had originally been convicted of child endangerment. The court overturned her conviction, deciding that Cole did not “create a risk” by leaving her children at home.