Capitol Notebook: 'Anti-SLAPP' legislation goes to Iowa governor

DES MOINES -- Legislation that would expand free speech protections was sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk for approval after if passed unanimously through both chambers of the Iowa legislature.

House File 472, known as an "anti-SLAPP" law, would prohibit the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP, suits. These forms of lawsuits occur when legal processes are purposely dragged out over time with the end goal of draining the defendant's financial resources rather than winning.

The legislation would create a special motion for expedited relief in cases involving the exercise of free speech and press.

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Republican Rep. Steven Holt of Denison, who has attempted to pass the legislation in previous years, said he was inspired to push for it after a Carroll newspaper was almost put out of business when a local police officer sued the paper over its reporting on his relationships with teenage girls.

Holt said the bill is "a tremendous victory in trying to protect our small town newspapers and media outlets from being put out of business."

"I am very excited that the Senate has finally joined us in this crusade, and we're finally going to be able to be able to send this to the governor's office," Democratic Rep. Megan Srinivas of Des Moines said. "This is a great bill that is valuable for protecting freedom of speech, especially for many of our small town journalists."

The House voted to take up a Senate amendment that would not allow the legislation to apply retroactively.

Iowa would join 35 other states and the District of Columbia, which all have some form of "anti-SLAPP" laws.

House advances sales tax exemption for laundry soap, detergent

After passing a slate of bills exempting household products, including toilet paper and dietary supplements, from the state sales tax, the Iowa House advanced legislation Thursday adding laundry soap and detergent to that list.

Lawmakers advanced House File 1022 84-5.

“I will rinse the cycle and repeat my comments from the toilet paper and the vitamin supplements bill from yesterday,” Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, D-Hiawatha, said. “Anytime that we can put more money into the pockets of Iowans for everyday items is always a good thing, and it's always good when we have bipartisan collaboration on this.”

Exempting laundry detergent from the state sales tax would decrease Iowa’s general fund revenue by $9.7 million in 2026 and by $10.5 million in 2030, according to the Legislative Services Agency

All sales tax exemption bills have yet to be taken up by the Senate, where they need to pass before going to the governor for approval.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau