Articles Tagged: Iowa Legislature

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic and the ACLU of Iowa announced Wednesday that they challenged the pending new law in Iowa district court.

Abortion rights advocates held a rally in the rotunda and far outnumbered abortion restriction advocates during a long and loud day at the Iowa Capitol.

The bill, House File 732, was passed out of both chambers by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, about 15 hours after the special session began. Lawmakers voted mostly along party lines to ban abortions after cardiac activity is detected in an embryo or fetus, with some exceptions.

The Iowa Legislature is meeting today in Des Moines for a special session to consider passage of a bill that would restrict abortion in the state. The Gazette is providing live coverage of debate, committee meetings, demonstrations and other activity at the state capitol.

The Iowa Capitol will be ground zero for state abortion policy debate. Advocates on both sides of the issue plan to fill the Capitol in Des Moines as lawmakers consider legislation to severely restrict abortion access in the state.

Distrust of public health authorities, who say drinking raw milk is dangerous, fuels demand for unpasteurized milk products, leaders on both sides of the issue say.

Iowa Republicans will consider a similar bill to that so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill that passed in 2018 but was blocked by the courts. The new bill, which was introduced on Friday, would ban abortions after cardiac activity is detected in a fetus, with some exceptions.

Advocates call on supporters to contact legislators before Tuesday’s special legislative session

The state said Thursday it has approved more than 17,500 applications. The majority of those approved applications have come from students who already attend a private school.

Statehouse Republicans appear poised to once again pass a law that would ban abortions once a fetus’ heartbeat can be detected.

No student should ever be made to attend a school for the sake of supporting it financially

Starting today, Iowa teens ages 14 to 17 can work more jobs at longer hours, low-income families will face new requirements for receiving public benefits such as food assistance, and more Iowa parents will qualify for child care assistance, but will have to work more hours to remain eligible.

Interest among Iowa families for a new state-funded private school financial assistance program continues to grow -- as does the potential cost to the state.

As drifting smoke from ongoing wildfires across Canada create curtains of haze causing unhealthy air quality throughout Iowa and the Midwest, environmental activists and Democratic lawmakers worry local efforts to regulate and improve air quality could be at risk under a state law taking effect Saturday.

While an Iowa Supreme Court decision this month means abortion remains legal in Iowa until roughly 20 weeks of pregnancy, lawmakers and activists on both sides of the issue are gearing up for another protracted battle.