Tom Barton

Chanting again filled and echoed the halls Monday of the Iowa Capitol for a third straight week as transgender Iowans and civil rights and LGBTQ advocates decried a bill that would define "man" and "woman" in state law.

The legislation also would require Iowa’s 11 largest school districts — among them Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Council Bluffs, Iowa City, and Sioux City — to have at least one private security guard or school resource officer in each district high school.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in her annual Condition of the State address last month, said Iowa needs to increase reading outcomes for elementary students. Last year, state test scores reported 34 percent of third-graders are not proficient in reading and writing skills. Under a proposed bill, Iowa colleges and universities would be required to train teachers in the “science of reading.” But what is it?

Bill would allow state courts to order undocumented immigrants deported

Democrats’ proposal would freeze tuition, while Republicans would cap tuition increases for undergrads

A three-member House panel voted 2-1 Tuesday to advance a bill that would define “man” and “woman” in state law. The bill was amended Tuesday to eliminate a requirement that transgender Iowans note both their pre- and post-transition genders on their driver’s license. However, both genders would still be noted on birth certificates.

Groups lauded the governor’s support of the expansion, but raised concerns with her proposal to change the eligibility for Medicaid coverage of birth and postpartum care to 215 percent of the federal poverty line, from 375 percent under current law, in order to keep Medicaid costs for pregnancy and postpartum care budget neutral.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds filed a bill Thursday that would define “man” and “woman” in Iowa Code. It came one day after transgender Iowans and LGBTQ and civil rights advocates and allies flocked to the Capitol to protest a bill that would have changed the way transgender Iowans are protected under the Civil Rights Act.

‘Glide path’ calls for IPERS investing state surplus, with profits used to reduce taxes

All three members of a House Judiciary subcommittee said they will not sign off on moving the bill forward, following roughly an hour of testimony from transgender Iowans, school safety advocates, attorneys and civil rights activists.

The Satanic Temple has filed a damage estimate putting the cost to replace the statute at $3,000. The group is also requesting $3,299.55 in restitution for “travel and security expenses” for “food, lodging, van rental, communications equipment and bullet proof vests that were a necessity in completing the task of removing our holiday display at the state capitol.”

Sen. Brad Zaun has pushed to ban the traffic cameras ever since he received a citation in 2011 after a camera captured his son speeding while driving the senator’s vehicle in Cedar Rapids.

Iowa Senate Democrats, meanwhile, unveiled a package of ‘reproductive freedom’ bills, while Republicans advanced bills regarding teaching human development and child support requirements.

There were 212 licensed psychiatrists practicing in the state in 2021, down from 236 in 2012, according to Iowa Health Professions Tracking Center.

The campaign arm of U.S. House Democrats announced Monday that Iowa City congressional candidate Christina Bohannan has been named to its “Red to Blue” program that works to help Democrats running against Republican incumbents flip control of competitive districts.