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The Iowa Supreme Court will announce its decision in a major abortion case tomorrow morning.
@IAGovernor asked the court to reinstate a 2018 abortion ban that was struck down in 2019. She didn't appeal at that time but has since appointed 4 new justices.
Almost exactly a year ago, the Iowa Supreme Court majority overturned a 2018 abortion rights precedent (which was the main reason @IAGovernor didn't try to fight for the 6-week ban in 2019).
Background on that decision: bleedingheartland.com/2022/06/20/iow…
The case that the Iowa Supreme Court will resolve tomorrow has a lot of complicated procedural Qs.
It's possible court will lift injunction in 2018 law, which would ban almost all abortions after 6 weeks.
But they could reject on procedural grounds.
Read 8 tweets
The LSA analysis of an #ialegis bill that would place restrictions on the state auditor's office is out and is eye-opening.

According to the non-partisan LSA, the bill would hinder the auditor's ability to audit roughly a dozen government programs with a total balance of $12B+.
Also from the non-partisan LSA analysis of the #ialegis auditor's office bill: it could impact the state's ability to comply w/federal requirements, possibly increasing state costs and/or causing the federal agency to take action.
Here is that LSA analysis: legis.iowa.gov/docs/publicati…

Here is our story on debate over the bill: thegazette.com/state-governme…

And here is our story on its latest in the #ialegis: thegazette.com/state-governme…
Read 3 tweets
🧵 THREAD: The Iowa Senate is debating SF 482 - the "bathroom bill". Tune in here: legis.iowa.gov/dashboard?view…
We begin with Senator Cherielynn Westrich's comments. She is the bill's primary sponsor.

"all children deserve privacy"
Her comments were brief. Moving on to Sen. Quirmbach's comments. Talks about a memorable quote from his early career.

"Gee, I really wish the adults would back off and let the kids figure it out"

Indicates that this is applicable today as well.
Read 20 tweets
🚨LEGISLATIVE ALERT🚨
There are two bad bills in subcommittee TOMORROW! This is the ONLY time members of the public are allowed to speak.
Email the respective subcommittee members below! Want to come to the State Capitol and speak? Email damian@iowasafeschools.org
...
SF 83 will be in subcommittee at 12:00 PM. This bill bans gender identity curriculum in grades K-8.
Senator Jeff Taylor - jeff.taylor@legis.iowa.gov
Senator Cherielynn Westrich - cherielynn.westrich@legis.iowa.gov
Senator Herman Quirmbach - herman.quirmbach@legis.iowa.go
...
HF 9 will be in subcommittee at 12:30 PM. This bill would force educators to "out" transgender students.
Rep. Skyler Wheeler - skyler.wheeler@legis.iowa.gov
Rep. Brooke Boden - brooke.boden@legis.iowa.gov
Rep. Sharon Steckman - sharon.steckman@legis.iowa.gov #ialegis
Read 4 tweets
.@IAgovernor says no child should have to stay in a failing school. No one bothers to ask her which Iowa schools she thinks are failing. She and her predecessor, Branstad, have been in charge of public education in Iowa nonstop since 2011, and ... 🧵1/5 #ialegis
... the GOP has had the full trifecta in the statehouse since 2017. Instead of shirking responsibility toward public education & giving $$ to private schools, we need to ask, if our schools really are struggling, why? Why does IA have a drastic teacher shortage? ... 2/5 #ialegis
...Why are class sizes ballooning? Why have Iowa's child poverty rates soared over the past decade? Why are our children experiencing a mental health crisis, w/o adequate resources at school or in the medical community to help them? ... 3/5 #ialegis
Read 5 tweets
Tomorrow evening is a public hearing in the Iowa legislature for HSB1, a bill broadly restructuring education funding in Iowa & establishing ESAs to pay for private schools. Here are the public comments I hope to make opposing the bill. A 🧵:
My name is Nick Covington. I taught high school social studies for 10 years, and I am the parent of 2 children in public school.
As a teacher, I saw first-hand that most Iowans, including teachers and parents, want the same thing: strong, quality public schools that give every student the freedom to reach their full potential. Where all students deserve the freedom to learn and succeed.
Read 15 tweets
IOWA: Gun safety is LITERALLY on the ballot this November! If passed, Public Measure 1 would threaten to eliminate critical laws, including: prohibitions on gun possession by convicted felons and domestic abusers and minimum age, secure storage, and sensitive areas restrictions. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Listen to Black Hawk County @SheriffTonyT who knows that Public Measure 1 IS NOT the same as the 2nd Amendment and would have dangerous consequences and threaten public safety. #IAlegis
You can’t be tough on crime if you’re weak on guns – take it from Iowa law enforcement leaders like Linn County Sheriff Gardner who knows that gun laws save lives and keep communities safe. #IAlegis
Read 4 tweets
Today, we stood in solidarity with our trans students at the Iowa Capitol. Flanked by the American and Iowa flags, we stood silently behind @IAGovernor as she signed this discriminatory bill with the same flag that flew over the State Capitol for Trans Day of Remembrance in 2019 Image
Iowa Safe Schools' Executive Director, Becky Smith, released the following statement today:
"With the stroke of a pen, Governor Kim Reynolds has made it clear that the lives of transgender children in Iowa do not matter. Image
After our trans students and their parents requested a meeting with the governor over a week ago, she ignored their pleas to have their voices heard. The passage of this bill will directly result in increased suicidality, disparate mental health outcomes, and further isolation.
Read 6 tweets
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds plans to sign the bill banning transgender women and girls from competing in female sports today at noon in the Iowa Capitol's rotunda, according to an update to her public schedule. It passed the Senate yesterday. #ialegis #iagov desmoinesregister.com/story/news/pol…
Gov. Kim Reynolds is in the Iowa Capitol rotunda, where she's about to sign a bill banning transgender women and girls from female sports. She's connecting it to Iowa's "impressive legacy" of advancing women's equality. Image
Behind Reynolds are signs saying "protect my innocence" and a transgender flag. Image
Read 7 tweets
Iowa Safe Schools' Executive Director, Becky Smith, released the following statement regarding the passage of HF 2416 today:
"It’s incredibly disappointing and frankly disgusting that there are members of the Iowa Legislature who have equated being transgender to cancer and referred to LGBTQ people as "mentally ill".
The supporters of this bill covertly strategized to ram this bill through to passing to avoid any confrontation, question, or challenge against this discriminatory bill.
Read 7 tweets
THREAD: SF 2342 will be coming up for debate shortly. This bill bans trans athletes from participating in Iowa. We’re live from the gallery - keep an eye on this Twitter #ialegis
Read the bill in the meantime: legis.iowa.gov/legislation/Bi… #ialegis
Senator Goodwin, the bill’s floor amendment, begins debate with a motion to adopt a conforming amendment to match the house bill #ialegis
Read 66 tweets
THREAD: HF 2416 is up for debate in the Iowa House. We’re live from the gallery #ialegis Image
Immediately, Rep Wheeler has introduced an amendment redrafting the bill to include colleges, both private and public #ialegis
Rep Shipley attempts to amend HF 2416 to also include “Don’t Say Gay” style language. @KonfrstForHouse calls a point of order for being off-topic in his remarks.
Read 67 tweets
I'm listening to Iowa Senate subcommittee meeting on the bill to discriminate against #trans girls and women in sports.
One of the teenage girls who spoke in favor of the bill claimed letting "biological males" play girls sports would violate Title VII (SCOTUS wd say otherwise).
I missed first few minutes of meeting (Zoom issues) but so far I've only seen speakers in favor of bill.
Sometimes #ialegis committees alternate speakers in support/opposed.
Curious to see how much time Rs give opponents to speak.
Meeting scheduled w/less than 24 hrs notice.
It's pretty sad to hear these teenage girls talk about how girls would have no chance to do well in sports if trans kids are allowed to play. Someone has convinced them that huge numbers of trans girls will prevent others from making varsity or qualifying for state tournament.
Read 28 tweets
Did you know that Ohio created a school voucher program in 2014? Let's look at some facts about their program as #ialegis considers the @KimReynoldsIA voucher plan for #Iowa students 1/15
But first, did you know that school vouchers are not a concept that was created by educational experts; not proposed by parents; not even an idea politicians came up with. Nope. Vouchers are the brainchild of Milton Friedman, a radical free-market economist. 2/15
Friedman wrote an essay in 1955 entitled "The Role of Government in Education." He starts his essay by saying “I deplore segregation and racial prejudice.” (You know, if you have to say 'I'm not a racist, but...' you've already given yourself away, Milt.) 3/15
Read 18 tweets
Meeting scheduled to start in less than 10 minutes. Only agenda item is electing a fifth member (the other four members were selected by the top Republicans and Democrats in the Iowa House and Senate). #Iowa #redistricting
Ian Russell (one of the Democratic members of the Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission) nominated Sue Lerdal to be the 5th member and chairperson of TRAC. Seconded by David Roederer, one of the Republican members.
Unanimous vote to elect Sue Lerdal to Iowa's Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission. She was a longtime employee of @IowaLSA and knows the staffers who will draw up proposed nonpartisan maps.
Read 17 tweets
New post: #Iowa's largest advocacy group for #Latinos, @LulacIowa, is asking @IowaSOS to let auditors in all 99 counties accept Spanish-language versions of voter registration and absentee ballot request forms.
I reviewed the petition & legal context: bleedingheartland.com/2021/08/11/adv…
A Polk County judge ruled in 2008 that it was illegal under #Iowa's English-only law for then @IowaSOS Michael Mauro to provide voter registration forms in other languages.
@LulacIowa contends that's incorrect b/c the 2002 had an applicable exception: bleedingheartland.com/2021/08/11/adv…
#Iowa's 2002 law allows using languages other than English as "required by or necessary to secure the rights guaranteed by" the US & Iowa constitutions.
LULAC maintains that exception should apply to providing voting-related materials in other languages. bleedingheartland.com/2021/08/11/adv…
Read 7 tweets
1/1 This one goes out to @PatJGarrett the spokesperson for @IAGovernor because this is how the current administration in Iowa works. They only respond when pushed out into the glowing light of Twitter.
2/2 I live in NYC currently. I am from the great state of Iowa - home of Tom Harkin, Gov. Robert "Iowa Will Take All The Refugees" Ray, and HRH Cloris Leachman (a fellow Czech) - from a farm in the middle of Grundy County in Iowa's #IA04
3/3 NYC was one of the earliest epicenters of the pandemic. A decision was made to shut down the city overnight. What does that mean and how does it differ from "lockdown"? Here's lockdown in one of my favorite places on earth #Cambodia abc.net.au/news/2021-04-3…
Read 25 tweets
1 man, 7K+ employees, and 5m+ hogs

This is the story I wrote w/@charli3mitchell about the rise of a hog baron and the societal impacts of his concentrated power. #agtwitter #ialegis vox.com/the-highlight/…
This story begins in 1993.

Des Moines business leaders commissioned a VA-based consulting firm to write a report on how to improve IA's business climate. It chided IA politicians and business leaders for “complacency” w/the state’s relative economic health and low unemployment.
And to shake out of that "complacency," the family farm needed to die.

“Although it is politically popular to defend and protect the concept of family farms,” read the report, “legislation limiting corporate investment is economic folly.”
Read 46 tweets
Last night, the Iowa House voted 60-37 to pass a bill that would allow Iowans to purchase and carry firearms without a permit. One Democrat joined Republicans in voting yes. The bill now goes to the Senate. #ialegis desmoinesregister.com/story/news/pol…
"These proposals recognize that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right, not a privilege, and that Iowans should not be required to get a permission slip and pay a fee in order to purchase a firearm," said Rep. Steven Holt. desmoinesregister.com/story/news/pol…
Democrats say the bill would eliminate background checks for private gun sales.

"The bill makes permits to carry optional," said Rep Beth Wessel-Kroeschell. "And where do you get a background check? You get a background check when you go to get a permit." desmoinesregister.com/story/news/pol…
Read 4 tweets
The Iowa House is about to debate a bill that would shorten Iowa's early voting period by 9 days, require absentee ballots to be received by poll close on Election Day, shorten Election Day polling by an hour and create new penalties for county auditors. desmoinesregister.com/story/news/pol…
The Iowa Senate passed this bill yesterday, so passage in the House today would send it to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature. Here's a thread on how the Senate debate went yesterday.
You can watch the House debate the bill live at this link. legis.iowa.gov/dashboard?view…
Read 10 tweets
The IA Senate is currently debating the sweeping #electionslaw bill that would reduce early voting period, limit absentee voting process, amongst other things. Republicans discussing an amendment that would change the poll close time in Iowa from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. #ialegis
You can watch the debate here: legis.iowa.gov/dashboard?view…

Read the bill here: legis.iowa.gov/legislation/Bi…
In defense, Sen. Roby Smith (R) says county auditors asked him years ago to change IA law to close polls at 8PM - "Take a look at auditors. They are ones that suggested this"

Says nat'l average is 7:30PM & that "we put voters on roller coasters" with different poll closing times
Read 7 tweets
A GOP amendment to this bill that was supposed to fix some concerns raised in the committee process also does something that was not discussed at all in the committee process: Changing the poll close time in Iowa from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. desmoinesregister.com/story/news/pol…
The Iowa Senate is debating this election bill now. You can watch the debate here. #ialegis legis.iowa.gov/dashboard?view…
"County auditors have constantly lobbied the legislature to implement uniform poll closing times at 8 p.m. Some elections close at 8, some elections close at 9. This will bring consistency and I thank the auditors for bringing this forward," Sen. Roby Smith says.
Read 10 tweets
During this #ialegis subcommittee on a bill that would bar businesses from requiring employees get the #COVID19 vaccination, Sen. Jim Carlin (chair) has yielded the floor completely to an anti-vaccination speaker. All other speakers gave brief comments.
In 99.99% of subcommittee hearings, the chair - even when his/her support of bill is obvious - gives speakers equal time and does not insert him/herself into the public comment period. Very different here.
Sen. Pam Jochum has interjected and asked state epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati to respond to the claims and comments that were made by the previous speaker. Pedati is talking now.
Read 5 tweets
An #Iowa Senate Education subcommittee will soon consider one of the many anti- #LGBTQ bills Republican lawmakers have introduced this year. Details on meeting: legis.iowa.gov/committees/mee…
Bill designed to stop #Iowa schools from accommodating #trans students: legis.iowa.gov/legislation/Bi…
Really unfortunate that some lawmakers are so hung up on bathrooms. The younger generation by and large does not care. #ialegis
#Iowa's #CivilRights Act has prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity since 2007. Bill would carve out an exception to allow (in fact require) schools to ban students from using the bathroom that conforms to their gender identity. #ialegis
Read 19 tweets

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