A Latino civil rights organization has dropped its lawsuit that challenged sweeping election changes made by the Iowa Legislature in 2021.
Republican lawmakers cut the time allowed for all methods of voting, moved up the deadline for voting by mail, and limited other methods of returning absentee ballots.
The League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa argued the changes made it harder to vote and violated Iowans’ voting rights, especially for Latino voters and people of color. The group’s most recent court filing doesn’t say why they’re ending the lawsuit.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate on Thursday said he’s glad to move on from what he calls a “baseless lawsuit.”
*Additionally, the city of Sioux City is getting nearly $4 million to assist in developing 17 rental homes for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
The City of Sioux City will use the grant funds for the development of Midtown Terrace, which will include a rowhouse-style development that includes parking, greenspace and onsite case management.
The rental homes funded through the National Housing Trust Fund will be targeted to individuals and families experiencing homelessness using a Housing First permanent supportive housing model.
The project was announced in a Thursday release. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and be done by 2026.
Jill Wanderscheid, Neighborhood Services Manager with the City of Sioux City, said the need for permanent supportive housing “has been identified as a strategic need in our community due to the number of high needs individuals and families experiencing homelessness”
“This project is the first step in bridging this gap. The project will also act as a catalyst for neighborhood investment as this portion of the city has not seen significant investment in a number of years,” she said.
Iowa Finance Authority Director Debi Durham said, “Housing for the state's lowest-income earners is one of our greatest housing challenges.”
