Iowa’s law aimed at removing all books with explicit sexual content from school libraries has been blocked for a second time by a federal judge.
The law faces ongoing legal challenges from groups including major book publishers, teachers, students and LGBTQ rights advocates.
Judge Stephen Locher in a ruling released Tuesday said the law would likely be found unconstitutional. He said the law covers a small number of books that may be reasonable to remove from schools, but it also forces out dozens more titles that have educational value.
The ruling prevents the state from enforcing the law as the case goes forward.
In a statement, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said she will continue to fight to uphold the law. She says it ensures that books in schools are age-appropriate.
*Additionally, the Iowa House has passed two election-related bills that would add new methods of checking voters’ citizenship status and overhaul the recount process.
One bill passed Tuesday would specify that the secretary of state could use more sources to check voters’ citizenship status and mark people as “unconfirmed” if they’re suspected noncitizens. The other would have county auditors and their staff conduct recounts instead of people appointed by the candidates.
Republican Representative Austin Harris says that will ensure political campaigns can’t manipulate the recount system, and so that Iowans can trust the outcomes.
Democratic Representative Adam Zabner says he’s concerned voters might question decisions made by elected county auditors during a recount.
*The weeklong women’s national basketball tourney in Sioux City wrapped up Tuesday, with Siouxland team Dordt University as the victor.
As the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics hoops tourney ended, Dordt won over Indiana Wesleyan in the championship tilt, 72-63.
Dordt thereby won a second consecutive NAIA women's basketball title at the Tyson Events Center. Dordt ended the season with a 34-2 record.
Sixteen teams qualified for this portion of the national NAIA tourney, which has now been played in Sioux City for 28 years. The tourney has been touted as a treat for hoops fans and also a boost to the regional economy.
*In other news, a new report estimates proposed federal cuts to health and food assistance programs could result in significant impacts to Iowa’s economy.
Congressional Republicans have proposed instructing the federal committees that oversee Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to cut more than $1 trillion from their budgets in the next ten years.
A new report from the Commonwealth Fund and George Washington University estimates if Congress approves the plan, it could cost Iowa nearly 10,000 jobs and shrink its gross domestic product by $1 billion in the next year.
Leighton Ku is a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University.
“As you look at the initial cuts that will affect healthcare providers, grocery stores, and then ripple out to other things, like to agriculture, to food production,” Ku said.
The House budget proposal still needs to go through many steps, including getting Senate approval, before any cuts could be enacted.
*In other news related to Medicaid, Iowa Senate Republicans passed a bill Tuesday to seek federal permission for Medicaid work requirements. Iowans who have health care through the state’s Medicaid expansion would have to prove they’re working 80 hours a month, with some exceptions.
The bill also says the state would have to end Medicaid expansion if the federal government later decides work requirements aren’t allowed.
Democratic state Senator Janet Petersen criticized the provision that would end Iowa’s Medicaid expansion if the federal government later decides work requirements aren’t allowed. Petersen says that would cut health insurance for more than 180-thousand Iowans and hurt the health care system.
*Additionally, a free one-day conference on Thursday, March 27, at the University of South Dakota will focus on confidence in elections, political polarization and its impact on poll workers.
Julia Hellwege, director of the Chiesman Center for Democracy at USD, said the conference brings together academics, students, politicians and community members to learn more about democracy and civics.
The keynote speaker will be Lisa Bryant, professor and chair of political science at California State University. Bryant will discuss how political polarization is affecting the workload and safety of state and local election officials, and also the impact on trust and confidence among voters.
The sessions run 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday at USD's Al Neuharth Center, and registration is required.
