Stories

An expansion of the state’s children health insurance program, changes to sex offender registry and tougher restrictions on pseudoephedrine sales are just a few of the new laws set to go into effect on Wednesday.
Most legislation that was passed during the 2009 General Assembly takes effect July 1, at the start of the 2010 fiscal [...]

Health care coverage will be expanded to more than 12,000 currently uninsured children under a bill signed into law Tuesday afternoon by Gov. Chet Culver.

After voting against an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), known as HAWK-i in Iowa, Fifth District Rep. Steve King (R-Kiron) called the bill “misguided” and said it overlooked needy children.
“Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi used budget gimmicks and debate suppression to ram a bill through the House that gives illegal immigrants and wealthy [...]

Approximately one out of every 20 children in Iowa (5.2 percent) is uninsured, according to a report released Monday by Families USA.

Gov. Chet Culver called on the legislature Monday to approve a series of health care initiatives that will improve access to health care while lowering costs to Iowans.

“We must expand access to health care, lower health care costs and work toward the goal of giving all Iowans access to the same quality health care guaranteed [...]

The Iowa Dept. of Human Services is expected to gain an extra $115 million more come July 1st, thanks to the passage of the cigarette tax this past March in the legislature as well as the creation of a Health Care Trust Fund.

The cigarette tax legislation created the standing appropriation to the Dept. of Health [...]