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 [...]

State Rep. Chris Rants (R-Sioux City) had a promising political career ahead of him only a few years ago, when he was Speaker of the Republican-controlled Iowa House and then Minority Leader after Democrats took the reigns.
Even his harshest critics admitted he was a talented parliamentarian and a savvy political strategist. He has even [...]

Despite a spirited debate that pitted Republican against Republican, the Iowa House passed revisions to the state’s sex offenders laws this afternoon by a vote of 93-3.

If you are wondering why the latest sex offender bill passed the Iowa Senate 49-0 last night, here’s a guess: it is dangerous to be on the losing side of anything related to sex offenders.
There are few images more effective in a campaign mailer than a photo of a sketchy guy’s shadow superimposed on a [...]

Iowa’s sex offender laws would no longer include residency restrictions, instead using exclusionary zones and better tracking of individuals convicted of sexual crimes, following a unanimous vote in the state Senate Thursday night, but House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said House Republicans were expected to oppose the measure, aimed at reforming Iowa’s so-called “2000-foot rule.”

Members of the legislative leadership are sounding a familiar refrain: They have made it clear they would like to get out of town this week. But with a long list of bills still sitting unresolved, and with a presidential visit coming up soon, adjourning early could prove difficult.