#Iowa's drinking water is some of the most contaminated in the country. Child care services are short + 350,000 slots. M

#Iowa’s drinking water is some of the most contaminated in the country. Child care services are short + 350,000 slots. Mental health services rank in the bottom 5 states. Farm debt hit a high of $18.9B. Nearly 50% of the state suffers from obesity

Link to tweet

?s=20

As the culture war wages, Iowa’s real problems are being ignored
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/03/01/as-the-culture-war-wages-iowas-real-problems-are-being-ignored/


Zach Spindler-Krage

March 1, 2024 8:00 am

(Photo illustration by Iowa Capital Dispatch with images via Canva)

Iowa is proving one party government has a cost.

In the seven years since taking control of the House, Senate and governorship, Iowa Republicans have passed too few substantive policies that improve the well-being of Iowans.

In the 2023 legislative session, more than 1,300 bills were introduced. A mere 10% were adopted.

Iowa Republicans are spending more time restricting liberties than expanding opportunities. Among the bills most celebrated by Republicans were bans on gender-affirming health care and the use of school bathrooms that align with gender identity.

The trend is continuing in this year’s session: Iowa Republicans are focused on national GOP talking points that are broadly unpopular and impractical, while locals suffer the consequences of a legislature that is too distracted by the culture war to pass meaningful policies.

For example, Republicans spent much of last year’s session on a bill that would ban books and school curriculum that discuss gender identity or sexual orientation. Not only is the bill largely unpopular — Grinnell National Poll data shows most Americans support having these books in schools — but it is also unconstitutional — a federal judge blocked the implementation of the bill, citing violation of the First Amendment.

The Iowa GOP is out of step with voters, spinning its wheels on policies that don’t improve life for Iowans, while ignoring the real problems...........................