Tag: iowa

Iowa Landowners Fight Seizure of Private Property for a Pipeline

A privately owned company is proposing a pipeline across five states. While some of the state governments appear to be on board, the project is facing backlash from a large and formidable population: property owners.

The pipeline, known as Summit Carbon Solutions, would span 2,500 miles and transport carbon dioxide (CO2) captured at 57 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and the Dakotas to a permanent underground storage site in North Dakota. Construction of the $9 billion pipeline is expected to begin this year, with operations kicking off in 2026.

In June 2024, the project received regulatory approval from the Iowa Utilities Commission, despite landowner protests.

Julie Glade and her husband, Paul, are Iowans who oppose the project because of its use of eminent domain. Their property aligns with the proposed route, and in 2022 the couple was visited by a land agent. “The guy who came to our door wanted us to sit down and sign it without reading it,” Glade tells Reason. “They swooped in and tried to contact as many people as possible right away before the people knew what the consequences were. It’s very unethical.”

Several other landowners in the state share the Glades’ worries. During a hearing conducted by the Iowa Utility Commission, landowner Joan Gaul testified against the pipeline, which she said would cross a large portion of her farmland.

Gaul said Summit Carbon Solutions mailed two easements, which would give the pipeline a legal right to her land, to her without notice.

“This letter came telling us about taking our land using eminent domain. It was a difficult pill to swallow,” she said. Gaul said she didn’t accept the easements and has indicated that she will continue to fight the project.

The Glades visit the Iowa Capitol nearly every week to voice their opposition to the pipeline. They are joined by what the couple calls a diverse coalition united by their concern for the basic constitutional right to land ownership.

“We have MAGA Republicans and we have lefties. We put our differences aside and we work together,” she says.

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Iowa Bans Ranked-Choice Voting, Authorizes Requests for Proof of Citizenship at Polls

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two election-related bills into law on June 2—one to prohibit the use of ranked-choice voting in any election across the state and allow poll workers to request proof of voter citizenship, and another that overhauls and standardizes the state’s election recount procedures.

Reynolds’s office announced the signing of both bills—House File 954 and House File 928—in a June 2 press release, with Secretary of State Paul Pate sharing photographs from the signing ceremony on social media and saying the move was a win for election integrity in Iowa.

The more sweeping of the two measures, HF 954 bars any use of ranked-choice voting—also known as instant-runoff voting—at the state, local, or federal level in Iowa. Though not currently in use in the state, the method has gained support in some U.S. jurisdictions. Supporters of ranked choice voting say it is more democratic as it ensures majority winners, while critics say it complicates vote tabulation and undermines transparency.

The bill also authorizes election workers, beginning July 1, to request proof of citizenship status, expanding current law that already permits challenges over age and residency. Additionally, it empowers the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office to enter into agreements with state and federal agencies and private vendors to verify voter eligibility using a broader range of data.

The law also mandates that the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) provide the Secretary of State’s Office with a list of individuals aged 17 and older who have submitted documentation indicating that they are not U.S. citizens. Voters flagged through this process must provide documentation affirming their legal eligibility to vote in order to remain on the active voter rolls.

“I commend the Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds for recognizing the importance of these bills in strengthening and maintaining Iowa’s election integrity,” Pate said in a statement. “These new laws add additional layers of integrity to our robust election procedures, supporting our efforts to balance election integrity and voter participation.”

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Report: Judge Allows Iowa to Keep Restricting Gender Identity Teaching in Schools

A federal judge said Thursday that Iowa can continue to restrict teaching on gender identity and sexual orientation in elementary schools, per a report.

The restrictions affect children through sixth grade but the state must permit non-mandatory programs related to those issues, according to the Associated Press (AP). The outlet said it was a split decision by U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher.

He recently temporarily blocked part of the law that would bar school libraries from keeping books on their shelves that depict sexual acts. In response, the state requested the decision be overturned.

The AP article continued:

Republican majorities in the Iowa House and Senate passed the law in 2023, intending to reinforce what they consider to be age-appropriate education in kindergarten through 12th grades. It’s been a back-and-forth battle in the courts in the two years since. The provisions of the law that are being challenged were temporarily blocked by Locher in December 2023, just before they became enforceable. That decision was overturned in August by the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, meaning the law has been enforceable for most of the current school year.

Locher’s recent split decision partially sided with an LGBTQ advocacy group who, along with some educators and students, sued Iowa over the issue.

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Capitalism fuels ‘racism,’ is ‘difficult to survive’: Iowa State U. lecture

Capitalism is an “oppressive system” that is “incredibly difficult to survive,” a financial coach said during a recent lecture at Iowa State University.

The “Anti-Capitalism Personal Finance Lecture” featured Leo Aquino, a “non-binary Filipinx writer, journalist, and financial coach” known for “their commitment to uplifting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ stories,” according to the event description.

During the lecture, Aquino advocated for an “anti-capitalist” budgeting approach that encourages people to reframe their relationship with money to prioritize well-being over profit, mainly benefiting queer and trans-identifying individuals.

The speaker defined anti-capitalism as “the belief that financial systems do not need to adhere to capitalist values for us to survive.”

An anti-capitalist personal finance perspective supports workers’ abilities to control their labor and decide how profits are invested. It requires people to redefine their “definition of wealth,” Aquino said.

The speaker encouraged students to stop blaming themselves for their financial situations and start questioning the underlying system.

Aquino defined capitalism as “an economic system where workers are required to sell [their] labor for a wage in order to survive.”

The financial coach said this system prioritizes profits over people while causing burnout, depression, and anxiety. “[Capitalism] is an oppressive system profiting from our lack of financial literacy and interpersonal conflicts around money.”

Further, capitalism “necessitates racism, ableism, homophobia, colonialism, and other forms of oppression to perpetuate conflict.” It “has forced people from marginalized communities to do unrealistic things to survive in an oppressive system,” Aquino said.

The speaker contrasted traditional budgeting, defined as a monthly estimate of income and expenses, with anti-capitalist budgeting, described as a “neutral space for us to practice compassionate data analysis.”

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Iowa House Passes Bill To Legalize Medical Use Of Psilocybin

The Iowa House passed legislation Monday to legalize the use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms,” for psychiatric treatment through a state program.

House File 978, passed 84–6, would establish a Psilocybin Production Establishment Licensing Board within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), operating in a similar fashion to the existing Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board that oversees Iowa’s medical cannabis program. The board would grant licenses for the production and administration of products with psilocybin to people with certain mental health needs in the state.

The bill also sets new requirements for who can access the substance, including an age 21 restriction and limit of 5,000 patients who can be recommended psilocybin treatment.

Rep. John Wills (R-Spirit Lake), the floor manager for the bill, said he would not have guessed that he would be involved in a bill on psilocybin before this year because “it’s just not something that I’m into.” But he said after learning more about the effectiveness of psilocybin treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he believed the program will help people suffering in Iowa, like military veterans, law enforcement officers and other groups that face high rates of PTSD.

He said the bill requires people to receive psilocybin in a clinical environment with psychiatric support. In this environment, he said, the drug has been shown to allow people to “relive” their trauma in a controlled, safe space, and be able to resolve or lessen the impacts of PTSD. Wills said he believes this method could help address the high suicide rates of veterans and others suffering from the disorder, and offers a better alternative to other forms of PTSD treatment currently available.

“I will tell you, right now the only option these veterans have, the only option these people with PTSD have, is to be on mind-altering, life-altering drugs for the rest of their life,” Wills said.

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Cops Denied Qualified Immunity After Arresting Sober Teenager for DUI

Two police officers who arrested an Iowa college student for driving while intoxicated—even though a breathalyzer test showed he was completely sober—do not get qualified immunity protections for their actions, a panel of federal judges ruled Friday. 

In 2022, then-19-year-old Tayvin Galanakis was driving in Newton, Iowa, when two police officers—Nathan Winters and Christopher Wing—pulled him over and began asking how much alcohol he had consumed. When Galanakis denied drinking, Winters replied, “What do you mean none?”

Body camera footage of the incident shows Galanakis repeatedly asking to take a breathalyzer test. However, instead of administering a test, Winters required Galanakis to undergo a series of complex field sobriety tests. When Winters finally administered a breathalyzer test, it showed Galanakis’ blood alcohol content was 0.00. Almost immediately afterward, Winters began accusing Glanakis of being high on marijuana.

“I’ve had no weed tonight,” Galanakis told Winters. “I blew a zero, so now you’re trying to think I smoked weed? That’s what’s going on. You can’t do that, man. You really can’t do that.”

The officers were undeterred and arrested Galanakis, taking him to a local police station, where additional drug testing revealed that Galanakis had not consumed marijuana—or any other substances—before driving. Galanakis sued the officers in February 2023, alleging that his arrest was a “gross disregard of [his] civil rights.”

A lengthy legal battle followed Galanakis’ suit. Winters and Wing filed a counterclaim—arguing that several derogatory comments Galanakis left on the lightly edited footage and social media posts defamed them, though most of those claims were dismissed in May 2023. Last year, a district court judge denied the officers qualified immunity. They appealed, and last week, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed the district court’s ruling that the pair were not eligible for qualified immunity. 

“No officer could reasonably conclude that there was a substantial chance that Galanakis was under the influence of marijuana,” wrote Judge Jane L. Kelly of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in an opinion released Friday. “Galanakis evinced almost no indica of intoxication: no erratic driving; no odor of marijuana; no watery or bloodshot eyes; no staggering or physical instability; no refusal to take sobriety tests—rather, he twice asked to take a breathalyzer test.” 

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Iowa takes on Big Pharma: Bill challenges vaccine makers’ liability shield

  • A subcommittee in the Iowa House of Representatives advanced House File 712, which would prohibit the sale and administration of vaccines in the state unless manufacturers waive certain liability protections granted under federal law. The bill specifically targets design defect claims, aiming to hold manufacturers accountable for injuries caused by inherently dangerous vaccine designs.
  • The bill addresses concerns about the VICP, established under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which has compensated only 11,671 out of 24,602 claims over three decades. Critics argue the system inadequately serves the public and prioritizes corporate interests over accountability.
  • The 2011 Supreme Court ruling in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth reinforced vaccine manufacturers’ immunity from design defect lawsuits, sparking criticism. Justice Sotomayor’s dissent highlighted the lack of incentives for manufacturers to improve vaccine designs, a concern echoed by advocates like Kim Mack Rosenberg of Children’s Health Defense.
  • The bill reflects growing public skepticism toward vaccine mandates and liability protections, fueled by increased access to information and the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2022 Iowa poll showed only 34% support for mandatory school vaccinations, signaling a demand for greater accountability in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • While supporters argue the bill would restore accountability and improve public trust, opponents warn it could lead to higher costs, reduced vaccine access, and unfounded injury claims. The bill has ignited a broader conversation about balancing corporate responsibility, public health, and individual rights, with potential implications for national vaccine policy.

In a bold move that could reshape the landscape of vaccine accountability, an Iowa House of Representatives subcommittee advanced a bill that would bar the sale and administration of vaccines in the state unless manufacturers waive some of the liability protections granted under federal law. House File 712, introduced by State Rep. Charley Thomson, aims to hold vaccine manufacturers accountable for injuries caused by design defects, a move that has sparked heated debate about corporate responsibility, public health, and individual rights.

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Iowa Lawmakers Unanimously Approve Bill To Create Psilocybin Program That Would Treat Up To 5,000 Patients With PTSD

An Iowa House committee has unanimously approved a Republican-led proposal to create a state-regulated therapeutic psilocybin program for adults with PTSD.

The bill, HF 620, from Rep. John Wills (R), passed the House Ways and Means Committee on a 23–0 vote at a hearing Thursday.

If enacted into law, it would allow up to 5,000 patients in the state to legally access psilocybin produced in-state by licensed entities. Administration sessions would need to be supervised by registered facilitators—mostly medical professionals—who would need to complete state-specified psilocybin education.

Psilocybin providers would need to be doctors, advanced nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, psychologists or social workers who complete psilocybin continuing education requirements, register with the state and pay a registration fee.

Administration sessions themselves would need to be at registered clinical locations and would need to be video recorded. Those records would need to be available for inspection by state officials upon request.

The psilocybin itself would be produced by state-licensed establishments. Local governments could not outright ban those facilities, nor could they deny them appropriate licenses based merely on the fact that psilocybin violates federal law.

Notably, a licensed psilocybin production facility could be co-located with one of the state’s few licensed medical cannabis producers—known in Iowa as medical cannabidiol producers—and the bill says regulators may grant psilocybin licensing preferences to those existing cannabis producers. Facilities couldn’t be located within 1,000 feet of a community location or 500 feet of a residential area.

Only people 21 and older and without “a misdemeanor for drug distribution or any felony” could work at psilocybin producers, and licensees themselves would face background checks.

Up to four independent testing labs could be licensed under the bill, and the state could also establish its own lab.

License applications would be accepted beginning July 1, 2026.

To oversee the system, the legislation would create a state Psilocybin Production Establishment Licensing Board under the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Appointed by the director of that department, the board would include a member of the public with knowledge of psilocybin, a member with knowledge and experience in the pharmaceutical or nutraceutical manufacturing industry, a law enforcement member, a university chemist or researcher with experience in manufacturing, a member who has a background in fungus or mushroom cultivation and processing.

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Trump Sues Des Moines Register and Pollster J. Ann Selzer for ‘Brazen Election Interference’ After Fraudulent Iowa Poll Shows Kamala Harris Ahead

President-elect Donald Trump is taking legal action against the Des Moines Register and its pollster, J. Ann Selzer, accusing them of “brazen election interference” and fraud.

On Monday morning, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to sue the Des Moines Register and its pollster, J. Ann Selzer, after Selzer’s manipulated final poll, published just days before the 2024 election, falsely claimed Kamala Harris was leading Trump in Iowa—a prediction proven wildly inaccurate when Trump secured a decisive 13-point victory in the state.

By late evening, Trump followed through, filing the lawsuit in Polk County, Iowa, under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.

The lawsuit targets the Des Moines Register, Selzer & Company, and the newspaper’s corporate parent, Gannett, Fox News first reported.

Trump’s attorneys argue the poll was a deliberate and orchestrated attempt to deceive voters and sway the election in Harris’s favor.

“Contrary to reality and defying credulity, defendants’ Harris Poll was published three days before Election Day and purported to show Harris leading President Trump in Iowa by three points; President Trump ultimately won Iowa by over thirteen points,” the lawsuit states.

The suit highlights Selzer’s reputation as a so-called “gold standard” pollster—an image that the media has long used to lend credibility to her work. Yet, as Trump’s lawyers point out, Selzer’s track record is far from spotless.

“Selzer had prided herself on a mainstream reputation for accuracy despite several far less publicized egregious polling misses in favor of Democrats” and said she “would have the public believe it was merely a coincidence that one of the worst polling misses of her career came just days before the most consequential election in memory, was leaked and happened to go against the Republican candidate.”

“The Harris Poll was no ‘miss’ but rather an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election,” the lawsuit states, adding that “defendants and their cohorts in the Democrat Party hoped that the Harris Poll would create a false narrative of inevitability for Harris in the final week of the 2024 Presidential Election.”

“Instead, the November 5 election was a monumental victory for President Trump in both the Electoral College and the Popular Vote, an overwhelming mandate for his America First principles, and the consignment of the radical socialist agenda to the dustbin of history.”

According to the lawsuit, the Democrat Party and its media allies were desperate for an artificial boost ahead of the 2024 election, given Kamala Harris’s undeniable weaknesses as a candidate.

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Biden Appointee Judge Upholds Iowa’s Crackdown on Questionable Registrations to Protect Election Integrity

U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher ruled in favor of Iowa’s initiative to scrutinize voter registrations flagged as potentially non-citizen.

This ruling, delivered Sunday, permits Iowa officials to continue investigating and challenging the validity of ballots cast by individuals on the state’s “questionable registrations” list—a measure aimed at ensuring illegal votes don’t dilute the voice of lawful citizens.

Judge Locher, appointed by Joe Biden, dismissed arguments from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that the voter registration review threatens newly naturalized citizens’ voting rights, according to AP.

Instead, the judge underscored Iowa’s obligation to preserve the integrity of its electoral process, particularly following a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing similar voter roll clean-ups in Virginia.

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