Iowa

Johnson County May Share New Law Enforcement Facility with Iowa City, Promising Efficiency and Cost Savings

by

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Authorities in Johnson County are considering a proposal to house multiple law enforcement functions under one roof, a move expected to include both the local sheriff’s office and the Iowa City police department. The shared facility is poised to drive substantial cost savings while integrating services in a new, strategically designed space. The proposed facility would notably house the Johnson County jail, addressing space and facility inadequacies with the existing infrastructure. Persistent efforts by Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel to secure a new jail facility have faced voter resistance in the … Read more

Woodbury County Supervisor Found in Violation of Iowa Union Protection Laws

by

Sioux City, Iowa – A judge has ruled that a Woodbury County Supervisor, Jeremy Taylor, violated Iowa state law which mandates protection for union activities. This decision highlights a conflict between local government officials and union rights, emphasizing the ongoing national debate about labor relations and union representation. Taylor, who has been a Woodbury County Supervisor since 2015, was found to have intentionally interfered with the rights of county employees to discuss unionizing. His actions, which included consultations with the county human resources director and an attorney, were deemed a direct violation of Iowa’s Public … Read more

Iowa Amends Constitution to Exclude Non-Citizens from Voting, Sparking Legal Battles and Civic Concerns

by

Iowa voters have decisively passed a constitutional amendment ensuring that only U.S. citizens can participate in the state’s elections. This legislative action underscores a growing debate about voter eligibility amidst a heightened national discourse on immigration. This change follows a revelation by Iowa’s Secretary of State, Paul Pate, who reported identifying over 2,000 potential non-citizens in the voter registry just ahead of the elections. In late October, Pate disclosed findings from an audit conducted on state voter databases, targeting individuals who had registered with the Iowa Department of Transportation as non-citizens at any point over … Read more

Iowa Secretary of State Sued Over Ballot Challenges for Naturalized Citizens Alleging Voter Suppression

by

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate faces a federal lawsuit for instructing election officials to question the eligibility of over 2,000 voters, primarily targeting those who were issued driver’s licenses as legal residents but may not currently hold U.S. citizenship. The legal battle, initiated by the League of United Latin American Citizens alongside four naturalized citizens, puts a spotlight on the challenges and bureaucratic hurdles new U.S. citizens encounter when exercising their voting rights. Among those affected is Orcun Selcuk, a political science professor at Luther College in Decorah, originally from … Read more