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Government Policy and Law

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Legislature unanimously backs opioid policy bill

Radio Iowa: The Iowa House has given final approval to the legislature’s policy responses to the opioid epidemic. In an effort to curb “doctor shopping,” physicians will be required to register prescriptions with the state’s drug …

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Abortion law approved by Iowa lawmakers could be nation’s most restrictive

Quad-City Times/Associated Press: Iowa lawmakers have passed what could be the most restrictive abortion legislation in the country. Republican lawmakers with control of the Statehouse passed the so-called “heartbeat” bill early today, with back-to-back chamber votes …

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Iowa Republicans agree on plans for what they call the largest tax cuts in state history

Des Moines Register: Statehouse Republicans announced an agreement late Friday on what they described as the largest state tax relief and tax policy package in Iowa history. The plan will provide Iowa individuals and small-business owners …

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Supreme Court rules against IDOT traffic camera ban

The Iowa Department of Transportation lacked legal authority to order the removal of traffic cameras in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Muscatine, the Iowa Supreme Court said in a 6-0 opinion released today. The case …

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Longest-serving judge on Iowa Supreme Court has died

The state Supreme Court justice who had the longest tenure on the bench has died, Radio Iowa reports. Retired Justice Jerry Larson was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 1978, and in September 2007 surpassed …

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State receives $50.9 million tobacco settlement payment

Tobacco companies involved in a 1998 landmark settlement transferred about $50.9 million to Iowa’s treasury on Thursday, Attorney General Tom Miller’s office announced. In the last 20 years, Iowa has received more than $1.2 billion …

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W.D.M. stormwater district still running downhill in the courts

The city of West Des Moines has lost what could be the final round of a legal fight to establish a stormwater fee district in a development area near the city’s western border.

If the …

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Vilsack signs on to rural political effort

Sioux City Journal: Tom Vilsack has joined a nationwide effort to help spread the liberal message in rural America in advance of the 2018 midterm elections. Vilsack, the secretary of agriculture in the Obama administration and …

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State sales tax may come to Netflix, Spotify

The Iowa House is proposing a new sales tax for “new economy” services like Uber, Netflix and Spotify, the Des Moines Register reports. Under the bill, users of sharing services would have to pay the 6 …

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Reynolds: Expand Pell Grant program for more short-term certificates

Gov. Kim Reynolds wants the U.S. Department of Education to expand the federal Pell Grant program to provide funds for more students enrolled in short-term certificate programs for high-demand fields. Although short-term training programs are …