10 of the Worst State Laws Going Into Effect in July
From minimum wage hikes to bans on cellphones in public schools, here are some of the most ridiculous ways state governments are interfering with Americans’ lives.
Iowa
Aspiring Barbers and Cosmetologists in Iowa Can Now Learn on the Job Instead of Paying Thousands for Classes
A new law creates an apprenticeship program allowing unlicensed Iowans to make an income from providing cosmetology and barbering services.
Iowa Landowners Fight Seizure of Private Property for a Pipeline
The proposed 2,500-mile pipeline would transfer carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in five states to a permanent storage site in North Dakota.
Treating Journalism As Consumer Fraud, Trump Claims Coverage of a Presidential Poll Was Not 'News Reporting'
The president's lawyers also conflate fraud with defamation, misconstrue the commercial speech doctrine, and assert that false speech is not constitutionally protected.
Cops Denied Qualified Immunity After Arresting Sober Teenager for DUI
"I blew a zero, so now you're trying to think I smoked weed?” Tayvin Galanakis asked the officer who arrested him in 2022. “That's what's going on. You can't do that, man.”
Trump Tries To Carve Out a First Amendment Exception for 'Fake News'
The president's portrayal of journalism he does not like as consumer fraud is legally frivolous and blatantly unconstitutional.
Decrying First Amendment Threat, FIRE Will Defend Pollster Whom Trump Sued for 'Consumer Fraud'
The president-elect frivolously claims that J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register owe him damages because of an erroneous preelection poll.
Trump Mounts a 'Direct Assault on the First Amendment' by Portraying Journalism As Consumer Fraud
The president-elect's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register is a patently frivolous and constitutionally dubious attempt to intimidate the press.
Iowa Supreme Court is Considering if the State Can Charge Acquitted Defendants for Court-Appointed Attorneys
Iowa has one of the most aggressive court systems in the country when it comes to billing defendants for court-appointed attorneys, even in cases where they're acquitted or charges are dropped.
Iowa's Supreme Court Keeps Libertarian Congressional Candidates Off the Ballot
Some Republicans didn't want the competition and opt for petty procedural complaints to kneecap their Libertarian rivals.
After Iowa Police Ignored Her Pleas for Help, Her Estranged Husband Killed Her
Angela Prichard was murdered after Bellevue police officers repeatedly refused to enforce a restraining order against her abusive husband.
Iowa Court Clears Mom of Endangerment Charges After She Let Kids Babysit
"No parent can shield a child from all risks," the Iowa Supreme Court ruled.
Iowa Cops Arrested a Sober College Student for Driving Intoxicated. His Lawsuit Is Moving Forward.
A federal judge ruled that Tayvin Galanakis' lawsuit against the officers who arrested them could go forward. He also approved part of the officers' defamation case against him.
Cops Arrested Him for a Fictitious Traffic Violation Because He Flipped Them Off
A federal judge allowed a lawsuit against the officers to proceed, finding evidence of several constitutional violations.
This Company Coal Town in Iowa Was a 'Black Utopia'
It was integrated, it was unionized—and it was a company town.
Trump Romps Through Iowa Caucuses, Calls for GOP to 'Come Together'
DeSantis appears to be on track to claim second place, a distant 30-ish percentage points behind Trump.
DeSantis, Haley Highlight the Republican Party's Deeply Unserious Approach to Social Security
A decade ago, DeSantis was supporting real efforts at reforming Social Security. Now, he's refusing to even acknowledge the problem.
Haley and DeSantis Pander to Iowans by Praising Ethanol Mandate
Unfortunately, none of the Republican candidates want to scrap the federal ethanol mandates.
Most Iowans Don't Care About the Caucuses. You Shouldn't Either.
How do the Iowa caucuses work? The fact that people have to ask every four years shows why this tradition should end.
DeSantis Wants To 'Eliminate the IRS' and Implement a Flat Tax
DeSantis says the new, single tax rate would mean "lower taxes for everyone" but that only demonstrates that he hasn't thought too deeply about how a flat tax would work.
Iowa Man Files Lawsuit After Being Arrested Twice for Criticizing the Police at a Public Meeting
"Ironically, the actions of the police department have only proven my point," Noah Petersen said after being handcuffed, arrested, and jailed for his speech.
An Iowa Man Published Body Camera Footage From His Arrest. The Cops Are Suing Him for Defamation.
Tayvin Galanakis was arrested last year on suspicion of intoxication, even after a Breathalyzer showed he was sober.
Arbitrary Rental Inspections Violate Search and Seizure Protections, Says Iowa Court
Warrantless home invasions are intrusive and dangerous for those on the receiving end.
Ethanol Subsidies Could Trip Up Debt Ceiling Negotiations
Plus: Home equity theft at the Supreme Court, New York shows how not to legalize marijuana, and more...
The Expensive, Seductive Nostalgia of Field of Dreams
Why are so many filmgoers and politicians eager to prop up baseball's boondoggles?
State Lawmakers Help Farmers by Improving Consumer Access to Raw Milk
The raw milk restoration is underway.
An Iowa Town Charged a Man With Disorderly Conduct Because He Called a Cop a 'Domestic Abuser'
Now a judge has cleared him of wrongdoing and struck down the rule used to justify the arrest.
It's Far Past Time To Decriminalize Fentanyl Test Strips
Plus: Lawmakers "demanding action" against slurs on Twitter, FTC sues to stop Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard, and more...
There's No Constitutional Right To Own a Pit Bull, Federal Court Says
Plus: A flawed study on marijuana risks, the collapsing publishing-house merger, and more...
The Election Betting Markets Fell Short. They're Still the Most Flexible Predictor.
People with money on the line try harder than pundits to be right, and they adjust quickly when they've made a mistake.
An Iowa Jury Awards $12 Million in Damages to a Man Who Was Wrongly Imprisoned for Sexual Abuse
A former guidance counselor served six years of a 25-year sentence thanks to a public defender's incompetence.
1st Amendment Protects Activist Recordings of Factory Farms, Rules Federal Judge
While animal-rights activists still risk trespassing charges, the state of Iowa cannot make it illegal to record while trespassing on private property.
Republican Governors and Attorneys General Think Every State Is a Border State
Some states that do not border Mexico have sought to play a role in immigration policy.
Field of Welfare: How COVID Funds Might Build a Money-Losing Ballpark in a Cornfield
Is there a single movie more tied up with lousy government policy than Field of Dreams?
In Iowa, You No Longer Need a Permit To Sell Guns Across the Road from the Governor's Mansion
A new state law prohibits localities from prohibiting or licensing "no-impact" home-based businesses. That's allowing a Des Moines couple to sell guns from their house located just across the street from the governor's mansion.
COVID Taught More Than 1 Million Parents the Value of School Choice
Educational freedom is good for everybody but unions, bureaucrats, and the education establishment.
School Choice Is a Smart Political Move
With educational freedom at stake, these midterm elections could defy the odds and be constructive.
A New Frontier in the War on Meth: A 40 Percent Tax on Bongs You Can't Use To Smoke Meth
Iowa smoke shop owners say the tax would be "a ban without being an outright ban."
The 5 (Mostly Libertarian) Candidates Who Might Get Blamed for Tipping Control of the Senate
Lindsey Graham just dodged a third-party bullet, but there are a handful of other tossup Senate races where third-party candidates could exceed the major candidates' margin.
