Counties hit with $74,000 in plaintiffs’ attorney fees for trying to restrict petition circulators

The Minnehaha County Courthouse and Lawrence County violated the First Amendment rights of petition circulators. They had to pay $74,000 in attorney fees and costs. The circulators were gathering signatures for measures related to abortion rights and state sales taxes. Lawyer Jim Leach represented the group in their successful lawsuit. Continue reading Counties hit with $74,000 in plaintiffs’ attorney fees for trying to restrict petition circulators

More than half of Iowa’s tested streams and lakes are ‘impaired’

There are at least 721 water body segments in Iowa that do not meet water quality standards for recreation, public water supplies and the protection of aquatic life, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR has drafted its latest list of “impaired” waters that it is required to submit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency every two years. The list is based on data collected by the department and numerous other entities between 2020 and 2022, and it is used to guide restrictions for stream pollution for Continue reading More than half of Iowa’s tested streams and lakes are ‘impaired’