(Radio Iowa) – Five women who say there are dozens of inappropriate books in their local schools are questioning the process of trying to require parental permission before students may have access to some school library books. The women are members of a group called Moms for Liberty and they were invited to testify at a hearing in the Iowa Capitol last (Monday) night. Amy Dea has challenged a book that’s been required reading in a Carroll High School class. “No student should have access to this filth in their school,” Dea said.

Pam Gronau says she believes 55 books in the Urbandale School Library contain obscene material.  “We have looked up other school districts all across Iowa,” she said, “and there are dozens of inappropriate books found in many of them.” House Government Oversight Committee chairwoman Brooke Boden, a Republican from Indianola, convened last (Monday) night’s hearing. Boden says lawmakers need to make sure Iowa schools aren’t arming children with pornography.

“We need to sit down and figure out a way that we can work together with our school administrations and figure out how this does not get into the hands of our children,” Boden said. Representative Lindsey James, a Democrat from Dubuque, says there’s been a reemergence of book challenges in public schools.  “Long before we had Moms for Liberty challenging the Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian, we had the Daughters of the Confederacy…challenging Uncle Tom’s Cabin which aimed to expose the evils of slavery,” James says.

Representative Sean Bagniewski, a Democrat from Des Moines, says his constituents want lawmakers to focus issues like population loss and crumbling infrastructure. “I have not heard from anybody who thinks that the number one priority for the state of Iowa is banning books or going through the school curriculum,” he says.

Governor Kim Reynolds spoke at a Moms for Liberty event last week and said if a book is banned in one school district, state law should require that all other Iowa schools get a parent’s permission before letting a student see it.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa District Court judge has granted the state’s motion for a temporary injunction and issued a consent order requiring the cleanup of hazardous waste from the C6-0 facility in Marengo.

C6-0 and its owner Howard Brand agreed to pay $330,000 to a consultant to get rid of the soil and water contamination left from the December explosion and fire at the plant that recycled shingles. The order also requires the company to keep paying until it has reached compliance with state law.

The company has until February 17th to implement a site assessment plan required by the DNR and until March 3rd to submit a remedial action plan. It must also provide the DNR with a list of chemicals present during the explosion, and allow DNR representatives to visit the site.

(Radio Iowa) – Abortion opponents say it’s time for a ban on all abortions in Iowa. Republican Representative Luana Stoltenberg of Davenport spoke at a prayer service in the Iowa Capitol. “My prayer is that Iowa will pass a life at conception bill to protect our most vulnerable and defenseless citizens and our women and children,” Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg had three abortions as a teenager and has become an outspoken critic of the procedure. “I stand before you to say abortion is not a good option and we need to end it in our state,” Stoltenberg said.

Maggie DeWitte of Pulse Life Advocates said the goal is to make abortion “unthinkable” in our society. “Now is not the time to stand on the sidelines,” DeWitte said. “Roe was the first step, but we have much much more that we need to do.” DeWitte cited self-administered abortion pills, for example, as a target as well as legislation to ban all abortions.

Republican Senator Kevin Alons of Salix said the six-week abortion ban Governor Reynolds approved in 2018 spurred similar action in other states and he’s urging the Iowa Supreme Court to quickly let that law take effect. “There is a lot more to do and obviously the goal is a life at conception (law), to preserve every life,” Alons said.

Governor Kim Reynolds addressed the crowd, but did not directly mention passage of a state law to ban all abortion. Reynolds said after a five year court fight, her focus is on getting the six-week abortion ban she approved in place, as well as more state spending on groups that support pregnant women and at-risk fathers. “It’s up to us to not only dismantle abortion’s culture of death, but to build a culture of life,” Reynolds said.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird also addressed the crowd at the prayer rally. “As your attorney general, my job is to uphold the law and to protect the rights and freedoms of all Iowans, born and unborn,” she said.

Republican legislative leaders have said they’d hold off on considering new abortion restrictions until after the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling on the six-week abortion ban is issued. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst has been predicting Republican lawmakers “can’t help themselves” and would not be able to wait until 2024.