Olivia Rasmussen

Photo illustration by Olivia Rasmussen/Iowa Informer Last Thursday by a 63-30 vote, the Iowa House passed a 33-page amendment to a Senate bill giving police officers a pass on certain disciplinary issues with additional measures intended to strengthen legal protections for police in the wake of heightened police brutality and calls for racial justice. The vote also came amid former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial that resulted in his conviction on all counts Tuesday.

Photo illustration by Olivia Rasmussen/Iowa Informer Misinformation about a protest at the state Capitol last Thursday spread like wildfire across right-wing networks and social media accounts. Many of them backhandedly compared what happened to the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol that resulted in multiple deaths (and was supported by some of the same people dishonestly comparing the two events).

An Iowa bill, HSB 258, has been proposed to prohibit mandatory student and staff diversity training that includes “divisive concepts” in schools. While this bill seems vague enough to suggest progressive anti-discrimination legislation, those who are behind it might have another thing in mind. Only two explanations into what “divisive concepts” are and the intent of the bill seems different.