skip to main content

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

play newscast audioPlay

Florida faces lawsuits over its new election law, a medical board fines an Indiana doctor for speaking about a 10-year-old's abortion, and Minnesota advocates say threats to cut SNAP funds are off the mark.

play newscast audioPlay

The White House and Speaker McCarthy gain support to pass their debt ceiling agreement, former President Donald Trump retakes the lead in a new GOP primary poll, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is impeached.

play newscast audioPlay

The growing number of "maternity care deserts" makes having a baby increasingly dangerous for rural Americans, a Colorado project is connecting neighbor to neighbor in an effort to help those suffering with mental health issues, and a school district in Maine is using teletherapy to tackle a similar challenge.

IA Gun-Reform Backers: Public Pressure Crucial After TX Shooting

play audio
Play

Thursday, May 26, 2022   

This week's school shooting in Texas has evoked feelings of hopelessness in the public sphere about avoiding future tragedies in the U.S. But gun reform advocates in Iowa feel lawmakers reluctant to approve changes shouldn't be able to shrug off the mounting frustration.

Tuesday's mass shooting that left nearly 20 elementary school students dead, comes a decade after the Sandy Hook massacre.

Congress is getting much of the blame for not agreeing on gun-control measures in recent years. Scott Peterson, the outgoing director for the group Iowans for Gun Safety, said policymakers are clearly dropping the ball.

"We have things that can be done," said Peterson, "that are reasonable and most gun owners actually find acceptable - but we don't have politicians that will do that."

Most national polls show partisan divides on gun control, but a majority of Americans have expressed support for things like universal background checks.

And Peterson said while many are upset with lawmakers in general, he feels Republicans should shoulder the blame because of their ties to the gun lobby.

A number of GOP lawmakers say issues such as mental health are the bigger problem.

Some of Iowa's prominent Republicans, including Gov. Kim Reynolds and U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, have received donations from the National Rifle Association.

Matt Sinovic, executive director of the group Progress Iowa, said these elected officials need to hear about how gun violence and mass shootings are a public health issue.

"Make sure that our voices are heard," said Sinovic, "that people are calling, that people are showing up, people are contacting the legislators and elected officials - to know that our safety matters more than that donation check they're getting from the NRA."

The public pressure comes after state lawmakers have relaxed some of Iowa's gun laws in recent years, including no longer requiring a permit to carry handguns.

And Reynolds is being asked by these groups to veto a bill that would allow semi-automatic rifles for hunting. Meanwhile, the Texas shooting has renewed calls for the U.S. to reinstate an assault weapons ban.


Disclosure: Progress Iowa contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Environment, Health Issues, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
Florida's newest elections law requires that third-party voter registration groups provide mandatory formal signature-matching training to specified persons by the Florida Secretary of State. (Pixabay)

Social Issues

play sound

The moment Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping elections bill into law last week, several voter-advocacy groups filed lawsuits against it…


Health and Wellness

play sound

An Indiana licensing board has fined a local physician $3,000 and handed her a letter of reprimand after she went public about a 10-year-old Ohio pati…

Social Issues

play sound

Groups fighting for children's health are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers to require insurance companies to cover hearing aids and related …


There used to be twice as many marshes and wetlands in Pennsylvania as there are today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Christina Saymansky/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

From conservation to sportsmen's groups, the U.S. Supreme Court is getting plenty of backlash over its most recent ruling, which weakens federal …

Social Issues

play sound

Rural Nebraska could lose on two fronts if two of Gov. Jim Pillen's budget vetoes are allowed to stand. Pillen struck down a second year of …

Smaller and mid-sized farms say due to market concentration and supply-chain issues within agriculture have made it much harder to get their foods to various markets, including schools and restaurants within their own regions. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Rural development leaders say getting healthy, locally grown food to underserved areas is a challenge in states like North Dakota. They hope a new …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report spotlights some of the challenges to accessing behavioral health care for the one in seven Americans who live in rural areas. Kendall …

Social Issues

play sound

On Wednesday, Xcel Energy customers will have a chance to tell the Colorado Public Utilities Commission what they think about the company's request - …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021