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Josh catches us up on the first few weeks of the legislative session and has a conversation with State Senator Tony Bisignano (D-Polk) about the two constitutional amendments being rammed through the legislature. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

New Daily Dome host Josh Cook talks to State Rep. Lindsey James about the first few weeks of the session and the bizarre priorities that have come out of GOP leadership. Links Rep. James's legislative page Follow Rep. Lindsey James on Twitter Follow Josh Cook on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Today we discuss Governor Kim Reynolds's Condition of the State address, and play a clip from a conversation with Iowa Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls of Iowa City. Senator Wahls spoke to us about the insurrection in Washington last week, how the legislature is adjusting to the ongoing pandemic, and the Democratic caucus’s agenda for this session, specifically surrounding COVID recovery. Links: Subscribe to What a Week Sen. Zach Wahls Read Gov. Kim Reynolds 2021 Condition of the State speech (Des Moines Register) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

We cover the bullet points from House and Senate leadership's opening remarks and how they were all overshadowed by a superspreader event one floor below protesting things that don't exist. It's very cool and very sane. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

We're back for the Iowa's Legislature's 89th General Assembly and our third season. Today the leaders of Iowa's legislative branch outline their goals for the year and try not sigh too deeply because... pandemic. Still. Links: The Iowa Legislature What a Week: Treason, Terror, and a Silver Lining --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Outside of the Iowa Department of Public Health there may be no one who's more closely tracked the number of cases of COVID-19 than State Senator Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids). He talks to Paige about the numbers he's seeing and Since the Iowa Legislature adjourned on Sunday this will be the last episode of Daily Dome for this season. Thank you for listening and we'll see you back in January! Links: Follow Senator Hogg on Twitter Follow Paige Godden on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Georgia journalist Rahul Bali from the Oconee Radio Group joins Paige to talk about the election issues in his state this past week and how voting early can prevent it happening here. Unfortunately for Iowans, the Senate just passed a bill making it harder to get a mail-in ballot and harder to cast it once they do. Links Iowa Senate bars secretary of state from mailing absentee ballot requests (The Gazette) Follow Rahul on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Paige spoke with members of the Des Moines Black Lives Matter Creative Collective on the five demands the movement has for state legislators. Unfortunately, no members were available to meet with them. Links: Contact your state legislator Follow DesMoinesBLM on Twitter Follow DesMoinesBLM on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Back in March a group of LGBTQ+ students were removed from the Iowa Capitol by state police after complaints some students used the "wrong" bathrooms. They broke neither law nor rules of the Capitol but they were still forced to leave. Rep. Jennifer Konfrst (D-Des Moines) was one of the elected officials who met with them outside afterwards. She talks with us about what she saw that day and what needs to change to make our capitol and our state a more welcoming place for all. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Paige talks to Matthew Bruce, an organizer with the unofficial Black Lives Matter chapter in Des Moines about this weekend's actions and the demands of the movement. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Paige talks with Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen (D-Des Moines) about Democrats' legislative priorities before this weekend's second funnel. Links What is "the funnel" Follow Janet Petersen on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

The Iowa legislature is back after a 3 month hiatus due to COVID-19 and we're right back with them. Paige talks to Rep. Ras Smith (D-Waterloo) about the protests in Waterloo over the death of George Floyd and police brutality and the legislation to reform police departments he'll be announcing on June 4th. Links: Rep. Smith's legislator page Follow Rep. Smith on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Well, it happened. The Iowa Legislature has suspended for at least 30 days, likely until the COVID-19/Coronavirus crisis is over. Since nothing (literally) is happening at the Capitol, our mics will go quiet. Once they come back, so will we. Wash your hands and stay safe. Thanks for listening. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Though the bill didn't make it through the the legislative funnel, Rep. Ras Smith (D-Waterloo) joined us to talk about his push allow Iowa's student athletes to receive monetary compensation for their likeness. Links: The Gazette: Pay for play? Iowa lawmakers propose college athletes be paid Rep. Ras Smith's legislator page Follow Rep. Smith on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

John Forbes is a pharmacist from Urbandale who supports allowing Iowans to use cannabis products for medicinal purposes. Lucky for those Iowans, he's also a State Representative. The background: Governor Reynolds vetoed a medical cannabis bill last year that passed with bipartisan support. There was a discrepancy in the amount of THC these products could contain. The Medical Cannabidiol Board recommended a limit of 4.5 grams per every 90 day prescription, the Legislature's bill contained a 25 gram limit. The bill discussed today would set the cap at that 4.5 gram amount. Links: Rep. John Forbes's legislator page Follow Rep. Forbes on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Paige is joined by Rep. Tracy Ehlert of Cedar Rapids to talk about the bipartisan push for more affordable child care across our state. Links: Rep. Tracy Ehlert's legislator page --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Fresh off their Moral Monday speech, Lana Shope from Iowa Community Action Association and Mary Nelle Trefz from the Child and Family Policy Center talk with Paige about two bills working their way through the legislature that could make it harder for Iowans to receive assistance. Links: Iowa Community Action Association Child and Family Policy Center Moral Mondays Iowa --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Paige sits down with reporter Josh Cook, who covered health care and rural issues for Iowa Starting Line to talk about Iowa Democratic Party Chair Mark Smith's rural health care tour and how Democrats could (and should) approach small town and rural Iowa and make sorely needed gains there. Links: Follow Josh Cook on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Paige sits down with the new chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, Representative Mark Smith. Rep. Smith is embarking on a multi-city tour to talk about health care and the choice in November's US Senate election here in Iowa. Links: The Gazette: Iowa Democratic leader on the road to attack Joni Ernst's on health care Rep. Mark Smith's legislator page Follow Rep. Smith on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

Rep. Chuck Isenhart (D-Dubuque) is the Ranking Member on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee. Paige talks to him about what that subcommittee does, what his priorities are this session, and how Iowans can help. But first, a bit about our new host! Links: Save REAP on Facebook Rep. Chuck Isenhart's legislator page --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message