The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa has released its 2017-2018 Legislative Report and Civil Liberties Scorecard.
It includes an examination of key votes by Iowa state representatives and state senators, as well as Iowa's four U.S. representatives and two U.S. senators. Legislators were scored by their votes in favor of and contrary to positions taken by the ACLU of Iowa.
During the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions, which together constitute the 86th General Assembly of Iowa, the ACLU of Iowa filed formal declarations of support or opposition on more than 300 bills.
This report focuses on a handful of bills related to a wide range of civil liberties and civil rights issues. All of them received a floor vote in the Iowa House or Senate. They include, among others:
- 20-Week Abortion Ban: SF 471
- Sanctuary Cities Ban: SF 481
- “Stand Your Ground”: HF 517
- Voter ID: HF 516
- Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform: SF 446
The purpose of the Legislative Report and Civil Liberties Scorecard is for voters and legislators alike to see how elected representatives view core freedoms and to hold elected officials accountable.