Iowa Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Bisexual News - ACCESSlineIOWA, Iowa's LGBT+ Newspaper since 1986

High-risk insurance pool is 'a colossal failure' (DesMoinesRegister)

Lawmakers need to dig into mess, but they need to get HIV people insured

The Iowa Senate hearing on Monday began with lawmakers passing out copies of a Des Moines Register editorial. The newspaper has written about the failure of Iowa’s federally-funded “high risk pool” to enroll HIV-positive residents. Lawmakers questioned the pool’s executive director Cecil Bykerk and Iowa Insurance Division staff for an hour.

Does Branstad want his title removed from gay youth/anti-bullying conference? (DesMoinesRegister)

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has refused to say whether a report this week that he wants his title stricken from the “Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth” is accurate.

The conference is the premier event hosted by Iowa Safe Schools, an organization with a mission to protect children and stop bullying that can lead to poor school performance, increased dropout rates and child suicide.

Obama to bring ‘Made in the USA’ vision to Cedar Rapids factory (EasternIowaGovernment)

Nearly five years after he made Cedar Rapids his first stop on his campaign to transform America, President Obama will return to visit a factory to talk about his vision of a new era of “Made in America” manufacturing.

The president, who will deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress tonight, will make a midday visit to Cedar Rapids Wednesday to tour Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing, 1345 76th Ave SW.

Branstad: GOP should have said sooner Santorum won (TheRepublic)

Gov. Terry Branstad called it "a mistake" for Republicans to wait until late Friday night to declare Rick Santorum the winner of the Iowa caucuses, but said he respects the difficulty the head of the state party faced considering how close the vote was.

Republican Party of Iowa chairman Matt Strawn should have moved more quickly to declare Rick Santorum the winner, Branstad said Monday at his weekly news conference.