Hunter
01/31/20
At the state capital, legislators are working on bills that would block lawsuits against media critics and would require adult changing tables at state rest stops.
A House Judiciary subcommittee is looking at the lawsuits, which are intended to censor, intimidate and silence news media critics by making them foot the bill for a legal defense.
The bill, co-written by Republican committee chair Steven Holt and Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller, would allow a judge to dismiss such lawsuits if deemed frivolous or without merit.
An example that prompted the bill is a suit filed by an Iowa police officer when a local reporter published results of an investigation involving the officer and his relationship with a teenage girl. The paper won but had to use a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for its defense.
Another bill in the house would require the Department of Transportation to install and maintain changing stations for adults at their rest areas. The Cedar Rapids Gazette says that families with developmentally disabled members face challenges of finding appropriate places to attend to their needs while traveling. Meghan Malloy of Clive told lawmakers that it’s humiliating to put a child on the floor to change them, and wished the bill went further to require the changing facilities in all public buildings.
The Department of Transportation says it only has four facilities that can be retrofitted to accommodate adult changing tables.