Bleeding Heartland
Tuesday, Jul 6 2021
Catching up on some news from before the holiday weekend: a competitive Democratic primary is shaping up for an open Iowa Senate seat covering part of Cedar Rapids. Four-term State Representative Liz Bennett confirmed on June 30 that she will run for the district that State Senator Rob Hogg has represented since 2007. Hogg won’t seek re-election in 2022, he announced last month. Iowa has yet to adopt a new political map, but this district will cover some part of the city of Cedar Rapids.
Bennett is the ranking Democrat on the Iowa House Economic Growth Committee and a member of the Human Resources, Natural Resources, and Information Technology committees, as well as the Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations subcommittee. Having won four previous state legislative races, she will be the early favorite in the Iowa Senate primary.
Capitol Digest
PORN BLOCKING BLOCKED: A House Commerce subcommittee declined to advance a bill to block pornography on internet-connected devices and create a $5 adult entertainment fee to fund efforts to address human trafficking.
Communications companies questioned the constitutionality of the proposal from Rep. Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville, as well as the logistical challenges that would be created if HF 288 became law.
Representatives of ATT, T-Mobile and CenturyLink pointed out that apps are available to block certain kinds of content. The use of those apps is at the discretion of parents, for example, rather than the internet provider.
âIt would make us the policepersons for content and turn us into criminals if we donât enforce it enough,â said Mike St. Clair, representing the Iowa Communications Alliance of about 130 small broadband providers. âWe donât monitor content and donât wish to be in that business.â