Iowa

Iowa Republican shelves bill to criminalize death of an “unborn person” because of IVF concerns

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

Iowa Republican shelves bill to criminalize death of an “unborn person” because of IVF concerns

DES MOINES, Iowa — A bill that would have criminalized the death of an “unborn person” has been shelved in Iowa after a Senate Republican joined Democrats in voicing concerns about the potential impact on in vitro fertilization after an Alabama court found frozen embryos can be considered children.

The Senate declined to consider the bill, which was approved by the House last week. It would have amended the language to pertain to “causing of death of, or serious injury to, an unborn person,” defined as “an individual organism of the species homo sapiens from fertilization to live birth.”

Iowa’s law currently outlines penalties for termination or serious injury to a “human pregnancy.”

Republican Sen. Brad Zaun, who leads the Senate judiciary committee, did not assign the bill to a subcommittee because he was concerned about the “unintended consequences” for IVF, he told reporters.

Before voting on the House floor, Democrats raised the Alabama case, warning that the proposed language would pose a risk to the procedure that helps some women become pregnant.

Iowa Republican Rep. Skyler Wheeler said the bill was much simpler than Democrats were suggesting, and that they were “trying to turn this into a conversation that it is not.”

After the Senate rejected the bill, the chair of the House judiciary committee, Rep. Steven Holt, said they did not believe IVF was at risk because of differences in Iowa and Alabama’s constitutions. Still, Holt said, he understood the concerns and said it’s “certainly a discussion we’ve got to have before we would move it on” in the future.

The majority ruling of Alabama’s Supreme Court treated an embryo the same as a child or gestating fetus under the state’s wrongful death law, explicitly stating “unborn children are ‘children.’” That led three major providers of IVF in Alabama to pause services because of concerns about liabilities.

The bill in Iowa was one of many being considered by state Legislatures around the country that would expand legal and constitutional protections for embryos and fetuses, a long-time goal of the anti-abortion movement.

Democratic Rep. Jennifer Konfrst criticized House Republicans for the initial denial that IVF was at stake, which Democrats had warned before it passed.

“They got caught running a bill that did more than they said. They mocked us when we said it did that. And then other Republicans pulled the bill because it did just what we said,” Konfrst told reporters Thursday. “That is politics at its worst.”

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Iowa

3 Biggest Needs for Iowa State Basketball in Transfer Portal

Published

10 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

3 Biggest Needs for Iowa State Basketball in Transfer Portal

There have been a lot of things that T.J. Otzelberger has excelled at as the head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, but if there is one thing that truly sticks out as a strength, it is his ability to identify players who fit his scheme perfectly.

Whether it is in the transfer portal or recruiting high school athletes, the Cyclones’ depth chart has been restocked successfully year after year. This offseason, Otzelberger faces arguably his toughest test yet.

Five seniors are departing, one player has entered the transfer portal and Milan Momcilovic declared for the 2026 NBA Draft with the ability to come back to school if he chooses. With so many potential voids to fill, where should Iowa State prioritze their attention?

Here are their three biggest needs heading into the transfer portal opening.

Capable Lead Ball Handler

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) controls the ball in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Replacing a player of Tamin Lipsey’s caliber is virtually impossible. He is one of the best players in Cyclones history and will assuredly have his No. 3 uniform raised to the rafters at some point in the future.

The long-term outlook of the backcourt is excellent, with Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon being joined by incoming Class of 2026 guards Christian Wiggins and Yusef Gray Jr. However, there is a major need for some experience and depth.

Cade Kelderman is heading into the portal, which will be a blow to the depth. Ideally, Otzelberger will find someone capable of not only running the offense but helping set the tone defensively as well.

There is a lot to like about Jaquan Johnson to help fill that void. Despite being undersized at 5-foot-9, he is the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-MVC First Team selection.

Do-It-All Nate Heise Replacement

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) moves the ball in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Over the last two seasons, Nate Heise has done everything to help Iowa State win basketball games. Regardless of what his role has been, whether he comes off the bench or starts, he has excelled.

Finding glue guys like that who are willing to do the dirty work to help a team win is easier said than done. But, there is one player who sticks out as an ideal target: Trevian Carson, formerly of the North Dakota State Bison.

He dominated in the Summit League, stuffing the stat sheet efficiently. It wasn’t just him beating up on lower-level competition, as he performed well against the UC Irvine Anteaters, Drake Bulldogs and Michigan State Spartans.

His skill set is similar to Heise’s in so many ways, as an excellent rebounding guard who can do a little bit of everything while providing versatility on the defensive side. However, he offers even more offensive upside with better efficiency numbers.

Power Forward Depth

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

If there is one area of the roster that looks shored up right now, it is the frontcourt. Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta are both expected to be back. Jackson Kiss and Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan are part of the Class of 2026 with bright futures.

However, the Cyclones are thin at power forward. Pleta could play some minutes there as he did previously before joining Iowa State. Kiss has received some comparisons to Joshua Jefferson, but there is no way Otzelberger thrusts a freshman into that size of a role.

There aren’t many players in the country who make an all-around impact at as high a level as Jefferson did; finding a one-for-one replacement will be virtually impossible. But if they were to lean toward a specific skill set, finding someone who can put the ball in the basket would be ideal.

An offensive-minded forward would become even more important to find if Momcilovic doesn’t return for his senior year.

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Iowa State basketball names veteran Tim Buckley as new assistant coach

Published

22 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

Iowa State basketball names veteran Tim Buckley as new assistant coach

Iowa State men’s basketball has filled the first assistant coaching vacancy on its staff.

The Cyclones announced on Monday, April 6, that head coach T.J. Otzelberger has named Tim Buckley as a new assistant coach. He will begin his duties with Iowa State immediately.

Buckley most recently served as an assistant for two seasons at Cincinnati, but he comes to Ames with more than three decades of coaching experience. He was also previously part of Otzelberger’s staff for both years of his tenure at UNLV from 2019-21.

“A renowned coach in player development, I’m excited to have Tim join our staff at Iowa State,” Otzelberger said in a statement. “Tim brings a wealth of knowledge, both as a head coach and assistant coach. He has recruited and developed some of the top talents in the NBA. I’m thrilled that our student-athletes will get the opportunity to work with Tim.”

The 62-year-old Buckley has garnered a reputation for his player development and recruiting. Before arriving in Ames, he got Division I head coaching experience at Ball State (2000-06), and he’s also been an esteemed assistant coach at Wisconsin (1993-94), Ball State (1994-99), Marquette (1999-00, 2007-08), Iowa (2006-07), Indiana (2008-17), UNLV (2019-22), South Carolina (2022-24) and Cincinnati (2024-26).

Before joining Otzelberger’s staff at UNLV, he was also a scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2017-19.

Buckley has worked with 12 NBA Draft picks, nine of whom were drafted in the first round. Of those nine first-round picks, six of them were lottery picks. Some of the top talent Buckley has recruited and developed include Dwyane Wade, Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh. He also helped coach All-American Yogi Ferrell at Indiana.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to be reunited with T.J. Otzelberger,” Buckley said in a statement. “What he has done over the last five years is amazing. Iowa State is a nationally recognized program and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Buckley played at Waubonsee Community College from 1982-84, before finishing his playing career at Division II Bemidji State from 1984-86. After that, he went right into coaching at his alma mater for two seasons, before moving over to Division III Rockford, where he spent one year as an assistant. He was promoted to Rockford’s head coach, a job he held from 1989-93, before breaking through to the Division I ranks.

Iowa State finished this past season at 29-8. The Cyclones reached the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years under Otzelberger. The Cyclones still have one assistant coaching vacancy to fill, after J.R. Blount (San Diego) and Kyle Green (Northern Iowa) departed for head coaching opportunities.

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.

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