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Iowa’s decline is accelerating. So is the erosion of its divide between church and state.

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Iowa’s decline is accelerating. So is the erosion of its divide between church and state.



Religious doctrine having an outsized influence on the government has resulted in a worse outcome for Iowa by any of the measures that we find valuable and important to us.

Over the past dozen or so years, in the state of Iowa we have seen a new assault on the rights of its citizens that have put the future of our state in a precarious situation. It seems every other week there are reports and new sets of statistics tarnishing what was once a sterling record for Iowa on the well-being of its citizens.

We have seen Iowa lose its destination status for those looking for an excellent public education as well as a dearth of coverage for mental health care.  Iowa now ranks the worst in OBGYN coverage per capita in the US and is consistently cited as an example of what not to do when it comes to stewardship of our waterways. On top of these dire statistics, we are also seeing unprecedented assaults on the civil liberties of Iowans from banning books (and earning a slew of wasteful and costly lawsuits because of it) to banning transgender Iowans from participating in sports to restricting the right to privacy and health care for half of the state’s population.

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Things aren’t going so great for many citizens in Iowa, and the future may actually look darker for our most vulnerable citizens. However, it should be noted that, while most of the policies that have led to these dire statistics do indeed come from one side of the political aisle, there is actually a more concrete and direct golden thread throughout the changes that have come to Iowa.

That golden thread is the erosion of the wall between church and state.

Time and again we have seen the rights of Iowans under assault, and the origins of these assaults are consistently backed, supported and framed in strictly religious terms by religious organizations.

This was true back when Iowa was among the first in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. The backlash against this decision was swift, with religious organizations marshaling large and eventually successful campaigns to unseat the justices that were up for retention after that particular decision.  The opposition was specifically worded in religious terms, with nearly all the resources being marshaled by both in and out-of-state religious groups such as the Iowa Christian Alliance and the Family Leader, both explicitly and exclusively sectarian Christian organizations.

History repeated itself in 2023 with Gov. Kim Reynolds signing the “fetal heartbeat bill” that replaces scientific medical reasoning and civil rights consideration with religious dogma and faith-based claims, marking another intrusion of church into the affairs of the state. 

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Yet again we are seeing religious organizations and churches forming alliances with such groups as Moms for Liberty in order to replace access to information and science-based education with religious indoctrination and conspiracy theory misinformation. The trend continues with the “bathroom bill” that bars transgender Iowans from using a public bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. This is a more egregious example, as opposition to the bill came from professional medical, legal, civil rights, education, community, and yes, religious groups. The only folks in favor of taking away the rights of Iowans were religious groups, particularly groups that are demonstrating an outsized influence on government by using that same erosion of church and state to push religion — particularly sectarian Christian tenets and principles — into government.

This is not to say that all religious groups or religious people are responsible for the negative trajectory Iowa has been on. Far from it. There are champions for civil and human rights in every corner of the state and from every background.  There are sitting legislators who are religious or even members of clergy who stand in stark and direct opposition to these examples of bigotry above and are strong supporters of church-state separation.  They recognize that for every Iowan to have the most liberty and happiness possible, we cannot have church and state melded into one; theocracy is literally un-American and un-Iowan.  The actions of groups like the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and even entire denominations like the United Methodists (which has lost one-fifth of its membership over acceptance of LGBTQ+ people!) show that being religious doesn’t mean that you ought to be tarred with the same brush as Christian nationalists.

While it is crucial to highlight the negative consequences of the erosion of the separation between church and state, it is equally important to recognize the positive contributions that many religious groups and individuals bring to our communities. Throughout Iowa’s history, religious organizations have played pivotal roles in charitable work, community development, and providing support to those in need. Many individuals find solace, purpose, and a sense of belonging through their religious beliefs, fostering a rich tapestry of cultural diversity in our society. It is essential to distinguish between the actions of specific religious groups that contribute positively to our communities and the potential negatives of religious influence in the political sphere. Emphasizing the need for a robust separation between church and state does not diminish the positive impact of religion in individuals’ lives or the community. By fostering a respectful coexistence between religious and secular perspectives, we can work towards a society that upholds both individual freedoms and collective well-being. 

Secular groups are not looking to bar religion from the public arena. That would be as impossible as it would be un-American. Rather, they seek to keep the government secular in order to protect the rights of everyone. As the data and history demonstrate, the more the wall between church and state erodes, the worse it is for equality under the law, the worse it is for human rights, and the worse it is for an accountable and transparent government.

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Religious doctrine having an outsized influence on the government has resulted in a worse outcome for Iowa by any of the measures that we find valuable and important to us.  Essentially, the more religion and faith-based reasoning we have in government, the worse off we all seem to be. The solution is to rebuild that wall of church-state separation, for Iowa to go back to its roots and lean on science, reason and empathy to build a better state and future for all of us.  This is going to take all of us, religious and non-religious alike, but it is also going to take some tough looks inside of ourselves and at what faith means to us in the public square. If we want to follow that golden thread back to where Iowa used to be regarding civil and human rights, it is going to mean repairing that wall. It is going to mean challenging many of our preconceived notions about religion and what it means to us to have a government that respects and represents us all. It will also mean unraveling a lot of religious beliefs and influence on our Legislature.

“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we shall maintain” means all Iowans. Not just Christian, not just atheist. Not just gay or straight. Not just black or white. It means ALL Iowans. If we want to live up to the motto of our state, we will need to keep in check the faith-based groups that are assaulting them while supporting secular groups that protect them.

Jason Benell of Des Moines is president of Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers. Contact: president@iowaatheists.org.



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Iowa

Deer and Dog Friends Enjoy Stroll Together Through Iowa Town Before 'Remorseful' Parting

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Deer and Dog Friends Enjoy Stroll Together Through Iowa Town Before 'Remorseful' Parting


Bambi has found a friend outside the forest.

On May 1, the Tipton Iowa Police Department shared a humorous sighting from town on Facebook. According to the post, police officers observed a large, fluffy dog walking side-by-side with a deer down the sidewalks of Tipton. The pair stayed close like two friends on a leisurely stroll.

“Sometimes a dog just wants to take his deer for a walk!” the police department shared on Facebook alongside several photos of the animal duo.

The animals walk on a sidewalk past a blue building in two shots. In one of the photos, a police officer watches the two furry friends from a few feet away. In the final image shared in the post, the dog and deer are on a lawn, with the canine lying on the grass and the deer standing nearby.

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The police department shared an update about the walking buddies on Facebook, noting that officers eventually had to separate the pair because their jaunt through Tipton had become dangerous.

Dog and deer walking together in Tipton, Iowa.

Tipton Iowa Police Department 


“But all good walks must come to an end. The pair was too close to traffic.” the police wrote in the Facebook update.

A photo of each animal sitting in a police vehicle looking out the window accompanied the update post.

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“The dog is clearly remorseful, but the deer was muttering something about breaking free and doing it all again tomorrow!” the Tipton Iowa Police Department concluded their post.

The police department did not share any information on where the animals came from and if the pair had a pre-existing relationship before starting their walk.

Dog and deer on lawn together in Tipton, Iowa on May.

Tipton Iowa Police Department 


The deer and dog duo are the latest animal friends to win headlines. In March, two canines got attention online for their odd couple appearance.

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Stanley, a small 7-year-old dog, and Arthur, a large 4-year-old canine, arrived together at Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento County, California, on March 10. According to the shelter, rescuers found the dogs wandering together as strays.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“They are so funny together because they couldn’t look less alike, and yet, they’re so familiar with one another that it’s like they communicate telepathically — they always seem to know what the other one is thinking,” Luna Anona, the public information officer for Sacramento County Animal Care Services and Bradshaw Animal Shelter, told PEOPLE in March.

Sensing the close bond between the dogs, shelter employees set Stanley and Arthur up as roommates and made their adoption a package deal. A dog lover adopted pup buddies together shortly after their story appeared in the news, so now Stanley and Arthur will be “roommates for life.”



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New report details low staffing, high turnover in Iowa nursing homes

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New report details low staffing, high turnover in Iowa nursing homes


More than 43% of Iowa nursing homes do not meet upcoming federal mandates on staffing levels, a new national report shows.

The report also indicates 21 Iowa care facilities each cycled through three to five nursing home administrators during 2023.

Using newly published data collected by the federal government, a nonprofit advocacy group called the Long-Term Care Community Coalition has issued a detailed report outlining the staffing levels at every Medicare-certified nursing home in the nation during the fourth quarter of 2023.

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The report compares actual staffing levels with the Biden administration’s new rule mandating specific staffing levels in Medicare-certified nursing homes. That rule requires the presence of a registered nurse 24 hours per day, seven days a week in all facilities, as well as 3.48 hours per day, per resident of total nursing-staff time.

The rule will be phased in over the next five years and includes exemptions and waivers for facilities in rural areas that are making a good-faith effort to meet the new mandates.

The coalition’s report shows that 6 in every 10 U.S. nursing homes would have met the new nurse-staffing standard in the fourth quarter of 2023. Iowa homes fell below the national average, with 56.5% of them meeting the new standard.

The fact that a majority of facilities already meet the new minimum standard while still facing quality-of-care deficiencies has been an issue with many advocates, who say the standards don’t go far enough. They point to a federal study that shows each resident needs at least 4.1 hours of nursing care each day ― a standard met by only 26% of all nursing homes nationally and 24% of all homes in Iowa, according to the coalition’s report.

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The report indicates the Iowa homes with the lowest nurse staffing levels in the fourth quarter of 2023 were Arbor Springs of West Des Moines, Midlands Living Center of Council Bluffs, Linn Haven Rehab & Health Care of New Hampton, Pleasant Acres Care Center of Hull, Northbrook Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Cedar Rapids, Crest Haven Care Centre of Creston and Aspire of Perry. All reported less than 2.5 hours of total nursing care per resident, per day, according to the report.

A separate set of data published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicates that 14% of Iowa’s 422 nursing facilities were cited for insufficient staffing in fiscal year 2023. That’s more than double the national average, which was 5.9%.

Only five other states ― Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico and Oregon ― had a worse record of compliance with the sufficient-staffing requirement. Iowa neighbors Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Missouri had no more than 2% to 6.8% of their facilities cited for insufficient staffing in 2023.

Report pinpoints high turnover in some Iowa homes

The report also highlights a problem in many nursing homes nationwide: high staff turnover, which disrupts continuity of care and leads to errors by workers who aren’t familiar with residents’ needs.

According to the data, several Iowa homes had annual nurse staffing turnover rates of more than 85%, indicating that, on average, almost every nursing position in the facilities had been vacated and refilled in 2023.

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The Iowa homes with the highest rate of nursing-staff turnover, ranging from 85% to 100%, were Risen Son Christian Village of Council Bluffs, Sunrise Retirement Community of Sioux City, Wesley Acres of Des Moines, Arbor Springs of West Des Moines, Dunlap Specialty Care, Azria Health Park Place of Des Moines, Sunny Knoll Care Centre of Rockwell City and Montezuma Specialty Care.

The report also identifies the Iowa nursing homes that had the highest number of administrators who left employment with the facility during 2023.

The Elmwood Care Centre of Onawa and Heritage Specialty Care of Cedar Rapids are each reported to have had five administrators who left the facility in 2023. Azria Health Park Place of Des Moines, Sunny Knoll Care Centre of Rockwell City, Crest Haven Care Centre of Creston, Cedar Falls Health Care Center, Premier Estates of Muscatine, Westwood Specialty Care of Sioux City, Casa De Paz Health Care Center of Sioux City, Wesley Park Centre of Newton and Garden View Care Center of Shenandoah each are reported to have had four administrators leave during the year. Ten other Iowa nursing homes had three administrators leave during the year.

The coalition’s report shows that nationally, 4 of 5 nursing home residents live in facilities that are providing less than the federally recommended, but not mandated, 4.1 hours of total nursing-staff time per resident, per day. In addition, more than half a million nursing home residents live in facilities that don’t meet the new federal staffing requirement of 3.48 hours.

The report suggests one positive trend in nursing homes: a decreased reliance on temp-agency workers who often cost more but are less familiar with individual residents’ needs. After years of increased use of temp-agency workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of such workers nationwide accounted for 8% of all nursing staff hours, which is down from 8.7% the previous quarter.

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In Iowa, the average percentage of temp-agency workers was 7.3% in the last quarter of 2023, which was down slightly from 7.6% the previous quarter, and down significantly from 10.2% the previous year.

Find this storyat Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions:kobradovich@iowacapitaldispatch.com.



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Iowa Cubs Fall in Fifth Straight Game in 3-2 Loss to Storm Chasers

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Iowa Cubs Fall in Fifth Straight Game in 3-2 Loss to Storm Chasers


(Des Moines, IA) – The Iowa Cubs have now earned their fifth straight loss in a 3-2 bout against the Omaha Storm Chasers. Omaha takes the series victory 5-1 in the worst series from the Iowa Cubs that we have seen yet this season.

The Storm Chasers started off scoring in this game after Nick Pratto hit a home run that launched over the left-center field wall to put Omaha up 1-0 at the top of the first inning. In the top of the second inning, Storm Chaser Tyler Tolbert was able to go up to the plate with bases loaded and one out when he grounded into a double play but was still able to score the second run of the ballgame by scoring Devin Mann before the play could finish on the field to put Omaha up 2-0. Omaha would then go on to score their last run of the game in the fifth inning off a sac-fly by John Rave to left field to score Cam DeVanney from third to go up 3-0.

Iowa was eventually able to make a little run of their own on the back nine. Jake Slaughter hit a single with a runner in scoring position at third base as Tyler Gentry was able to score and bring it to a 3-1 Omaha lead at the bottom of the eighth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, David Peralta added on a solo home run to put the Cubs within one run of tying things up. That was followed up by a strikeout, field error, flyout, and a groundout to finish the ballgame.

Earning the win on the day was Carlos Hernandez who pitched in 1.0 inning while allowing no earned runs and had two strikeouts. Will Klein was able to earn the save for Omaha while pitching in 1.0 inning and allowed just one hit which was the home run. With the loss on the day was Cubbie Dan Straily who pitched in 5.0 innings while allowing all three runs and having five strikeouts.

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The Iowa Cubs will return to action when they travel to Syracuse on Tuesday with the game starting at 5:00 p.m.

(Information provided by milb.com) 

At Western Iowa Today, we strive for reporting accuracy. If you see a mistake or a typo, please let us know by email to news@westerniowatoday.com.

Story Content (c) 2024 Meredith Communications LC – All Rights Reserved.



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