logo
Anti-SLAPP bill on lawsuits related to free speech, press passes House

Anti-SLAPP bill on lawsuits related to free speech, press passes House

Yahoo11-03-2025

(Photo via Getty Images)
The Iowa House unanimously passed legislation Tuesday offering legal protections against lawsuits filed to limit freedom of speech and press.
House File 472 is the latest attempt to enact an anti-SLAPP law in Iowa. SLAPP refers to 'strategic lawsuits against public participation,' civil lawsuits filed without an expectation of winning in court, but as an attempt to intimidate a person or news organization from exercising First Amendment rights like freedom of speech and press by threatening a lengthy, expensive legal battle
Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said this measure was first brought forward in the wake of a 2018 lawsuit against the Carroll Times Herald filed by a Carroll police officer, who sued the newspaper after it reported that he had sexual relationships with teenagers, which the officer admitted to.
'Even though the newspaper won the lawsuit, it cost them $100,000 almost put them out of business,' Holt said.
The bill would hinder SLAPP lawsuits by allowing expedited relief in court for actions related to First Amendment rights, like freedom of speech and press, as well as freedoms to assemble, petition and of association. As of January 2025, 35 states and the District of Columbia have laws in place that provide ways to quickly dismiss SLAPP cases.
Iowa House lawmakers have passed anti-SLAPP bills with bipartisan support in several previous sessions, but the bills have failed to gain traction in the Iowa Senate. Rep. Megan Srinivas, D-Des Moines, urged support for the measure in floor debate Tuesday, saying she hopes the Senate will move on the bill this year.
'I've only had three opportunities to vote for this bill, and I'll do it again today, and I hope that I don't get a fourth chance, and that our colleagues across the (rotunda) will pick this up,' Srinivas said.
Holt said he is optimistic about the bill's chances in the Senate this year. The Senate version of the bill, Senate File 47, was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in February.
'I am proud that, in a bipartisan way, this chamber has been anti-SLAPP before anti-SLAPP was cool,' Holt said. 'It appears that it's now cool in the Senate, and actually is going to pass this session.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fmr. Congressman who introduced Trump's 2017 TCJA talks tax bill
Fmr. Congressman who introduced Trump's 2017 TCJA talks tax bill

Yahoo

time21 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Fmr. Congressman who introduced Trump's 2017 TCJA talks tax bill

The US Senate is weighing President Trump's budget bill. Former Congressman Kevin Brady, who introduced the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act during Trump's first term, joins Catalysts with Madison Mills to discuss the bill and its impact. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

CNN correspondent and crew detained and escorted from Los Angeles protest zone
CNN correspondent and crew detained and escorted from Los Angeles protest zone

Yahoo

time29 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

CNN correspondent and crew detained and escorted from Los Angeles protest zone

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police detained a CNN correspondent and crew reporting on protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles, calling into question whether law enforcement has been targeting journalists trying to cover the demonstrations after two other journalists were hit by rubber bullets. Video of the CNN crew's encounter broadcast by the network on Monday shows correspondent Jason Carroll and a colleague speaking to a Los Angeles police officer who explains that they must leave. The officer said they were not being arrested, given that they are members of the press, but that officers must remove them from the scene. He warned they would be arrested if they returned. The reporters are seen putting their hands behind their backs before officers escort them away. Carroll explained later that he was asked to put his hands behind his back. He said officers didn't put zip ties on him, but did grab both his hands as they escorted him from the area. Police asked for his name and other basic information. When he asked if he was being arrested, they said he was not, but he was being detained. Members of the press take some risks and this was low on that scale of risks, Carroll said. 'But it is something that I wasn't expecting, simply because we've been out here all day,' he said. The National Press Club called on Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna to stop targeting, detaining, or obstructing journalists, and to guarantee that journalists can safely report on the demonstrations. It also called on them to investigate and hold those responsible accountable. 'Police cannot pick and choose when the First Amendment applies. Journalists in Los Angeles were not caught in the crossfire — they were targeted,' National Press Club President Mike Balsamo said in a statement. Balsamo is law enforcement news editor for The Associated Press. On Sunday, Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg by a rubber bullet while reporting live, with a microphone in her hand, from protests in downtown Los Angeles. The shooting occurred after a tense afternoon in which the 9News correspondent and her crew were caught between riot police and protesters. Video of the event shows an officer behind Tomasi suddenly raising a firearm and firing a nonlethal round at close range. Tomasi cries out in pain and clutches her lower leg as she and her cameraman quickly move away from the police line. Speaking later to 9News, Tomasi confirmed she was safe and unharmed. 'I'm OK, my cameraman Jimmy and I are both safe. This is just one of the unfortunate realities of reporting on these kinds of incidents,' she said. Meanwhile, a British photographer remained hospitalized Monday after undergoing surgery for a similar strike to the thigh Saturday in Paramount, a city south of Los Angeles. The Associated Press

Hawley bill would raise minimum wage to $15
Hawley bill would raise minimum wage to $15

The Hill

time30 minutes ago

  • The Hill

Hawley bill would raise minimum wage to $15

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wants to double the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, with legislation filed Tuesday to increase the rate adopted nearly two decades ago. 'For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline,' Hawley said in a statement to The Hill. 'One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hard-working Americans every day.' The increase would take effect next year, when Hawley's home state hikes its rate to the same level. Most states, like Missouri, have set minimum hourly wage levels above the $7.25 federal rate, and nearly a dozen of them will have minimum rates at or above $15 an hour after increases take effect this year. Five states — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee — have never set their own rates, and three — Georgia, Oklahoma and Wyoming — have state minimums below $7.25 per hour. Those eight states all default to the federal rate. The Hawley legislation, cosponsored by Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), also would set automatic increases to match inflation over time to prevent future standstills like the nation has faced since the last federal hike in 2009. Minimum wage hikes have historically faced pushback from some business advocacy groups. 'This proposal would more than double the minimum wage and slash over 800,000 jobs,' Rebekah Paxton, research director at the Employment Policies Institute, said in a statement on Hawley's latest push. 'An overwhelming majority of economists agree that drastic minimum wage hikes cut employment, limit opportunities for workers and shutter businesses.' 'Hawley's proposal would take similar failed policies like California's and export them nationwide,' she added. It's unclear whether the GOP-controlled Senate and House will take up the bipartisan legislation or what the timeline could look like as lawmakers try to hash out President Trump's priority legislation. The White House declined to comment on Hawley's proposed minimum wage increase. A spokesperson told The Hill in an email that they would not 'get ahead of the President on pending legislation.' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rejected the idea of increasing the minimum wage earlier this year. But Trump acknowledged in a 'Meet the Press' interview a month before the start of his second presidency that the current minimum wage is 'very low' but said he didn't want to raise it to a level that would ultimately force businesses to shutter. 'There is a level at which you could do it, absolutely,' the then-president elect told host Kristen Welker. 'I would consider it.' Trump added that the debate is 'very complicated' because the cost of living varies among states. 'It would be nice to have just a minimum wage for the whole country, but it wouldn't work because you have places where it's very inexpensive to live,' he said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store