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Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-SLAPP bill on lawsuits related to free speech, press passes Iowa House
DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch) — The Iowa House unanimously passed legislation Tuesday offering legal protections against lawsuits filed to limit freedom of speech and press, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. 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. Iowa schools eligible for $1,000 match on local food purchases 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. Gov. Kim Reynolds says economy may be 'bumpy' under Trump policies, but projects long-term benefits '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.' Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network 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: info@ Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-SLAPP bill on lawsuits related to free speech, press passes House
(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.'
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa lawmakers try again to pass anti-SLAPP bill expediting First Amendment cases
Iowa lawmakers are trying again to pass legislation aimed at protecting freedom of speech and the press from lawsuits intended to intimidate. (Photo by) Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said Tuesday he has high hopes for the Iowa Legislature to pass an anti-SLAPP bill this session after several years of the measure stalling. SLAPP, or 'strategic lawsuits against public participation,' is a term used for civil lawsuits filed to intimidate a person or news organization from speaking publicly about certain issues. The individuals or organizations bringing these suits do not necessarily think they can win in court, but aim to stop reporting or public speech on a subject by threatening a drawn-out, expensive legal battle. House Study Bill 116 is this year's run at passing anti-SLAPP legislation in Iowa — one of 15 states that does not have a state measure protecting against these lawsuits. The bill has been passed by the House in previous sessions, but has yet to clear the Senate. But this year, Holt said he believes the bill has 'outstanding chance this year to advance to the Senate.' The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate File 47, the companion bill to the House measure, earlier Tuesday. 'I think this year we're going to get it done,' Holt said. Holt said his interest in passing anti-SLAPP legislation began in 2018 when a Carroll police officer sued the Carroll Times Herald for libel after the paper reported he was having sexual relationships with teenagers, an act he admitted to. The court case cost the paper over $100,000 and took more than a year to conclude. The legislation, Holt said, would help prevent these situations by allowing for an expedited relief in court on actions that involve freedom of speech and of the press, as well as the rights to assemble, petition and of association. 'What this legislation allows is a sort of an expedited judgment up front, if the lawsuit is that way, is trying and attempting to silence speech,' Holt said. 'Obviously, if there's slander something there, the judge would determine, 'no, it doesn't fit,' it would move forward. But it does allow that expedited relief and also reasonable attorney fees to the individual who's targeted.' David Walker, a member of the Uniform Law Commission of Iowa, said the legislation is an important step toward protecting constitutional rights of Iowans. 'This is bipartisan legislation — really crucial to our democracy, in protecting public expression against the kind of intimidation that is real, and that has effect without the protection of this act,' Walker said. '… I would say that it broadly protects all First Amendment rights which are replicated at the Iowa Constitution.' Several speakers supported the bill on behalf of news organizations, saying the measure will help prevent the judiciary from being used to restrict First Amendment rights. The bill was also supported by multiple speakers who said they had faced threats of legal action for their comments about the construction of Summit Carbon Solutions' proposed pipeline. Rep. Megan Srinivas, D-Des Moines, said though she has not been working on the legislation as long as Holt, she has 'very vehemently' supported the measure for the past two years. 'I'm eager to do so again, for all of the reasons that each of you have stated, from trying to protect just our constitutional rights to freedom of speech — the very basics of what we should all be standing upon — and the good work that so many in the newspaper industry and journalism industry have done for our state,' Srinivas said. The House bill is now available for consideration by the House Judiciary Committee. The Senate measure will be available for floor debate after being placed on the calendar.
