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For people serving time, books have long been a means of education, self-actualization and connection.
Advocates are speaking out about a new policy banning family, friends and third parties from sending books to incarcerated Iowans, who must now buy books themselves and only from approved vendors.
Locked up in a cell for 23 hours a day at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, Anji says one way her brother is coping is by reading a book a day.
“He s able to receive one book a day. And he s been trying to power through reading one book a day, basically,” she said. “This is going to put a huge damper on that just because of the fact of, if they re not working, they re not going to have the income. And they re going to have to rely on friends and family who are already stretched themselves.”
An Iowa bill that would strengthen legal protections for police and raise penalties for protest-related offenses would also offer civil immunity to some drivers who hit and injure protesters with their vehicles in certain situations.
Proponents say the bill would protect drivers who are trapped during unlawful protests occurring on roadways and grant them immunity if they are trying to carefully maneuver out of the area of an unlawful protest.
But that provision has drawn concern from opponents, who argue it extends protections to negligent drivers and sends the wrong message when paired with the other provisions of the bill affecting protesters.
Apr 29, 2021
In this March 1, 2021, booking photo, Harvey Hunter Jr. is shown in at the Polk County Jail in Des Moines, Iowa after turning himself in to face a charge of first-degree harassment. Hunter is defending a profane voicemail he left for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds that said she should be hung for treason, saying he didn t intend to threaten her and was expressing his opposition to her COVID-19 restrictions. (Polk County Jail via AP)
IOWA CITY An Iowa man charged with leaving a threatening voicemail telling Gov. Kim Reynolds she should be “hung for treason” defended his comments Thursday as free speech, saying he was expressing opposition to COVID-19 restrictions.
Man charged with threatening Iowa governor cites free speech
RYAN J. FOLEY, Associated Press
April 29, 2021
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In this March 1, 2021, booking photo, Harvey Hunter Jr. is shown in at the Polk County Jail in Des Moines, Iowa after turning himself in to face a charge of first-degree harassment. Hunter is defending a profane voicemail he left for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds that said she should be hung for treason, saying he didn t intend to threaten her and was expressing his opposition to her COVID-19 restrictions. (Polk County Jail via AP)AP
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) An Iowa man charged with leaving a threatening voicemail telling Gov. Kim Reynolds she should be “hung for treason” defended his comments Thursday as free speech, saying he was expressing opposition to COVID-19 restrictions.
Iowa Man Accused of Threatening Gov. Kim Reynolds Says He Was Just Giving His Opinion
On 4/29/21 at 4:19 PM EDT
Associated Press reported. This is why we got the First Amendment so we can criticize our government, said Harvey Hunter Jr., a 48-year-old truck driver from Stuart, Iowa, a small town about 40 miles west of Des Moines. It was my opinion.
Hunter is charged with first-degree harassment after the message he left on January 5. The message was left on a phone line that the governor s office had set up in order to collect input on whether Reynolds should continue Iowa s mask mandate.