Commentary: Protecting Our Forgotten Rights

Robbing a bank is a crime everywhere. But in some places and times you could become a criminal just by growing vegetables, feeding the homeless, playing poker or working without a government-mandated license.

African immigrant Tedy Okech risked arrest when she started working as a hair braider. She learned the craft in her youth by practicing on her mother and sisters. When she settled in Idaho in 2005, she found neighbors willing to pay for her skills. Soon she had a thriving side gig, which supplemented her income as a part-time insurance agent.

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Iowa Governor: Education Bills Provide ‘Transformational’ Reform

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed seven bills that cover education issues, her office announced Friday.

The bills’ topics range from parents’ rights, state board of regents’ responsibilities and licensing for teachers moving into Iowa from other states. All but two bills – SF391 and SF496 – received unanimous or nearly unanimous support in the legislature.

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