Constitutional carry since 2021. No AWB, no mag limit, strong preemption. Stand-your-ground codified (2017). Suppressors legal. No waiting period, no red-flag law.

Limited low-THC medical program (Medical Cannabidiol Act). No decriminalization, no recreational. Possession is criminal misdemeanor. No psychedelic reform; limited harm reduction.

State minimum wage $7.25/hr (state matches federal). MIT living wage for 1 adult: $14.83/hr. Ratio 0.49 — minimum-wage workers earn 49% of what's needed to live there alone.

Modest tax burden, NAEP scores at or above national average, decent infrastructure (C range), healthy life expectancy. Steady efficient delivery without flashy peaks.

IJ grades IA C- (2017 SF 446 modest reforms). No QI reform; HF 2647 (2020) and SF 342 (2021) expanded officer protections. No-knock allowed. No body cam mandate. No comprehensive privacy law. SF 481 (2018) anti-sanctuary law mandates ICE cooperation.

No-excuse absentee voting but SF 413 (2021) shortened window. Early voting reduced from 29 to 20 days. No same-day registration. Non-strict ID. Felony disenfranchisement among harshest until 2020 executive order; permanent restoration not codified. Republican-drawn maps with significant partisan bias though nonpartisan staff drafts. Voter purge controversies under SOS Pate.

Medicaid expansion adopted 2014 (Iowa Health and Wellness Plan). 6-week abortion ban in effect (2024 ruling). Trans youth gender-affirming care ban (SF 538). Rural hospital closures. Maternal mortality elevated. Religious refusal expansive.

No qualified immunity reform. No statewide BWC mandate. Officer personnel records confidential. ILEA decertification with limited public access. No no-knock ban. No necessity standard. Chokeholds banned (HF 2647, 2020) except deadly-force scenarios. Local prosecution. Per-capita killings near median.

6-week abortion ban (took effect 2024). Removed gender identity from civil rights act in 2025 - first state to roll back protections. Gender-affirming care ban for minors. RFRA passed 2024. No conversion therapy ban. Bathroom restrictions. Strong Christian-nationalist trend including book restrictions and 'parental rights' classroom laws.

Right-to-work state. No paid family leave. No paid sick leave. State OSHA plan (Iowa OSHA). Prevailing wage prohibited. Weak wage theft enforcement. Above-median fatal injury rate (high agriculture/meatpacking). No heat or scheduling protections.