(Des Moines) 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.”
