The Daily Iowan THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019
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Iowa Democrats propose virtual caucuses The 2020 delegate-selection plan proposal for Iowa Democrats aims to make the caucuses more accessible. BY EMILY WANGEN
emily-wangen@uiowa.edu
Tinkers set to lecture on landmark court battle for free expression
The UI Lecture Committee will bring Mary Beth and John Tinker to speak in the Old Capitol Senate Chamber on Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case. The Tinkers will discuss their experience being at the center of the case, which made its way to the nation’s highest court after a Des Moines principal suspended students wearing black armbands in silent protest of the Vietnam War. The landmark case defined First Amendment rights of U.S. public-school students; Justice Abe Fortas wrote in the majority opinion that students and teachers do not “shed their constitutional rights … at the schoolhouse gate.” The event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-seated.
Democratic caucus-goers could face a different caucus experience come 2020 in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses — the Iowa Democratic Party on Monday announced a proposal for a virtual-caucus system. “Included in this plan will be the most significant changes to Iowa
Democratic Party caucuses since their [first-in-the-nation] inception in 1972,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price told reporters on Monday. “These changes will make the 2020 caucuses the most Price accessible, the most transparent, the most secure, and the most successful caucuses ever.”
The virtual-caucus system would include six different times to vote in the days preceding the Feb. 3 caucuses. Price said the virtual caucus will allow Iowans who are not able to make it to their precincts at the specified times and locations to caucus over the phone or through a smart device. After the virtual caucuses are completed, the votes will be aggregated by U.S. Congressional Dis-
tricts and in essence will be treated as an additional county with 10 percent of delegates assigned, Price said. He noted that delegate assignment will stay the same for in-person caucusing. Another piece to the newly proposed delegate-selection plan includes recording the first expression of preference and having a SEE CAUCUS, 2
NATIONAL POLITICS
Gabbard swings through Iowa City On the heels of visits from other 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called for unity in her first Iowa City stop on Monday.
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Local goat facilitates story time
Kids at the Iowa City Public Library were treated to a bleating good time with a special visit from Nova, a miniature goat from Wondershire farms.
8 Nick Rohlman/The Daily Iowan Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, speaks during a campaign event at Big Grove on Monday. Gabbard visited Des Moines, Fairfield, and Iowa City as she begins her 2020 presidential bid.
BY CALEB MCCULLOUGH
caleb-mccullough@uiowa.edu
Hawkeye men’s basketball turns the corner
Iowa’s 15-point comeback against Northwestern on Sunday was a lot of things. It showed that the Hawkeyes have the ability to persevere when times get McCaffery tough, and that is something Fran McCaffery’s squad couldn’t do last season.
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2020 Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard outlined a message of unity and progressive politics when she spoke to a packed Big Grove on Monday. Gabbard, a representative from Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, didn’t immediately
take the stage upon entering, opting instead to shake hands and mingle with the crowd of around 80 people before heading to the front of the room to deliver her speech. Gabbard made campaign stops in Des Moines and Fairfield on Monday before heading to Iowa City. It was her first visit to Iowa City since announcing her candidacy in January. She began her message with a call for unity
make textbooks tax-free in Iowa
A new measure, which has bipartisan support in the State House, aims to exempt third-party, non-university-owned businesses from sales tax on textbooks.
Iowa track’s Kimbro finds her stride
Jenny Kimbro, Iowa’s second-year multi-event athlete, has had an impressive start to the season. Her scores in the indoor pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles have put her in all-time consideration, an impressive feat for what is still a young season.
Watch for campus and city news, weather, and Hawkeye sports coverage every day at 8:30 a.m. at dailyiowan.com.
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Podcast, open mic, and Proposed legislation would Java House coffee Java House is beginning a podcast and a comedy open mic in an effort to bring culture and community to the café.
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in a divided political climate. “When our Founding Fathers wrote our Constitution, they built this foundation based on a recognition of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” she said. “Do you feel that representation in Washington today?”
BY CHARLES PECKMAN
charles-peckman@uiowa.edu
podcast as well as an open mic for writers, musicians, and comedians this week as part of an effort to bring culture into the cafe. As of Sunday, Java House began hosting a new podcast from two of its baristas.
Private booksellers and lawmakers are pushing legislation that would eliminate sales tax from all required instructional materials at Iowa’s postsecondary institutions. At the University of Iowa, administrators decided to stop collecting sales tax from Hawk Shop sales in 2017. This decision came after UI Student Government passed a resolution calling for tax exemptions on course materials. But private booksellers, such as Iowa Book textbook manager Virgil “Scooter” Hare, said the bill’s language should include tax exemption for textbooks regardless of where they are sold. “It seems like this time around, there is more momentum behind the tax-exemption bill,” he said. “The
SEE JAVA, 2
SEE TEXTBOOK, 2
Katina Zentz/The Daily Iowan UI junior Ella McDonald sits in the Java House on Monday. McDonald helped start the “Half Caff” podcast with coworker Jack Berning about living the life of a barista.
BY KATE PIXLEY
katherine-pixley@uiowa.edu Downtown’s Java House is creating new forms of entertainment to reach all types of customers. The Java House will begin hosting its own