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Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., May 15th 2018

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May 15th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law requiring doctors to screen patients’ risk of addiction before prescribing some painkillers. The law is part of the state’s effort to begin addressing its growing opioid epidemic. Reynolds signed it Monday at a Dubuque medical center that treats opioid addiction. A good Samaritan provision will also give legal immunity to anyone who calls 911 to report an overdose.

UNDATED (AP) — Activists have converged on state capitals around the U.S., opening weeks of planned protests calling for new programs to help the millions of Americans who live in poverty, an overhaul of voting rights laws and other social issues. Reports by police from seven state capitols and Washington, D.C., showed more than 200 people were arrested or cited Monday on the first day of the so-called Poor People’s Campaign.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two organizations are expected to announce a lawsuit challenging a new Iowa law that bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Iowa affiliates for Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday they’ll make a joint announcement Tuesday afternoon. They declined to provide more information. The law, set to go into effect on July 1, bans most abortions in Iowa once a fetal heartbeat is detected. That’s around six weeks of pregnancy.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officers have cited a group of protesters at the Iowa Capitol who gathered in and around the staff offices of Gov. Kim Reynolds. The Iowa State Patrol briefly held 10 people Monday afternoon who refused to leave the building at the close of business hours. They were cited for misdemeanor trespassing and released. The protesters were among several dozen people who gathered to highlight issues tied to poverty, inequality and the environment.