January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Iowa is working to address the problem by educating businesses about the potential signs and dangers.

Although officials say it is hard to pinpoint exact numbers, the frequency of reported trafficking cases is on the rise. Half of the calls to a human trafficking hotline are reports from minors asking for help.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has enlisted businesses in an aggressive awareness campaign. He said because they come into contact with so many people every day, they can often be the first line of defense.

"They have eyes and ears everywhere," said Pate. "The idea that they can reach out to their own employees - so they, too, can be watching for trafficking and they, too, can help prevent it, or intervene - or whether it be their customer base, how many people a typical business might interact with in a day."

Pate said fast-food restaurants, gas stations and truck stops are especially important partners because they're so busy.

Iowa started the new year with 600 businesses as part of the coalition to combat trafficking, and Pate said he hopes to grow that number.

Pate's office also runs a confidential program for survivors of sex trafficking, domestic violence, assault and stalking.

Teresa Davidson, CEO of the Cedar Rapids-based anti-trafficking group Chains Interrupted, said when a person is recruited into a trafficking operation, it can be very hard for them to get out.

"First, they have to recognize that they are being exploited," said Davidson, "because so many times, human trafficking is manipulation and coercion, and they don't even realize that they're a victim. They think that they're in a relationship and that this is a partnership."

The group is having a webinar for businesses January 17 at 10 a.m.

Davidson says nationally, 74% of trafficking victims report having been in the foster-care system. She said the problem touches all 50 states and continues to grow.

A proposal to create a perimeter around working police investigations has made it through the first half of the 2023 Indiana legislative session.

Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, said House Bill 1186 allows for a buffer zone up to 25 feet between officers and bystanders.

Amelia McClure, executive director of the Hoosier State Press Association, has concerns about how the bill could affect journalists.

"Democracy functions when citizens can properly monitor their public officials' actions," McClure asserted. "Oftentimes, we rely on journalists to report on those actions, because we can't be everywhere at once. So, when there is a bill that could hinder the public's access to public officials, we are almost always concerned about that."

The bill would make "encroaching on an investigation" a Class C misdemeanor. It has passed out of the Indiana House and is in the Senate chamber, where opponents hope to offer amendments.

McClure said a recent report suggests it takes more than 17 feet to disarm someone.

"I think that, in conjunction with the proliferation of cellphone videos and protests, and movements surrounding George Floyd, have kind of all come together to influence this legislation," McClure noted.

McClure pointed out journalists' ability to observe and report also adds a measure of credibility for law enforcement officers on the job.


This story is based on original reporting from Xain Ballenger with The Statehouse File.

The disability community is mourning the loss of one of its greatest advocates.

Judy Heumann, often called the "mother of the disability rights movement," and a driving force behind some of its greatest legislative accomplishments, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, has passed away.

Monica Zulauf, interim executive director with Able N.H., said Heumann helped ensure people with disabilities were made visible.

"We're losing a generation of people who knew how to advocate and how to bring people together in a respectful way that really moved the needle," Zulauf said.

Zulauf added she admired Heumann's bold leadership and direct actions, including a 1977 sit-in by disabled activists at a federal building in San Francisco which lasted 28 days and led to passage of what's known as Section 504, one of the first federal civil rights laws offering protection for Americans with disabilities.

Heumann spent her life working to ensure people like herself had access to education and jobs. In 1970, she won a lawsuit against the New York Board of Education and became the first teacher there to work while using a wheelchair. Kelly Ehrhart, president of People First of New Hampshire, said Heumann's activism made a lasting impression.

"I think it will help us realize that we can advocate for ourselves because she did it for herself and other people, too," Ehrhart said.

Some of Ehrhart's advocacy work coming to fruition. After years of debate, a law ensuring dental benefits for adults under New Hampshire's Medicaid program has been fully implemented providing more than 100-thousand Medicaid recipients access to needed care.


get more stories like this via email

A new report found antisemitism is on the rise across the U.S., but awareness of its detriment is rising as well.

The report from the American Jewish Committee showed 91% of Americans know antisemitism is a serious problem. According to the New York City Police Department, hate crimes against Jewish people increased 11% from 2021 to 2022.

Holly Huffnagle, U.S. director for combating antisemitism at the American Jewish Committee, thinks it is great more people are aware of antisemitism's harm, but she pointed out one issue in trying to combat it is people cannot always identify it.

"Many people, they might have been familiar with the term, but they don't know what antisemitism looks like or how to recognize it," Huffnagle explained. "That it's not just a hatred, that it's a conspiracy. That it's about power or control, and it looks different than other forms of racism. So, we, in our efforts, in our educational efforts, we always start with just being able to recognize it. "

Huffnagle noted there are a slew of factors driving the rise in antisemitism, the most prevalent being social media. The report found 82% of Americans saw some form of antisemitism on social media, and 67% of American Jewish people reported seeing it online as well.

Allaying fears of violence for Jewish people has not been easy. The report showed 38% of Jewish people changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism. Huffnagle emphasized there are plenty of questions about where antisemitism fits into ongoing fights against racism.

"There's a blind spot in our society today with rightly fighting racism and victims who are perceived as inferior," Huffnagle contended. "Unfortunately, Jews are still a vulnerable minority group around the world. So, something's missing when it comes to how do we fight antisemitism, how do we know who Jews are, and how do we include them within diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives?"

She added when it comes to combating antisemitism, law enforcement needs to be better at keeping Jewish people safe.

Of the Orthodox Jewish people surveyed, 65% say law enforcement is effective in addressing their security needs, down from 81% in 2021. Huffnagle stressed the next steps are for society, alongside government officials and law enforcement, to take responsibility to educate people properly about antisemitism and Jewish people.