James Dawson
James Dawson covers Delaware politics and government as well as general assignment stories for Delaware Public Media. He came to Delaware from his home state of Idaho, where he served as a public affairs reporter and news director for the commercial radio network Inland Northwest Broadcasting. His reporting experience included state and local government, arts and culture, crime, and agriculture.
James contributed features and reports to the Northwest News Network, a collection of public radio stations across the Pacific Northwest, and served as an intern with NPR affiliate Northwest Public Radio in Pullman, Wash. He has a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and digital media from the University of Idaho.
When James isn’t haunting the corridors of Legislative Hall, you might find him brushing up on his photography skills or shamelessly singing while driving all over Delaware.
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The governor in Idaho has signed a law to ban the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. Some educators in the state are calling it unnecessary and a potential violation of free speech.
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Idaho Republicans have declined to institute safety measures such as a mask mandate or social distancing. The House speaker said he had no regrets about their policies.
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Eleven months into the pandemic, lawmakers in more than half of states have filed bills to limit the executive powers of governors saying they are after a greater balance of power.
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Across the country, state legislatures are reconvening for the 2021 regular session. Two Idaho state representatives say having a disability makes it even more dangerous for them to meet in person. -
Anger at the state response to the pandemic spurred dozens of people, some of whom were armed, to barge into and pack the House of Representatives' gallery on Monday. -
Transgender people in Idaho say two new state laws are aimed at making their lives much harder. One involves changing the sex listed on birth certificates. The other affects trans athletes. -
About 40% of people with obsessive compulsive disorder struggle, as I do, with contamination anxiety. Balancing the need to sanitize a home in pandemic times with the need to tame OCD can be tricky. -
Efforts to raise taxes, change redistricting rules and legalize gaming machines have all fallen victim to social distancing rules to make it nearly impossible to collect signatures. -
People in the U.S. are being urged to social distance until at least the end of April. Ballot initiatives depend on canvassers gathering signatures in person in crowded places and during events.
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Idaho just expanded access to Medicaid, helping tens of thousands get coverage. But a university there refused to accept Medicaid, forcing students to pay for plans. On Tuesday it changed that policy.
