Katarina Sostaric
State Government ReporterExpertise: Reporting, writing and producing stories to help IPR listeners and readers understand their state government and how it affects Iowans' lives
Education: University of Missouri
Favorite Iowa Destination: Loess Hills hiking trails
Experience:
- Covered local and statewide government issues, local community issues and other news for IPR, as part of the Alaska public radio network, and KBIA in Columbia, Mo
- Has reported and written features on all branches of Iowa's state government, including continued coverage throughout the duration of each annual legislative session
- Is a multi-award-winning reporter, including a regional Edward R. Murrow and an Iowa Broadcast News Association award for her coverage of abortion rights in Iowa and several Eric Sevareid awards for reporting on Iowa's strict time limit on sexual abuse lawsuits, voting rights, social isolation of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and the drop in family planning services
- Regularly appears on Iowa Press on Iowa PBS, where she interviews elected officials
- Has reported and produced features for All Things Considered
- Serves as the secretary of the Iowa Capitol Press Association
- Served as a mentor for NPR’s Next Generation Radio in Iowa
My Favorite Stories
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Iowa's Glenwood Resource Center, which was once home to hundreds of people with disabilities, grabbed national headlines about four years ago when federal investigators found senior staff were conducting harmful human subject experiments and providing poor medical care. It will close on June 30. -
Immigrants and advocates held rallies and marches in four Iowa cities Wednesday evening to protest a law set to take effect July 1 that will allow state and local officials to arrest and deport immigrants who illegally re-entered the country. -
More Iowans with disabilities who work could qualify for government-funded health coverage through Medicaid under a bill in the Iowa House of Representatives. But those who have been pushing for changes say it wouldn’t go far enough to ensure disabled Iowans can continue to receive services if they get a job promotion or get married. -
Iowa’s strict time limit on suing perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse means Iowa victims could see their financial compensation from the Boy Scouts of America reduced by 55 to 70% compared to victims in other states. Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink filed a bill Monday to prevent that from happening. -
A bill advanced Wednesday in the Iowa House of Representatives would limit Iowans’ ability to sue pesticide companies when their products are linked to serious health problems.
My Latest Stories
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Iowa’s 2025 legislative session ended at 6:31 a.m. on Thursday after lawmakers worked through the night to negotiate the final details of the state budget. -
The Iowa Senate passed a bill Monday night that would make it harder for carbon capture and other pipeline companies to use eminent domain. -
State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat in statewide elected office, announced Monday he is running for governor of Iowa in 2026. He was first elected as state auditor in 2018 and was reelected to a second term in 2022. -
Iowa House Democrats elected Rep. Brian Meyer of Des Moines to be the new House minority leader after Rep. Jennifer Konfrst announced Thursday that she was stepping down from her leadership post to run for Congress. -
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ plan to provide “healthy” foods for low-income Iowa kids over the summer, instead of sending their families money for food, has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. -
Republican Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer is running to be Iowa’s next state auditor in 2026, she announced Tuesday. -
Twelve Iowa Republican state senators are trying to force a vote on a bill to restrict carbon capture pipelines and add protections for landowners facing the use of eminent domain by refusing to vote for bills funding state government. -
The 2025 legislative session is scheduled to end, but there's still work to be done. IPR reporters Katarina Sostaric and Meghan McKinney go over what's going on in the Iowa Legislature. -
The bill, proposed by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and amended by lawmakers, would use $16 million of existing child care funding for new partnerships that provide a full day of care to 4-year-olds in preschool, among several other changes. -
Lawmakers sent several bills to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk during the week ending in April 19. IPR reporters Katarina Sostaric and Meghan McKinney review the latest in Iowa politics.
