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
-
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
-
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has asked lawmakers to use about $700 million of state savings to cover the gap between her proposed budget and the amount of revenue the state is expecting in the coming fiscal year. -
Gov. Reynolds calls for restricting cell phones in schools, will establish an Iowa 'DOGE' task forceIn her 8th annual address, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed ideas for boosting the state’s health care workforce, asked lawmakers to restrict cell phones in classrooms, and said she will ask for federal permission to establish Medicaid work requirements. -
Lawmakers discuss priorities of both parties and chambers, including property taxes, cell phones in schools and Medicaid work requirements -
Iowa’s 2025 legislative session began Monday morning with lawmakers returning to the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines and taking the oath of office. -
Monday marks the start of Iowa’s 2025 legislative session, with state lawmakers returning to the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines for a few months of passing new state laws and deciding how to spend Iowans’ tax dollars. -
Rita Hart was reelected Saturday to serve another term as chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. -
Iowa’s income tax rate dropped to 3.8% Wednesday for all residents who pay income tax, the result of several rounds of tax cuts passed by Republican lawmakers in recent years. -
The top Republican in the Iowa House of Representatives said he is “not going to stand in the way of” legislation cracking down on drivers who are distracted by their phones, as a new coalition gears up to push for a bill that would only allow hands-free phone use while driving. -
State Auditor Rob Sand released an audit report Tuesday that says the Iowa Judicial Branch distributed $27.6 million of court debt collections to the wrong state fund over four years, shorting other state and local funds in the process. -
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds picked Iowa state Sen. Chris Cournoyer, a Republican from LeClaire, to be her new lieutenant governor.
