- Hinson voted against the creation of an Active Shooter Alert System, a move opponents could frame as opposing commonsense public safety measures (Globe Gazette, Gazette).
- She faced criticism for voting against increased accountability in cases of police brutality, which could be perceived as opposing police reform efforts (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier).
- Hinson's opposition to the shooter alert bill was justified by concerns about panic and law enforcement burden, but may be portrayed as failing to prioritize quick responses to violent emergencies (Globe Gazette, Gazette).
- Despite supporting programs for crime victims, law enforcement, and youth violence prevention, Hinson's record shows selective support, which could be depicted as inconsistent or reactive rather than comprehensive (Telegraph Herald, Manchester Press).
- Her recent focus on proper use of opioid settlement funds highlights potential vulnerabilities if such funds are misused in Iowa, or if oversight efforts are seen as performative rather than substantive (The Gazette).
Ashley Hinson Fought for Second Chances and Employment Opportunities for Formerly Incarcerated Iowans According to a press release from Iowa Field Report, "Reaching across the aisle, Hinson fought for second chances and opportunities for those who have paid their debt to society — by making sure individuals are better able to find a job, provide for their families, and in turn, contribute to their communities." [Press Release - Iowa Field Report, 5/6/20]
October 2023: Hinson Expressed Intent To Address Cybercrime Legislation In Congress According to Telegraph Herald, "Hinson voiced outrage at the cybercrime problems and said she hoped she could find a way to help in Congress. 'Anytime we try to legislate a private company, it's hard,' she said. 'But if it's in the name of something like this, we can figure out a way to navigate this. When people are using platforms to commit a crime, it's different.'" [Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA), 10/6/23]
2021: Letter Writer Marcia Buttgen Claimed Ashley Hinson Voted Against Accountability for Police Brutality According to a letter to the editor published in Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, "Hinson voted against accountability for police brutality." [Letter to the Editor - Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, 8/24/21]
February 2021: Ashley Hinson Co-Sponsored Resolution Designating February As Teen Dating Violence Awareness And Prevention Month According to Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, "U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican who represents Iowa's 1st District, joined a bipartisan coalition in co-sponsoring a House resolution designating February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month last week. The resolution has not yet passed." [Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (IA), 3/1/21]
February 2021: Ashley Hinson Co-Sponsored House Resolution To Designate Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month According to Waterloo Courier, "U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican who represents Iowa's 1st District, joined a bipartisan coalition in co-sponsoring a House resolution designating February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month last week. The resolution has not yet passed." [Waterloo Courier (Iowa), 3/1/21]
June 2022: Hinson Voted Against Active Shooter Alert System Bill According to Globe Gazette, "Among those Republicans who voted 'nay' were Iowa U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra. Democrat U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne of West Des Moines voted in favor. The bill would create an Amber Alert-style system for active shooter situations, according to the bill's sponsors." [Globe Gazette, 6/18/22]
June 2022: Hinson Explained Opposition To Active Shooter Alert Bill According to Globe Gazette, "Hinson, on her weekly conference call with Iowa reporters Thursday, said she thought the bill 'moved too quickly and didn't consider all of the impacts to a community about sending out an alert like that and what they can do to invite panic and also put burdens on our law enforcement (and) keep them from being able to do their job in an emergent situation.' She said she intends to 'continue to reach out to our local law enforcement on solutions.'" [Globe Gazette, 6/18/22]
June 2022: Hinson Stated Support For Mental Health Funding, Law Enforcement Training, And School Security In Gun Safety Bill According to Globe Gazette, "Hinson said there are many part of the Senate bill she supports, including increased mental health funding, training for law enforcement and bolstering school security." [Globe Gazette, 6/18/22]
June 2022: Hinson Voted Against Active Shooter Alert Communications Network Bill According to Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), "Among those Republicans who voted 'nay' were Iowa U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra." [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 6/23/22]
June 2022: Hinson Justified 'No' Vote On Active Shooter Alert Act Due To Community Impact Concerns According to Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), "Hinson, on her weekly conference call with Iowa reporters Thursday, said she thought the bill 'moved too quickly and didn't consider all of the impacts to a community about sending out an alert like that and what they can do to invite panic and also put burdens on our law enforcement (and) keep them from being able to do their job in an emergent situation.'" [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 6/23/22]
2024: Ashley Hinson Introduced The Opioid Settlement Accountability Act To Ensure Proper Use of Funds According to The Gazette, "Hinson's bill would put guardrails around the use of billions of opioid settlement funds, aimed at ensuring the funds are used to fight the epidemic and are focused toward treatment, prevention, education and enforcement." [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 1/28/24]
2024: Hinson Helped Introduce Bill Addressing AI-Generated Child Exploitation According to Daily Nonpareil, "Hinson helped introduce a bill that would establish a commission to prevent and prosecute crimes against children that are generated through artificial intelligence, or AI. [...] Hinson said as a mother, she is concerned about the misuse of AI to exploit her children. 'We've already seen heinous uses of AI – protecting our kids needs to be a top priority as this technology gains traction,' Hinson said in a news release." [Daily Nonpareil, 4/25/24]
2021: Ashley Hinson Co-Sponsored VOCA Fix To Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act According to an editorial published in Telegraph Herald, "She co-sponsored the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021, which also became law." [Editorial - Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA), 10/23/22]
Ashley Hinson Supported Bills Funding Law Enforcement Communication Technology According to Manchester Press (Iowa), "Hinson has supported several bills that help fund law enforcement communication technology." [Manchester Press (Iowa), 10/11/23]
2024: Ashley Hinson Emphasized Every Dollar Of Opioid Settlement Funds Should Address The Crisis According to The Gazette, "It's vital that we ensure that every dime of these settlement funds goes to help curb this deadly epidemic." [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 1/28/24]
2024: Ashley Hinson Cited Specific Misuse Of Settlement Funds In Tennessee According to The Gazette, "Hinson cited a county in Tennessee that used settlement funds to pay back old debt and purchase a government vehicle." [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 1/28/24]
January 2024: Ashley Hinson Drew Parallels To Misuse Of Tobacco Settlement Funds In 1990s According to The Gazette, 'I think we should also learn our lesson from the tobacco settlements from the ‘90s, where many states used the money coming for transportation projects … and balancing budgets instead of actually going to tobacco cessation and prevention efforts.' [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 1/28/24]