Eddie Andrews (politician)

Eddie Andrews; born Edgar Lee Andrews; (born May 31, 1966) is an American politician serving as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for the 43rd district. Elected in November 2020, he assumed office in 2021. He was re-elected in 2022.

Personal life
Andrews lives in Johnston, Iowa and attended the University of Iowa where he obtained an undergraduate degree. Andrews works in tech. Andrews is married to Betty Andrews who, as of 2023, serves as the Director of the NAACP Chapter for Iowa and Nebraska. In the 2000s, Andrews worked for DotNow and was the defendant in a consumer fraud probe by the Iowa Attorney General's Office's Consumer Protection Division after he and the company had more than 200 complaints reported against him and the company. During the case, Andrews refused to cooperate with the Iowa Attorney General's Office and the Iowa Court of Appeals ultimately ruled against Andrews for his business practices. Andrews has been the defendant in more than five dozen court cases in Iowa for various issues ranging from traffic violations to illegal business practices.

Iowa House of Representatives
Eddie Andrews was elected to the Iowa House November 3, 2020, defeating incumbent Democrat Karin Derry. During the campaign, Andrews was involved in a controversy for attending an event featuring the flag of the Confederate States of America. As a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, Andrews sits on the House Commerce Committee, Public Safety Committee, and the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Additionally, he serves as the Vice Chair for the Subcommittee on Health and Human Services Appropriations. Andrews has been reprimanded and fined by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board for violations of Iowa's campaign finance disclosure laws.

2020 Election
While running in the 2020 election, Andrews highlighted "family safety, education, low taxes and creation of entrepreneur zones to help mom and pop small businesses", but also stressed that mental health issues would be his top priority.

2021 Session
Andrews ran legislation that would ban spousal-consent requirements for women who are seeking a hysterectomy. On issues of policing, Andrews initially joined democrats in voting against the "Back the Blue" bill, which created protections for police officers and punishments for protest-related offenses. He later joined republicans in voting for the bill after the legislation returned from the Senate and was amended. Andrews also pushed a parental rights bill, which would codify parental rights and protections for those rights. The legislation passed the House unanimously, but did not receive a vote in the Senate.