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Here’s what Iowa ag and environmental groups want in the ’26 legislative session 

The Iowa State Capitol from the historic East Village in Des Moines on Oct. 30, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch January 9, 2026 Water quality, property rights and pesticide labeling are top issues that Iowa agriculture and environmental groups hope to see addressed in the 2026 legislative session. Property rights issues center on the use of eminent domain for a proposed carbon sequestration pipeline. Demands to improve water quality […]

Iowa becomes the first state to gain more control over federal education dollars

Gov. Kim Reynolds, left, and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, center, as well as Denison Community School District Superintendent Kim Buryanek, right, listened in on a class at Broadway Elementary School in Denison Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch January 7, 2026 DENISON — U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced Wednesday in Denison that Iowa was the first state approved for a Returning Education to the States waiver, giving the state more control over nearly $9.5 million in federal education funding over the next four years. “We […]

THE CREATION OF THE IOWA STATE LEAGUE

Oskaloosa Quakers baseball team picture. (archive image)

by Mike Comfort Prior to major league baseball teams developing the farm system, minor league franchises were independent teams that operated in almost every town in the United States. By 1910, there were 50 different minor leagues which included large cities like Minneapolis, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Denver. However, minor leagues weren’t just limited to […]

Without pennies, should retailers round up or down? States offer their 2 cents.

Questions on how this penny will be spent continue to swirl in regards to LOST funding projects.

by Kevin Hardy, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 19, 2025 As pennies vanish from the American landscape, many businesses are clamoring for federal guidance on how to handle cash transactions in a penniless world. Should retailers round up or down? Should they round in favor of the customer? Or in favor of the business? So far, […]

Utility assistance applications rising in Iowa with cold weather season

Eligible Iowans are applying for winter energy assistance at higher rates this year. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 19, 2025 Iowans eligible for a federal utility assistance program are applying for assistance at higher rates this winter than last year, according to some distributors. The low-income home energy assistance program is a federal program that helps qualifying households pay for part of their residential heating bill […]

Trump signs order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, but it’s still illegal

A cannabis pre-roll is held at a legalization anniversary party in Cranston, Rhode Island, Dec. 1, 2023. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

by Jacob Fischler, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 18, 2025 President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, which Trump said reflected the drug’s potential medical benefits while discouraging recreational use. The order moves cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III on the Federal Drug Administration’s list of controlled substances. Schedule […]

Report: Iowa ombudsman’s office handled 6,266 complaints last year

Iowa Ombudsman Bernardo Granwehr. (Photo courtesy Iowa Office of Ombudsman)

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 19, 2025 Iowa’s Office of Ombudsman, which investigates complaints related to local and state government, saw an almost 10% increase in cases opened during the last fiscal year. The agency’s annual report, published this week, indicates that during fiscal year 2025, the office opened 6,266 cases — a […]

Trump signs order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, but it’s still illegal

A cannabis pre-roll is held at a legalization anniversary party in Cranston, Rhode Island, Dec. 1, 2023. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

by Jacob Fischler, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 18, 2025 President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, which Trump said reflected the drug’s potential medical benefits while discouraging recreational use. The order moves cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III on the Federal Drug Administration’s list of controlled substances. Schedule […]

Delayed jobs report: Unemployment ticks up to 4.6%, jobs up 64K

Recruiters discuss jobs with students at a July 2024 jobs fair at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. A new jobs report shows jobs nationwide rebounded after October losses, with a 64,000 gain in November. (Photo courtesy of St. Edward’s University)

by Tim Henderson, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 16, 2025 A shutdown-delayed jobs report released Dec. 16 showed an increase of 64,000 jobs in November, rebounding from a large loss of 105,000 jobs in October. Unemployment ticked higher to 4.6%, the highest since September 2021. The October loss was the largest since December 2020, during a […]

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird files lawsuit against Roblox

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has filed a lawsuit against Roblox over allegations on child sexual exploitation. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 16, 2025 Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Roblox, the popular online gaming company, for allegedly putting Iowa children in danger of sexual exploitation. Roblox, an online game platform, has over 80 million daily users, “many of those are Iowans and most of whom […]

           

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