by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 8, 2025 Majority-party lawmakers in the Legislature have reached a budget agreement, House Republicans announced Thursday, signaling the 2025 legislative session is nearing an end. In a news release, House and Senate Republicans released the spending figures from their budget agreement — a total of $9.425 billion in […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 7, 2025 The latest version of a property tax bill discussed by a Senate subcommittee Wednesday is still expected to go through changes before a floor vote — but Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, said it’s still a priority to pass legislation on the issue this year. Restraining […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 7, 2025 The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the Healthy Kids Iowa demonstration project in lieu of the federal government’s summer nutrition program for children, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday. A press release from the governor’s office called the program an alternative to the federal program that […]
by Ashley Murray, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 6, 2025 WASHINGTON — Veterans and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday protested the Trump administration’s planned cuts for the Department of Veterans Affairs that include slashing some 80,000 jobs, which many worry will affect the massive agency’s delivery of medical care and benefits. The group rallied outside […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 6, 2025 Though an agreement is yet to be reached on state spending for the upcoming fiscal year, the Senate Appropriations Committee moved four bills forward in a Tuesday meeting. Senators passed four budget bills through the appropriations committee Tuesday, making them available for floor debate in the […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 5, 2025 Despite another week of rainy conditions, which left an average of just over three days suitable for field work, Iowa farmers have more corn and soybeans in the ground than this time last year. Corn planted in the state reached 49%, which is three days ahead […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (May 5, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 2, 2025 Several black bears spent the winter tucked into dens in northeastern Iowa, which wildlife experts say is a “step up the ladder” toward an established breeding population of bears in the state. Black bear sightings in the region have been fairly regular over the past decade […]
Oskaloosa, Iowa — A dramatic and emotional mock vehicle crash unfolded at Oskaloosa High School this week, offering students a deeply impactful reminder of the consequences of impaired and distracted driving. Staged just days before prom weekend, the simulation included student actors, emergency responders, a Life Flight helicopter, and realistic scenes of injury, arrest, and […]
Oskaloosa, Iowa — More than 50 residents gathered on the town square this week to express growing concern over what they described as the overreach of presidential authority and the economic fallout from federal trade policies. The grassroots protest, made up of citizens from Mahaska County and surrounding communities, marked a rare political demonstration of […]
