by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 23, 2024 In their final days of the 2024 legislative session, Iowa lawmakers approved $8.9 billion in state spending for the upcoming year, financing the state government and public services. Most of those decisions now await a thumbs up or down from the governor. Appropriations bills included funding […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 20, 2024 The Iowa Legislature adjourned the 2024 legislative session in the early hours Saturday, passing most of the Republican trifecta’s legislative priorities for the year. The Senate ended the year at 3:26 a.m., with the House following suit at 4:23 a.m. In the final hours, lawmakers passed […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 15, 2024 A bill regulating — but not banning — traffic camera use by local law enforcement was sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds by the Senate with bipartisan support Monday. House File 2681 passed 46-1 Monday, with Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, voting against he measure. The bill gives […]
by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 11, 2024 Warm soil temperatures and favorable weather have allowed farmers across Iowa to start planting corn and soybeans this week, according to several field agronomists. Wednesday was the earliest planting date for corn to be eligible for federal crop insurance replanting payments, which cover farmers if their […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 10, 2024 Iowa school districts and communities will be able to apply for grants through the state Department of Education to provide additional meals and food to children over the summer, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday. The new state-directed Summer Meal Program Expansion Grant will provide $900,000 in […]
by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 10, 2024 At least 12 community drinking water supplies in Iowa are unacceptably contaminated with enduring chemicals linked to various health ailments, under new restrictions announced Wednesday by federal regulators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented a new drinking water standard that limits certain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 9, 2024 Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday signed into law new reporting requirements — and harsher penalties — related to foreign farmland ownership in Iowa. The governor signed Senate File 2204, a measure she has called for since the beginning of the 2024 legislative session. Reynolds said Iowa […]
by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 9, 2024 Legislation that would give landowners a better opportunity to challenge eminent domain requests by carbon dioxide pipeline companies in court was advanced Tuesday by an Iowa Senate subcommittee. House File 2664 would enable those landowners — or the pipeline companies — to seek judicial review of […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 9, 2024 The Iowa House approved a bill Tuesday to regulate traffic cameras, despite criticisms from some lawmakers who said the bill unfairly limits local control, and others who said the automated traffic enforcement systems should be entirely banned. Iowa lawmakers passed House File 2681 on a 85-12 […]
by Rob Sand, Iowa State Auditor Lots of topics get swept under the rug because they’re not comfortable for us to confront. Sometimes we’d rather pretend the problems don’t exist or couldn’t happen in a place like Iowa. But they do, and it can happen anywhere—even in our great state. It is our obligation to […]
