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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 15, 2025 U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said Monday the health care bill she is leading in the U.S. House would address the “root causes” behind rising health care premiums while not seeking to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. The “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act,” sponsored […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 14, 2025 Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday ordered all flags in Iowa lowered in honor of the two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria. The two service members were killed Saturday in Palmyra, Syria, by a lone gunman suspected to be affiliated with ISIS. The two […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 11, 2025 Former Gov. Terry Branstad, the nation’s longest-serving governor and a former U.S. ambassador to China, was granted the Iowa Award Thursday, the state’s highest citizen award. Branstad became the 26th recipient of the award, joining the ranks of other notable Iowans including President Herbert Hoover, Nobel […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 11, 2025 Economic uncertainty due to tariffs and the effects of the federal government shutdown are expected to continue to impact Iowa’s economy, members of the Revenue Estimating Conference said Thursday as they met to discuss Iowa’s finances heading into the 2026 legislative session. Though the three-person panel […]
by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 10, 2025 Local governments in Iowa should pause the use of automated license plate readers, civil rights advocates said Wednesday, arguing the devices infringe on the privacy of drivers who have not violated any laws. Researchers and technical and legal experts released a report Wednesday on automated license […]
