by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch March 4, 2026 The Iowa House approved several bills Wednesday that are part of House GOP’s “tough on crime” package introduced earlier in the session, including a measure requiring a 20-year minimum prison sentence for repeat offenders. House File 2542 was one of the major proposals put forward by […]
by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch March 4, 2026 The Iowa House passed legislation Wednesday to bring baccalaureate degrees to Iowa’s community colleges, with calls from Democrats for each lawmaker to assess the impacts of its potential implementation on their districts. House File 2649, which would establish a pilot program for certain community colleges to […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch March 2, 2026 The Iowa House advanced a bill Monday that would allow farmers to disable the diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF, systems required by federal emissions laws. House File 2529 would require manufacturers of farm equipment with DEF systems to provide diagnostic and repair information as well as […]
by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch March 2, 2026 Iowa private college officials say a key lawmaker is threatening funding to a state tuition grant program over their opposition to allowing community colleges to offer four-year degrees. Gary Steinke, president of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, said lobbyists for the association received […]
DES MOINES — The World Food Prize is based in Iowa, but former Iowa Governor and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says many Iowans still do not fully understand what it is. “I think it’s the most important question you can ask and the most important observation you just made, which is that […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch February 26, 2026 Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Thursday the bill establishing a 2% State Supplemental Aid rate, providing per-pupil funding for Iowa’s K-12 schools in the upcoming school year. Republican lawmakers said Senate File 2201 results in roughly a $160 increase from the previous fiscal year in […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch February 25, 2026 Advocates and partners of the Iowa Environmental Council gathered in the Iowa Capitol rotunda Wednesday to advocate for Iowa’s water, air and environmental concerns. Sarah Green, the council’s executive director, pointed to statistics like Iowa’s rising cancer rates, increased public involvement with water quality testing and […]
by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch February 25, 2026 The Iowa Public Information Board has been handed a defeat in the Iowa Court of Appeals, which has upheld a lower court action reversing the board’s dismissal of a public-records complaint. The board had appealed a district court ruling that reversed the board’s order dismissing an […]
Iowa senators approved several bills requiring citizenship verification through the federal SAVE database for voter registration, driver’s licenses and state jobs.
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch February 24, 2026 The Iowa Senate passed two measures Tuesday expanding where firearms can be legally carried. Senate File 2263, approved in a 35-12 vote, makes multiple changes to where Iowans can lawfully carry weapons. The bill allows a person to carry, transport or possess a dangerous weapon in […]
