Week in Iowa: Recap of news from across the state

Mask mandate ban faces lawsuit: A Council Bluffs mother is suing the state to end its ban on schools enacting face mask requirements. The lawsuit names Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, state Public Health Director Kim Garcia and state Education Director Ann Lebo as defendants. The ban was approved by the Republican-led Iowa Legislature and signed into law by Reynolds in May. The lawsuit says the ban violates the rights of Frances Parr’s children and other students “to attend school without a threat of contracting COVID-19 or the delta variant, the symptoms of which could lead to hospitalization, permanent physical harm, emotional harm and even death.”

Mask petition: A coalition of 50,000 parents, educators and other professionals who oppose a state law banning coronavirus-related mask mandates said a petition condemning the legislation has gathered 12,000 signatures. The goal is 15,000 signatures.

Prison population: The number of inmates held in Iowa prisons crept up last fiscal year but the population was down significantly from the record count of a decade ago as COVID-19 has forced policymakers to adjust to changing dynamics the virus has created within institutional settings.

Health funding: A total of 64 K-12 school districts in Iowa may be in line for more than $8.6 million in competitive grants to assist them in providing mental health support and other wraparound services to students and families.

They said …

“Our hospitals are full. Our health care workers are tired. Parents and guardians are scared to send their children to schools.”

— Polk County Health Department Director Helen Eddy, on recent surges in COVID-19 cases as children return to school

“Where are all the women who are in TV broadcasting over 50? You don’t see women on TV with gray hair and wrinkles.”

— Sonya Heitshusen, former WHO-TV anchor, who is suing the station for age and gender discrimination after she was let go a year ago

Odds and ends

Public records: A pair of new lawsuits contend that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office for more than five months has refused to “timely and meaningfully respond” to records requests related to Test Iowa, a $26 million, no-bid coronavirus testing contract.

Unemployment up: Iowa’s unemployment rate rose slightly last month, but new state data indicated the number of Iowans applying for jobless benefits was 32,200 lower than a year ago.

Fair attendance: Unaudited figures indicated 2021 attendance for the 11-day Iowa State Fair was 1,094,480. That number was 75,895 below the record of 1,170,375 set in 2019.

The water cooler

Bohannan running: University of Iowa law professor and state Rep. Christina Bohannan announced she will run for southeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat held by freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

Redistricting hearings: A panel advising state lawmakers on redistricting will conduct three virtual public hearings in September to gather input from Iowans on drawing new boundaries for congressional and legislative districts.

Miller-Meeks fundraiser: U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas will join fellow Army veteran and 2nd District U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for her inaugural MMM Tailgate Celebration on Sept. 18 in Iowa City.

More in the news

Patrol leaders expressed concerns: As Gov. Kim Reynolds prepared in June to announce she was sending Iowa State Patrol employees to the nation’s border with Mexico, the state’s top public safety leaders raised concerns whether her commitment would leave enough staff for “law enforcement obligations in Iowa” and run up a “significant cost for sending personnel out of state,” according to records obtained by The Gazette. Further, the records reveal, the Republican governor and other top officials knew sending troopers to Texas could cost the state up to nearly $400,000 — but they didn’t share that information with legislators or the public for weeks.

Insurrectionist probation: A prosecutor says an Iowa man seen in a videotaped confrontation with a police officer during the Capitol insurrection should be returned to jail until trial because he violated terms of his release by watching anti-government internet videos about the Jan. 6 attack.

Dream scenario: Gov. Kim Reynolds said the MLB game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees — inspired by the 1989 “Field of Dreams” movie — generated nearly $5.8 million in economic benefits for the Dyersville and Dubuque region of northeast Iowa.

Unemployment lawsuit: A proposed class-action lawsuit claims that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision to cut off enhanced unemployment benefits for tens of thousands of residents violated state law and asks a court to reinstate their eligibility.