Week in Iowa: Recap of news from across the state

Sand running for re-election: Rob Sand, D-Des Moines, announced he will run for re-election as state auditor, eschewing a run for governor. Sand was elected auditor in 2018, when he beat the Republican incumbent. This year, he weighed a run for governor in 2022. In a video he posted online, Sand said his office has worked over the past three years to save Iowa taxpayers’ money by working with local officials and operating with a staff of workers of all political stripes. “I didn’t run for office because I love politics. I ran for office because I can’t stand it,” Sand said.

Omicron detected: The Iowa Department of Public Health and State Hygienic Lab confirmed the first case of the omicron coronavirus variant in an Iowa resident. The case involves an unvaccinated person under the age of 18 who lives in Black Hawk County.

COVID rising: The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 reached the highest since Dec. 14, 2020, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the intensive care unit census is the highest in a year as the state continues to experience a surge in coronavirus cases.

Leader charged: The former chair of the Libertarian Party of Iowa, Michael James Conner Jr., 41, of Knoxville, was charged with first-degree theft after an investigation into his use of party funds for personal use revealed more than $10,000 in unauthorized spending.

They said …

“My warning to all the teachers and the administrators is you’re going to be in jail. Because this is distributing pornography.”

— Iowa Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, on his opposition to some LGBTQ-themed books in school libraries

“We have the opportunity to do a tax reform moon shot here in Iowa.”

— Iowa Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs

Odds and ends

Vaccine vote: Iowa Republican U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst voted to pass a Senate resolution that would invalidate President Joe Biden’s vaccine-or-test mandates for private employers. The resolution passed.

Court policies: Masks will continue to be required in Iowa courtrooms, and some proceedings may continue to be held via teleconference under orders issued by the Iowa Supreme Court chief justice.

Water quality: Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $100 million of American Rescue Plan Act money from the federal government will be allocated to Iowa water infrastructure and water quality projects.

Water cooler

Offer rejected: Newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises rejected a takeover offer from the Alden Global Capital hedge fund that is one of the largest newspaper owners in the country with a reputation for intense cost cuts and layoffs.

Tom Miller elected: Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said he hopes to focus on consumer protection issues after being elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General.

Mike Naig running: Mike Naig, R-Urbandale, announced he will seek re-election as state agriculture secretary. Naig was named interim secretary in 2018 and later that year was elected to a four-year term.

More in the news

Report rips treatment of disabled Iowans: The U.S. Department of Justice issued a strong condemnation of the way Iowa treats people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, telling the state it must find ways to care for people in community settings and not in institutions. In a letter and a 33-page report sent to state officials, Kristen Clarke, an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said that after a yearlong investigation they have concluded there is reasonable cause to believe Iowa violates the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide services that integrate people with intellectual disabilities into their communities.

Officer sues: Charis Paulson, a top-ranking female Iowa law enforcement officer, is suing the state police department, saying she has faced years of retaliation after reporting misspending and gender discrimination. The lawsuit asks a court to award damages for mental and emotional distress.

Lawsuit settled: A state panel agreed Monday to spend nearly $2 million to settle two federal lawsuits brought against the University of Iowa in 2017 after a religious group was delisted by the university after it denied a gay student a leadership role.

Trial request: The attorney for an Iowa teenager charged as an adult with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the killing of his high school Spanish teacher has asked a judge to try the 16-year-old as a juvenile.