Week in Iowa, Aug. 14, 2023: Recap of news from across the state

Candidates barnstorm Iowa State Fair: More Republican presidential candidates visited the Iowa State Fair this past week, seeking the favor of the state's Republican voters in the January caucuses, which will kick off the party's presidential nominating process. Tim Scott, a U.S. senator from South Carolina, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson were among the visitors to the fair this past week.

Both candidates said they see an opening to take down Donald Trump, who remains the clear front-runner in both national and Iowa polling. Hutchinson said Trump's criminal indictments are concerning and he should step out of the race; Scott dismissed the latest indictment from Georgia as politically motivated and "un-American."

Best fair food: The deep-fried bacon brisket mac-n-cheese from What's Your Cheez won the title of Best New Food at the Iowa State Fair on Wednesday. The concoction was created by Joni Bell, who also won the award last year with a loaded baked potato called "The Finisher."

Iowa AG names new deputy: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird named Leif Olson, a former top lawyer at the Texas Attorney General's Office, to be her new deputy attorney general. Olson led the Special Litigation Division in the Texas office, and he has led several lawsuits against President Joe Biden and his administration.

Christina Bohannan to run for Congress: University of Iowa law professor Christina Bohannan launched another bid for southeast Iowa's 1st Congressional District, setting up a rematch with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who defeated Bohannan in 2022. Bohannan, a former state representative, raised more than $270,000 in the first 24 hours after launching her campaign.

Miller-Meeks, a former ophthalmologist who primarily resides in Ottumwa, defeated Bohannan in 2022 by more than 7 percentage points. She was first elected to the seat in 2020, besting Democrat Rita Hart by only six votes.

Reynolds takes center stage at fair: Interviewing presidential candidates and touring the fairgrounds, Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds took a prominent role in the political fanfare at the Iowa State Fair. She talked up recent conservative wins during her interviews, and candidates who spoke with her often praised her governance and emphasized the relationships they have with her.

Counties fill in victims' contraception costs: Johnson County officials may follow Polk County's lead in funding emergency contraception for victims of sexual assault and rape as the Iowa Attorney General's Office has halted compensating victims for the expenses. Attorney General Brenna Bird has said the payments are paused as the office conducts a review of its victims services division.

They said ...

“I have a very nice relationship with her. … I like her very much. I actually did a couple of rallies for her and she ended up winning the election instead of losing the election. I like her very much. That’s why I came to do some rallies for her.” — Former President Donald Trump on Gov. Kim Reynolds

"I believe that my optimistic, positive message is being rooted in Iowa. … The good news is we have enough time to make this not into a two-horse race, and at the end of the day we look forward to being the nominee.” — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., on his campaign for president

Odds and ends

AI book ban: Mason City School District Assistant Superintendent Bridgette Exman used an artificial intelligence tool to determine which books to pull from the school library shelves under a new law that bans books with depictions of certain sex acts from school libraries. Administrators have been struggling with how to comply with the law without clear guidance from state officials.

Pipeline hearing: Opponents of a carbon dioxide pipeline being proposed in Iowa said state officials should postpone the hearing — set to begin Monday — because North Dakota regulators rejected the project route. The Sierra Club argued the lack of a permit in North Dakota upended the project, and until it has approval there Iowa regulators should halt their process.

Water cooler

Campaign ads: Several presidential campaigns launched new Iowa ads last week, including a spot highlighting Nikki Haley's stance on China, a radio ad displaying Tim Scott's support for farmers, and an ad from Never Back Down that explains Ron DeSantis' military background. All are hoping to secure support from Iowa Republicans ahead of the January caucuses.

Fair Queen crowned: Henry County's Kalayna Durr was crowned the 2023 Iowa State Fair Queen. The 18-year-old New London resident won the honor the first weekend of the fair, and spent the rest of the fair moderating contests and presenting awards.