NASCAR coming to Iowa Speedway? Reynolds to announce ‘new major sports and entertainment event’

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will announce “a new major sports and entertainment event to be held in Iowa in 2024” during a news conference scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Iowa Capitol.

The Athletic reports NASCAR is expected to add the Iowa Speedway to its 2024 Cup Series schedule. The speedway’s website briefly listed a “2024 NASCAR Weekend” for the Cup Series in June 2024, before it was removed Monday, the sports journalism website reported.

Reynolds’ office did not respond to a follow-up email seeking details about the announcement, including the type of event and community where it will be held.

The speedway in Newton opened in 2006 and has hosted numerous racing series including IndyCar, NASCAR Truck Series and Xfinity Series. IndyCar racing returned to the track in 2022 and 2023 with a full racing weekend sponsored by Hy-Vee.

This year’s Hy-Vee IndyCar Race weekend also included a concert lineup with pre- and post-race performances from Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney and Ed Sheeran.

State Historical Building reopens

The State Historical Building of Iowa, in Des Moines’ East Village, will fully reopen Saturday, Oct. 14, after more than five years of renovation, the museum announced.

The reopening will be celebrated with a daylong schedule of programs and the unveiling of a new exhibition, the museum said.

The completed renovations include a new atrium and infrastructure improvements.

“Iowans share a strong commitment to preserving the history of our state and making sure it is safeguarded for generations of Iowans to come,” State Historical Society of Iowa Administrator Susan Kloewer said in a news release. “As the state’s flagship facility for preserving Iowa history, we are extremely pleased this renovation project has been completed successfully and we invite all Iowans and visitors to join us in the celebration.”

The new exhibition is called “Civics in Action,” and focuses on “significant events, court cases, caucuses and issues that shaped the future of Iowa and the United States,” the museum said.

The State Historical Museum will have new operating hours beginning with that reopening on Oct. 14: from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

Iowa AG leads letter opposing proposed federal environmental rule

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led a letter from a group of Republican attorneys general opposing a proposed federal environmental rule they say will hamper developmental projects.

The letter, joined by attorneys general from 23 other states, targets a proposed regulation by the Council on Environmental Quality that would alter how the National Environmental Policy Act is implemented.

The NEPA requires that federal agencies assess the environmental impact of new projects before they begin and prepare environmental impact statements.

The new proposed rules undo some of the changes to the law's implementation made under former President Donald Trump, and they explicitly require agencies to consider environmental justice and climate change in their impact statements.

The proposal would also require that only projects with significant adverse effects require an environmental impact statement, meaning projects that would have a clear beneficial effect on the climate or environment do not need an environmental impact statement.

In the letter, Bird said this creates a "double standard" that favors clean energy projects and goes beyond the procedural scope of the law.

"With the new rule in effect, projects that align with the Biden Administration’s radical climate change agenda will be favored, while projects that use traditional energy sources will face stricter regulations," Bird's office wrote in a news release.

Gov. Kim Reynolds also joined a letter with several other Republican governors opposing the rule-making change last week.

New administrator named to agency that assists Iowans with disabilities

Iowa Workforce Development announced James Williams as the new director of the state’s vocational rehabilitation program. Williams assumed the new role Monday.

The state agency helps Iowans with disabilities find and keep a job, explore college and vocational training, access economic support via Social Security disability benefits, and live independently in their homes.

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services was recently moved from the Iowa Department of Education to Iowa Workforce Development as part of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ state government reorganization plan, and is intended to centralize the state’s workforce-related programs and services. The move, according to IWD, is designed to make it easier for Iowans to access all available workforce services in a single location and work with a single team.

Williams previously was CEO of Bloom Consulting, a Texas-based firm that specializes in providing vocational services, evaluations and training to people with disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorder.

According to IWD, Williams is a certified rehabilitation counselor, an advanced certified autism specialist and a certified special education teacher. He describes himself as a “proud former recipient” of vocational rehabilitation services, according to an IWD news release announcing his hiring.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Williams to serve as vice chair of the Texas State Rehabilitative Council in 2021.

“I’m thrilled for this opportunity to expand on the great work done in vocational rehabilitation to help create the best possible employment outcomes for Iowans with disabilities, regardless of the barriers they face,” Williams said in a statement.

Williams succeeds former Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services Administrator Daniel Tallon, who resigned in June.