Week in Iowa, May 12, 2024: Recap of news from across the state

Attorney general visits Trump trial: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was one of a rotating group of national GOP figures to visit former President Donald Trump's New York hush money trial to defend the presidential candidate facing 34 felony indictments. Bird called the trial "a scam and a sham," saying Trump was being politically targeted.

Bird's campaign confirmed she was invited to visit the trial by the Republican Attorneys General Association, which also financed the trip. No taxpayer dollars were used, she said. Trump is on trial over charges that he falsified business records ahead of the 2016 election for a hush money payment to an adult film actress.

Social studies curriculum signed: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law requiring instruction on key U.S. history events and Western civilization in K-12 social studies classes. The bill is based on a previous bill that included curriculum written by a conservative think tank. The bill also requires the Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive review of the state's curriculum standards and graduation requirements.

Early voting opens for primary: Early voting has begun for the June 4 primary election in Iowa, and voters have until May 20 to request absentee ballots. Voters also can vote early in person at their local auditor's office, or on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor's office by the time the polls close June 4.

Behavioral health redesign in law: Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law this past week redesigning the state's mental health and substance use service networks, promising better and more streamlined services under the new system. The law will create a unified behavioral health network consisting of seven locally administered care regions.

The Health and Human Services Department will oversee the local regions and provide grants for mental health and substance use treatment. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders often occur simultaneously, and advocates said the redesign would help treat Iowans with those struggles.

Hy-Vee closing urban stores: Hy-Vee is closing three stores in Iowa, largely in low-income neighborhoods. The company said the stores in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Davenport were not profitable. The stores were the only nearby source of groceries and prescriptions in many of those areas, residents said.

Bluder retires as Iowa women's basketball coach: After 24 years leading the Iowa Hawkeye women's basketball team, head coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement last week. Bluder led the Hawkeyes to two consecutive championship game appearances and made $1.45 million last year. Assistant coach Jan Jensen will succeed Bluder as head coach.

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They said ...

"It has been the honor of my career to be a part of the Iowa Hawkeye family, and to lead a women's basketball program filled with so many talented and remarkable young women, who have gone on to great things in their careers and, more importantly, in their lives." -- Iowa women's basketball head coach Lisa Bluder on her retirement

“Politics has no place in a criminal prosecution. I am glad to stand with President Trump in New York today in opposition to the lawfare being waged against him. It is clear that (President Joe Biden) and his far-left allies will stop at nothing to silence President Trump’s voice and keep him off the campaign trail by keeping him tied up in court." -- Attorney General Brenna Bird at Trump New York hush money trial

Odds and ends

Disaster declaration: President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for eight Iowa counties that were hit last month by tornadoes. The declaration makes FEMA Individual Assistance funding available for families and businesses that lost property and housing in the storms.

Open meetings worries: A bill meant to enhance penalties for violating Iowa's open meetings law could have an "enormous loophole," the state's public information board said. The board worries the bill would allow members of a board to deliberate in private at events sponsored by political or civic organizations. Gov. Kim Reynolds has not yet signed the bill into law.

Water cooler

School wrestling lawsuit: A northwest Iowa school district denied in a lawsuit that it had knowledge of abuse in the wrestling program, including allegations that wrestlers were shocked with a stun gun and assaulted with a sex toy. The lawsuit alleges that coaches at Hinton fostered a team atmosphere that encouraged the bullying and hazing.

Park accessibility: Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill last week directing the state Department of Natural Resources to study accessibility improvements at Iowa's state parks. Next year's state budget includes $1.3 million for accessibility improvements at state parks.