Capitol Notebook: Federal judge allows Trump to dismiss federal suit vs. Iowa pollster, shift focus to state lawsuit

DES MOINES — The federal version of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against a former Iowa pollster and the Des Moines Register will be dismissed after a federal appeals court ruling issued Friday.

The dismissal, sought by Trump’s legal team, shifts the focus to a similar lawsuit filed in Iowa’s state court system.

Trump filed the lawsuits over the final Iowa Poll published just before the 2024 presidential election. That poll, from former pollster Ann Selzer and published by the Des Moines Register, showed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa by 4 percentage points. Days later, Trump won the state by 13 points.

Trump’s state lawsuit against Selzer and the Register claims consumer fraud and seeks unspecified damages and a court order to stop future “deceptive polls.”

Selzer announced shortly after the election that she would no longer conduct polling. Selzer said at the time that plan was already in place and was not made in reaction to the final 2024 Iowa Poll.

The lawsuit originally was filed in the state courts in December of 2024, and was later moved to the federal courts. Trump’s team then requested dismissal of the federal lawsuit and refiled in state court on June 30, one day before a new state law went into effect that allows courts to provide expedited relief in cases deemed to be designed to squelch free speech.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Missouri on Friday ruled a lower court erred when he struck Trump’s motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit.

Judges Lavenski Smith and David Stras issued the ruling, with Judge Jonathan Kobes dissenting. Smith was nominated by President George W. Bush; Stras and Kobes by Trump.

A hearing on the state lawsuit is scheduled for Nov. 14 at the Polk County Courthouse.

State issues $3.8M in reading proficiency grants

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Twenty-eight Iowa school districts will receive grants — totaling $3.8 million — designed to help school districts develop and implement plans to improve students’ reading proficiency, the Iowa Department of Education announced.

The federally funded Comprehensive Literacy State Development grants support school districts’ costs associated with local literacy plan development, including hiring literacy consultants, providing professional development on the Science of Reading for Literacy Leadership Team members, and attending evidence-based professional learning events in partnership with the state, according to Iowa DOE.

Iowa was awarded a total of $24 million from the CLSD grant in 2024, including $4 million in planning subgrants — which are the ones just announced and awarded to the 28 school districts — plus an additional $5 million annually over four years to implement the subgrants, according to Iowa DOE.

“Building upon the momentum of Iowa’s incredible early literacy gains, the Department is excited to celebrate and support each of these awardees in realizing their commitment to evidence-based reading instruction that accelerates learning for all students,” Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said in a press release.

A full list of grants awarded can be seen on the Iowa Department of Education’s website, educate.iowa.gov.

State issues $490K in housing grants

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Sixteen Iowa communities were awarded grants totaling $490,000 to address housing needs, the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced.

The grants were awarded through the state’s Empower Rural Iowa program. The grants are designed to, “expand housing, strengthen child care and encourage business and community growth,” the IEDA said in a press release.

Six communities received $50,000 grants to increase and improve housing: Fairfield, Keosauqua, Red Oak, Decorah, Kalona and Spencer; $20,000 Rural Housing Readiness Assessment grants were awarded to the cities of Forest City, Imogene, Lake Mills, Manchester and West Burlington, and the Clarion Development Alliance; $20,000 Rural Child Care Planning Grants were awarded to Little Smiles & Company in Adair, the city of Lake Park, and Mahaska Health in Oskaloosa; and a $10,000 Rural Building Ownership and Organization by Strengthening Teams grant was awarded to the city of Manning.

Empower Rural Iowa Grants are funded by the state. Applicants must provide matching funds and must come from communities with fewer than 20,000 residents and not adjacent to cities of 40,000 or more.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

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