Caleb McCullough, Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

Iowa Department of Education officials left vague their plans to give school administrators more guidance on a state law that bans books with sexual content from school libraries during a state Board of Education meeting Thursday. The board’s president said school officials are looking to the department for guidance in implementing the law.

Some see him as alternative to Trump

Thirteen Republican presidential candidates addressed more than 1,200 people at a state party fundraiser in Iowa on Friday.

More than 1,200 attended a state party fundraiser Friday night, where 13 GOP White House hopefuls spoke.

Vice president urges push to elect Democrats

“We have a constitutional responsibility of oversight,” the Iowa Republican said. “And the inquiry stage is just to put more resources behind all these questions that haven't been properly answered yet.”

The website, which was started by a coalition of liberal advocacy groups, seeks to identify the projects that have received funding through the Biden-backed American Rescue Plan and bipartisan infrastructure law.

All but one of the major Republican presidential contenders will converge in Des Moines Friday for the Republican Party of Iowa’s annual Lincoln Dinner, the biggest gathering of the 2024 field in Iowa so far.

Even though a judge’s ruling this week blocked enforcement of a new abortion law in Iowa, the process that will draft rules for the law’s implementation will continue.

The governor said she is willing to appear alongside Donald Trump at campaign events in the future despite his online criticism.

Republicans point to recent election successes as proof that they are following the will of Iowa voters. But Democrats say this new law, which bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected, and the next election will be different.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Republicans should be united against Biden and Democratic policies.

The bill, House File 732, was passed out of both chambers by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, about 15 hours after the special session began. Lawmakers voted mostly along party lines to ban abortions after cardiac activity is detected in an embryo or fetus, with some exceptions.

The Iowa Legislature is meeting today in Des Moines for a special session to consider passage of a bill that would restrict abortion in the state. The Gazette is providing live coverage of debate, committee meetings, demonstrations and other activity at the state capitol.

The Iowa Capitol will be ground zero for state abortion policy debate. Advocates on both sides of the issue plan to fill the Capitol in Des Moines as lawmakers consider legislation to severely restrict abortion access in the state.