Instead of passing a new policy banning Iowa’s public universities from requiring students to take courses with “substantial” DEI or CRT content to satisfy any major, minor, or certificate, the Board of Regents — facing fierce backlash — has found an “alternative approach” aiming to avoid “indoctrination of one perspective.”
Allowing some cities to become independent of counties, aligning public sector employee compensation and benefits with the private sector, and basing teacher compensation on student outcomes were some of the emerging recommendations discussed by the Iowa DOGE Task Force on Wednesday.
State, city and company leaders spoke at a ceremony Wednesday celebrating a planned $50 million upgrade and expansion to Ingredion's operations in Cedar Rapids. The company will expand the production of industrial starches used in packaging and papermaking to meet growing demand. The starches use corn sourced entirely from Iowa.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the Iowa National Guard stands ready to coordinate with the federal government to potentially assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with administrative and clerical duties related to the detention and deportation of migrants in their custody, though specifics are still pending.
Also, Reynolds announces grant funding to expand child care access
In a campuswide message Thursday in the throes of an unfolding investigation into the University of Iowa’s compliance with new DEI laws, UI President Barbara Wilson stressed her campus “has been working diligently to comply” -- despite comments a UI employee made in an undercover video aired on Fox News.
Also, Attorney General urges Iowans to watch out for ticket scams ahead of Iowa State Fair
Following a contentious discussion about growing university budgets and the process for reviewing and approving them, the Board of Regents on Wednesday OK’d FY2026 budgets while also agreeing to review the numbers and processes going forward in hopes of digging deeper into the expenses and revenues driving the state's public institutions.
Gov. Kim Reynolds late Tuesday condemned a video she saw on Fox News depicting a University of Iowa employee “who blatantly admits to defying DEI restrictions I signed into law on May 9, 2024.”
Also in the notebook, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird objects to a settlement in a lawsuit against the retail brokerage Charles Schwab
One year after an Iowa law banning most abortions in the state went into effect, Republicans are celebrating the legislation’s impact, while Democrats warn the restrictions will continue to limit reproductive health care across the state.
Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann kicked off a party fundraiser Friday by stressing to the crowd that Rob Sand, the Iowa State Auditor and only statewide elected Democrat, is “running away from his left-wing views” as he runs for governor in the 2026 election, which is more than 15 months away.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds sent a letter Wednesday to congressional leaders urging support for legislation to block California’s regulations reintroduced by a group of U.S. House members, including Iowa Republicans Ashley Hinson, Randy Feenstra, Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
Iowa students will be more engaged in their learning and with their peers as they head back to school this fall under new policies restricting the use of cellphones and other personal electronic devices during the school day, educators say.
According to Iowa data, fentanyl and meth seizures are down significantly in the first 6 months of this year compared to averages over the previous 4 years.
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