Government & Politics

Democrat Chris Jones pushed back at comments Wednesday from Mike Naig, the 2-term Republican incumbent state ag secretary.

A special investigation by the Iowa State Auditor’s Office found Crossroads Behavioral Health Services mishandled or misused more than $180,000 in federal and opioid settlement funds. Meanwhile, a state partnership with Ancestry.com has digitized over 1 million Iowa historical records at no taxpayer cost.

China recently pledged to buy 12 million tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the year, according to the White House, but thus far has bought fewer than 2 million tons

The move would address evolving space needs of the Linn County Auditor’s Office and lead election services “into the future.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state is in a “good place” to receive nearly $157 million in federal education funding by block grant rather than through the U.S. Department of Education, arguing that it will help eliminate “bureaucracy.”

Muscatine Democrat Taylor Wettach is touting an aggressive ethics and campaign-finance overhaul in Iowa’s 1st District race, arguing plans from rivals Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Christina Bohannan don’t go far enough to curb the influence of money in politics.

The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed an appellate opinion in a case against the Cedar Rapids City Council and affirmed that members were legally allowed to enter into closed session to interview a potential city clerk candidate.

The delay results in the loss of $3 million in state funding for the two smaller infrastructure projects, although the city is eligible to reapply at a later date.