Government & Politics

A poll conducted for Cedar Rapids Democrat Abby Finkenauer shows her with a nearly 50-point lead over her nearest competitor in the three-way June 7 primary for the party’s U.S. Senate nomination to face Sen. Chuck Grassley.

The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, securing her place as the first Black female justice. Iowa’s U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst voted against her confirmation.

Glenwood Resource Center, the state-operated facility for Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has been under scrutiny from the federal justice department. State leaders announced Thursday it will close in 2024.

Since the council was meeting in a work session, it did not vote on approving the plan, but instead provided feedback — opening the possibility the plan would be tweaked.

The Iowa City Council expressed support for giving relocation payments to all households living in the mobile home park at the time the conditional zoning agreement was signed in June 2019. The city plans to use both local and pandemic funds for the voluntary program.

The bill calls for Iowa to adopt LEAD-K, a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of deaf or hard-of-hearing children’s experiences in language learning and to work toward school readiness and sufficient language skills by providing access to both American Sign Language and English.

If no Democrats in the Senate vote to confirm Erik Helland’s nomination to the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board, the nomination will fail.

Two council members warm to idea, but with speed limit of 35 mph or less