Articles Tagged: Governor

LGBTQ Iowans say ban and other bills will harm their community, especially children

The Iowa Senate voted 34-15 Tuesday to advance Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to reorganize state government. Senate Democrats presented 11 amendments to the bill, most proposing to strike a proposed change and keep a state agency where it currently resides within state government. All of the Democrats’ proposals were rejected by Republicans.

The three-member commission for the blind had been down to just one after one member retired and another passed away.

State government reorganization, bills impacting LGBTQ students and youth, gun regulations and more were passed overnight Thursday into early Friday

The program is projected to spend roughly $315 million annually in state funding to roughly $7,600 annual scholarships for, eventually, any Iowa student to put toward private school tuition and other education-related expenses.

The state paid a Virginia-based consulting firm nearly $1 million to interview state officials and make recommendations, which are now in Reynolds’ 1,600-page bill.

While the proposal restates existing law, county attorneys worry it could enable the AG to undermine their work

Proponents of the legislation said it’s needed to help contain insurance costs for hospitals, and to help recruit and retain doctors, especially in rural areas of the state.

Blind Iowans expressed their concern with how Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposed realignment of state government will impact them and the state services that help them.

And a state lawmaker said more members of the public should serve on the board that licenses and disciplines teachers

Gov. Kim Reynolds approved $440,000 for the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund, which recently exhausted its available spending for the first time in a decade.

The governor has proposed a significant streamlining of state agencies, and placed a 4-year pause on regulatory rule-making

The budget, which now goes before state lawmakers, includes her proposed private school scholarships

More legislation is needed as the state combines the former human services, public health and aging departments

Republicans are eyeing property taxes, while local officials express a need to proceed with caution.