The start of a new year also means the start of new laws in Iowa, including fines for handling a cellphone while driving, a statewide ban on ranked choice voting and an overhaul of state business tax incentives.
Democrat Renee Hardman was elected to the Iowa state Senate on Tuesday in a year-end special election, denying Republicans from reclaiming two-thirds control of the chamber.
Voters in a Democratic-leaning West Des Moines-area district will pick a new state senator Tuesday in a special election that could allow Iowa Republicans to regain a supermajority in the chamber and secure the party’s grip on state government.
The Iowa Supreme Court, in a split decision, has ordered a new trial for a West Des Moines doctor, convicted of sexually abusing a child under the age of 10, over the use of one-way video testimony.
Food & Water Watch is proposing new policies that it says would mandate best management practices, increase transparency and “hold corporate polluters accountable.”
The state is asking Johnson County District Court to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges a new law requiring three Iowa counties to change how their supervisors are elected is unconstitutional.
An injunction blocking Iowa’s school book-removal mandate remains in place, but school leaders say the legal back-and-forth has created confusion and caution in classrooms. A pending decision from a federal appellate court could reshape what libraries and teachers are allowed to do.
State agencies are pre-filing bills ahead of the 2026 Iowa legislative session, signaling debates over kratom regulation, prison safety, election ads and a renewed fight over the future of Iowa’s historical archives in Iowa City.
Iowa will need slightly less money from state coffers to cover a budget gap after revenue estimates saw a small uptick since October, primarily driven by higher collections from consumer spending.
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said this year, in preparing for the next legislative session, his office has set priorities for changes they’d like to see. He hopes to work with legislators to address the state’s groping laws, invasion of privacy crimes, and rules about examination of public records.
National Democrats are adding the Iowa House and Senate to their 2026 target map, citing recent over-performance in special elections and new opportunities to cut into GOP control in Des Moines.
But legislators are ruling out any immediate changes to IPERS.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services says it is changing the way Medicaid can be billed for certain services to get the state in compliance with the Affordable Care Act.
With the start of the 2026 Iowa legislative session only about a month away, state lawmakers are gearing up to return to a debate on property tax relief, an issue they touched on but failed to advance a proposal for last year in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
The CEO of Iowa’s public pension system said he does not object to a review of the retirement program for public employees, but cautioned against potential consequences of a voluntary contribution option — one of the recommendations from a citizen task force appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
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