James Q. Lynch

The park rangers union called the eviction of rangers a potential violation of its contract with the state because living rent-free in state-owned housing falls under the category of supplemental pay and is a mandatory subject of collective bargaining.

The Iowa House went two different directions Monday as it extended more local control to cities to deal with public nuisances, but took away local control from public and private schools, day care centers and colleges by prohibiting them from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations.

Although Iowans purchased over 2 million gallons of vodka through the ABD in 2021, it’s unclear how much was produced in Russia. Few brands imported to the U.S. are still produced in Russia.

Based on announcements so far, at least 35 incumbents have announced they are retiring or running for a different office. In some cases, it’s House members running for Senate seats and vice versa. There are some incumbents running for either county or federal office.

Sara Yedlik, a Benton County Democrat, is running to challenge the Republican incumbent in a House district covering most of Benton County and part of Linn County.

Elle Wyant, LGBTQ+ activist, is running for the Iowa Legislature from House 91 where there is no incumbent. The district covers Iowa County where she grew up and northwest Johnson County.

Not a formal investigation, but the attorney general will look at why the price of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer has increased 315 percent since January 2021, and other types of fertilizer have increased between 171 percent and 290 percent, according to the federal agriculture department.

FERTILITY FRAUD: The House voted 90-5 to approve HF 2160 to establish a crime of fourth-degree sexual abuse when a …

Corrections Director Beth Skinner is seeking a $407.7 million general fund budget for the coming fiscal year, which, if approved, would be an increase from nearly $387 million in each of the previous two budget years.

A proposal to create up to 48 psychiatric residencies at state institutions as part of a large package of legislation to increase mental health access across Iowa was unanimously approved by the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday.

The pandemic contributed to the time it took to dispose of cases, but the state court administrator said the need for more judges continues to be a larger factor. Based on national and judges’ workloads, Iowa should have an additional 24 district court judges. As a result, the percentage of cases pending in Iowa courts after 12 months exceeds national standards for felonies, dissolution, paternity and custody cases, probate and civil cases.

House File 2416 would require any Iowa schools that get public funding to designate sports programs as open to biological females, open to biological males or coeducational. A similar bill awaits action in the Senate.

Jeff Cooling is the first candidate to announce in House 77, which includes much of Cedar Rapids from Sixteenth Avenue SW to the Linn-Johnson County line. Rep. Kirsten Running-Marquardt, D-Cedar Rapids, represents that area, but is not seeking re-election to the House.

Iowa’s governor cited fairness as a guiding principle in her efforts to flatten Iowa income tax rates, provide more families with opportunities to send children to non-public schools and prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports.

Ten Iowa middle- and high-school girls — two of them transgender — spoke Thursday at a legislative hearing on legislation that would ban transgender girls from competing in girls athletics in Iowa. Also, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed her first bill of the session: a $3.6 billion K-12 public education package.