Maya Marchel Hoff, Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

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.

But legislators are ruling out any immediate changes to IPERS.

Iowa Democrats are divided on whether the party should split from national party leadership on how to hold the 2028 Democratic caucuses in the state, while most agree that Iowa should play an influential role in the presidential selection process.

Four Iowans were recognized by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday for their heroic efforts to save others’ lives, including saving one’s lifelong friend from freezing water and an elderly couple from a burning house.

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.

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.”

State officials have denied a request by the Satanic Temple of Iowa to hold a holiday event in the state capitol rotunda after rejecting a similar request last year.

The 2026 Iowa midterm elections are less than a year out, and policy issues that campaigns and voters are talking about include health care costs and affordability. But one issue both parties have used to energize voters in the past has yet to gain prominence: abortion.

The $50 billion initiative is aimed at helping states offset the impact of the cuts rural hospitals will face from the spending package’s billions in reductions to Medicaid and other federal health programs.

Republican has decided to run again for a seat in the Iowa Legislature after spending the last few months visiting counties and speaking with Iowans.

The legislation forces the U.S. Department of Justice to release files related to the investigation into the late sex offender amid mounting political pressure.

More than three months after roughly 200 meatpacking plant workers in Ottumwa were notified that their work visas were being revoked, some have moved, while others have found other immigration statuses to remain and work.

Iowa hemp retailers are raising concerns after federal lawmakers passed legislation banning hemp products this week while reopening the government.

In August, Gov. Kim Reynolds said the mission will “free up local ICE officials to continue their work outside the office to enforce the law and keep our state safe.”

Zach Wahls and Nathan Sage blast Senate Democratic leader over deal to end federal government shutdown without health care subsidy extension guarantees.