Week in Iowa, April 21, 2024: Recap of news from across the state

Session ends with overnight sprint: Iowa lawmakers met for nearly 20 hours straight last weekend in a sprint to finish the 2024 legislative session. The last days of the session saw last-minute budget deals, a tax cut bill, and the breakdown of deals on issues like opioid treatment spending and extending the statewide casino moratorium.

Republicans claimed a victory as the last gavel fell at 4:23 a.m. Saturday, touting their "big and bold ideas" and Iowa's "transformation" under Republican leadership. Democrats said the leading party failed to meet the needs of Iowans, instead serving "special interests."

Body of missing Iowa trucker found: The body of missing Wall Lake trucker David Schultz was found Wednesday afternoon in a Sac County field, not far from where his truck was discovered abandoned five months ago. The body was about a mile and a half away from the abandoned truck, in an area where local law enforcement said they searched early into the investigation.

Speech concerns drop at Iowa campuses: A growing number of students at Iowa's public universities say they feel comfortable expressing their opinions on and off campus, according to a second free speech survey conducted by the Board of Regents. The surveys follow pressure from Republican lawmakers after accusations of speech-suppressing incidents on campus.

Iowa athletes file lawsuit: Twenty-six current and former college student-athletes -- mostly from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa -- are suing the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation based on allegations the agency violated their constitutional rights by doing a warrantless search that led to sports betting charges. The federal lawsuit filed Friday says DCI agents illegally used geofencing software to pinpoint online sports wagering by student-athletes and searched student-athletes’ phones without search warrants.

They said ...

“Iowa has set a course for transformation, and it was the driving force of the 2024 legislative session. Iowa is a state that values education, rewards hard work, and encourages strong families. A place where government is driven by a sense of responsibility to the people it serves." -- Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on the legislative session

"The things we introduced this legislative session were for everyday Iowans to help make their lives better, and Republicans chose politics and special interests.” -- House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, on the legislative session

Odds and ends

Sheriff under investigation: Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane is being investigated by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board after a complaint alleged he violated the law by campaigning using patrol cars in a parade last year. Lane said the entry was not a campaign event, and he denied any violations.

DEI offices shutter: Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa will close their diversity, equity and inclusion offices after state lawmakers banned the universities from operating the offices outside limited circumstances. The University of Iowa is renaming its office to the Division of Access, Opportunity and Diversity.

Water cooler

India mission: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will lead a trade mission to India in September, focusing on agricultural and business partnerships. Reynolds will be accompanied by Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and a delegation of agricultural and business leaders.

Opioid funds unspent: Iowa state lawmakers ended this year's legislative session without deciding on how to spend more than $25 million in a fund meant for opioid addiction treatment and prevention. House and Senate Republicans disagreed over how much oversight was needed in use of the funds.