Week in Iowa, July 14, 2024: Recap of news from across the state

Iowa GOP chair nominates Trump: Just days after a would-be assassin shot at former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, Republican Party of Iowa chair Jeff Kaufmann gave the speech formally nominating him for president at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Kaufmann referenced Iowa's caucuses, which kicked off the presidential nominating calendar in January.

He said Iowans put their support behind Trump during those caucuses, and the rest of the GOP followed in primaries throughout the year. Kaufmann said the Republican Party is a "grassroots" party and that Trump's agenda would be a program "for all Americans." Trump officially accepted the nomination Thursday night on the fourth day of the convention.

30,000 students approved for ESAs: More than 30,000 students have been approved for Education Savings Accounts under a program that allows families to use state dollars to pay for private school tuition. It is an increase of more than 11,000 from the last school year, in which the program's cost was $128 million.

Department for Blind director resigns: The director of the Iowa Department for the Blind has stepped down from the office after a year-and-a-half battle with kidney cancer. Emily Wharton, who grew up legally blind in a small Iowa town, said the services she received through the department before taking over as its director gave her the skills to be employed and independent.

Abortion law poised to take effect: A district court judge will likely soon take action on an order from the Iowa Supreme Court to allow a state law banning abortion once cardiac activity is detected in a fetus to take effect. The judge said Friday he had not yet received the formal order from the court, and he would issue a notice before officially dissolving the injunction on the law.

Health care providers have warned that the law's narrow exceptions — including for rape, incest and medical emergencies — will make treatment difficult and cast legal confusion on doctors during critical periods. Planned Parenthood plans to continue to fight the law in court under the new legal standard set by the Supreme Court.

Riders take off on RAGBRAI: RAGBRAI, the famous bike ride stretching from river to river across Iowa, kicked off from Glenwood on Saturday. The 424-mile route runs through southern Iowa towns including Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant and Burlington. For the 51st annual ride, organizers expect 20,000 to 30,000 riders to participate.

Storms track across state: Another round of severe weather swept through Iowa this past week, with at least one tornado touching down in the Des Moines metro area. The line of storms, which swept from Des Moines to Cedar Rapids and Davenport, was classified as a derecho. Residents of Des Moines, Dubuque, Mitchell, Polk and Scott counties are eligible for state disaster assistance.

They said ...

“This is not a program just for Republicans, but one for all Americans. It reflects the values of America. It’s a program that acknowledges that our nation has seen better days, and we can and we will blaze a brighter future.” -- Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann in speech nominating Donald Trump for president

“On rehearing, this Court should hold that the Iowa Constitution protects a fundamental right to bodily autonomy, which includes the right to make decisions about one’s pregnancy, that undue burden is the appropriate standard, and that the Ban is therefore unconstitutional." -- ACLU of Iowa asking district court to block abortion law

Odds and ends

Fraudulent investments: The Iowa Insurance Division recently took control of four companies operated by a central Iowa real estate executive accused of defrauding investors. According to court records, Brett T. Immel allegedly sold investments related to properties the companies did not own and failed to make interest payments to investors.

Hemp rules take effect: Despite concerns from manufacturers and retailers, the rules governing a state law that restricts the sale of consumable hemp products took effect this past week. Under the law, products cannot contain more than 4 mg of THC per serving and 10 mg of THC per container. They also must follow packaging standards and cannot be sold to minors.

Water cooler

Federal housing program: Iowans in 14 counties unable to live in their homes due to flood and tornado damage now are eligible to apply for temporary housing assistance through the federal government. Iowa received approval to use a Federal Emergency Management Agency program that traditionally has been used by Southern states in hurricane recovery efforts.

Land returned to Winnebago: A 1,600-acre tract of land along the Missouri River in Iowa will be returned to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska after a decades-long dispute. The land was taken using eminent domain by the U.S. Army but never developed. Iowa's congressional delegation backed the federal bill that will make the land transfer happen.