Week in Iowa, July 17, 2023: Recap of news from across the state

Abortion ban blocked in court: Three days after it was signed into law, a judge temporarily blocked a restrictive ban on abortions after around six weeks. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the law after lawmakers met to pass it in a special session July 11.

Reynolds said last week she plans to appeal the injunction, which would be in effect as the courts weigh a challenge to the bill brought by Planned Parenthood. It is widely expected that the issue will return to the Iowa Supreme Court, which will then determine which standard should be applied to abortion restrictions, and rule on the constitutionality of the law.

Reynolds unveils new state logo: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new state logo and marketing plan last week as part of an effort to draw people to live in Iowa. The new logo, which includes the tagline "freedom to flourish," will be used by state agencies and will be displayed on welcome signs as drivers enter the state.

Grassley, Miller-Meeks address child health care: Iowa Republicans U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks reintroduced legislation Wednesday that would improve health care access for children with complex medical conditions by simplifying out-of-state Medicaid enrollment processes for pediatric care providers.

Republicans target Trump over Reynolds comments: Former President Donald Trump received more pushback from Republican rivals this past week over comments claiming credit for fellow Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds' 2018 election victory and attacking her for staying neutral in the 2024 Republican primary. Trump doubled down in an interview on WHO radio, in which he said Reynolds would not be governor without him.

The Republican Accountability PAC and the Ron DeSantis-aligned Never Back Down PAC both released ads attacking Trump over those comments. The Never Back Down ad included an AI-generated Trump voice reading the words of a Truth Social post from the former president. Reynolds said she is willing to appear alongside Trump in the future, and said she had invited him to her "Fair-Side Chats" at the Iowa State Fair next month.

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Trump shrugs off legal battles in Iowa: In Iowa for a town hall taping with Fox News host Sean Hannity, former President Donald Trump made light of mounting legal troubles and continued to make unproven claims that election fraud led to his 2020 loss. He called special counsel Jack Smith, in charge of investigations into his mishandling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the election, a "disgrace."

Iowa road investment breaks record: A state record of nearly $1.5 billion was invested in Iowa's roads in the last year. The 16 percent increase from the previous year can be attributed to a boost in federal infrastructure funding.

They said …

“So they want to cheat on an election, but if somebody wants to question the cheating, they want to call you a conspiracy theorist and all these other things." — Former President Donald Trump, in Cedar Rapids, on news he is a target in Jan. 6 investigation

“We are deeply relieved that the court granted this relief so essential health care in Iowa can continue. We are also acutely aware that the relief is only pending further litigation and the future of abortion in Iowa remains tenuous and threatened.” — Emma Goldman Clinic Medical Director Abbey Hardy-Fairbanks on court injunction of abortion ban

Odds and ends

Grassley releases documents: Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley released an unclassified FBI investigation file that details an alleged bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden. The Department of Justice investigated the claim in 2020 and closed the investigation after finding no evidence.

Tort reform scheme: An Iowa clinic alleged that a state insurance company engineered a nearly $100 million medical malpractice settlement in order to encourage state lawmakers to pass a law limiting non-economic damages in similar lawsuits. The clinic's new lawyer said the insurance company forced the clinic to declare bankruptcy after the settlement.

Water cooler

Fair food: The Iowa State Fair announced 64 new foods to try at the fair starting Aug. 10. The foods include the Grinder Ball, a mixture of bacon balls and mozzarella cheese wrapped in bacon; the Iowa Twinkie, a bacon-wrapped jalapeno pepper stuffed with pulled pork, sweet corn and cream cheese; and a deep-fried bacon brisket mac and cheese grilled cheese.

Jobless numbers steady: Iowa's unemployment rate held steady at 2.7 percent in June, matching May's rate. But the labor force participation rate increased, with 68.7 percent of Iowans participating in the labor force, compared to 68.5 percent in May. The national unemployment rate in June fell to 3.6 percent.