Week in Iowa, March 6, 2023: Recap of news from across the state

Gender-affirming care banned: Iowa lawmakers passed a bill that would outlaw gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, a move that goes against the guidance of major medical institutions. If Gov. Kim Reynolds signs the bill into law, Iowans under 18 would not be allowed to access puberty blockers, hormones or surgeries for treatment of gender dysphoria.

Republican supporters of the bill said the science on treatment for transgender youth is not settled. Democrats, and some Republicans, said it would lead to mental health problems and suicides, and it takes away the ability of parents to make informed decisions with health care providers for their children's health.

Hawkeyes racism lawsuit settled: The University of Iowa Athletics Department will reimburse the state for $2 million that would have been paid by taxpayers to settle a racism lawsuit against the athletic department and key coaches and directors. State Auditor Rob Sand voted against paying the settlement — when the state still was expecting to pay half the bill — unless Athletic Director Gary Barta, who was originally named in the lawsuit, was fired.

Think tank leader to head Department of Education: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds named an Iowa native with degrees in economics and law and a background working for charter school and private school choice think tanks to run the state Department of Education. Chad Aldis, most recently an executive at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, is subject to confirmation in the Republican-led Senate.

Government reorganization imminent: A sweeping plan to reorganize the executive branch of the Iowa state government is one step closer to becoming law after passing Tuesday in the Senate. The bill, pitched by Gov. Kim Reynolds, would reduce the number of state agencies from 37 to 16, merging several departments.

Republicans said a reorganization of government was overdue, and it would streamline services and save costs. But Democrats took dozens of issues with the bill, arguing that it consolidated too much power under Reynolds. The bill passed mostly along party lines, and would need to pass in the House before being signed into law by Reynolds.

Auditor slams bill limiting scope: Iowa Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand argued that a bill passed in the Iowa Senate would strip him of his ability to perform his job and allow state agencies to hide misuse of government funds. But Sen. Mike Bousselot, a Republican who proposed the bill, said it cleans up ambiguity stemming from a 2021 Supreme Court Case and protects privacy.

They said …

"For too long, politicians have only promised to reduce the size and cost of government, but today the Iowa Senate took an important step forward to making it a reality. I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line in the House and to my desk.” — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on the Senate passing her government reorganization bill

“Anti-trans bills have nothing to do about privacy but (are) focused on expelling trans folks from public life. We are not going anywhere and, despite the bills that you put out against us, we will continue to be our most authentic, trans selves.” — Jo Allen on bills targeting transgender youth in the state Legislature

Odds and ends

2024 watch: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his Iowa debut Friday, holding rallies in Davenport and Des Moines. DeSantis is considered the major rival to former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 Republican caucuses, though he hasn't officially announced his intent to run. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley also was in Iowa this past week, and Trump will visit Davenport on Monday.

School books: Iowa House lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that would limit which books can be included in school libraries, requiring books to be age-appropriate and barring any books with sexual content. The move comes after petitions from some Iowa parents, including the activist group Moms for Liberty, to restrict what is available in school libraries.

Water cooler

Attorney general challenges EPA: Attorney General Brenna Bird sent an "intent-to-sue" letter to the Environmental Protection Agency over its decision to begin year-round sales of E15 next summer. Bird said the agency should enact the rule change this summer, and it could be in violation of law if it delays.

Data privacy: Iowa would become one of only a handful of states to have codified consumer data protection laws under a bill the Senate passed last week. Companies that control large amounts of data would be required to tell Iowans what data they are collecting and allow avenues to request a copy or delete the data.