Week in Iowa, May 15, 2023: Recap of news from across the state

Trump rained out; DeSantis barnstorms: The showdown in Iowa between former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last weekend never came through, as poor weather forecasts led to Trump canceling his Des Moines rally hours before he was supposed to take the stage. DeSantis, who has not formally announced his intentions to run for president, spoke to crowds in northwest Iowa and Cedar Rapids on Saturday, and made an unscheduled stop at Jethro's BBQ in Des Moines.

DeSantis, Trump's chief rival in the Republican primary to take on President Joe Biden in 2024, made veiled references to Trump in his stops, saying the party must “reject the culture of losing that’s affected our party in recent years.”

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Budget cuts target AEAs: Gov. Kim Reynolds said she's not concerned about the abilities of Area Education Agencies to provide special education to Iowa's students under a $30 million cut lawmakers sent to her desk as part of next year's budget. The agencies worry an increase in private school students — who they must provide special ed for but do not get compensated — will stretch their ability to serve all students.

State holds education savings account webinars: Iowa parents can sign up for webinars to learn more about the state's new education savings account program, which will be open for applications by the end of the month. The accounts will allow parents to use their child's full per-pupil state allocation to pay for private school expenses. Webinars begin Tuesday and run through June 7, and can be found on the Department of Education's website.

Youth labor bill violates law, feds say: The federal Department of Labor said a bill awaiting Gov. Kim Reynolds' signature has provisions that would violate federal labor laws. The bill would allow children ages 14 to 17 to work in some jobs currently prohibited and allow teens to work longer hours.

The department said the bill's rules allow teens to do "light assembly work" and work in industrial laundries — jobs not permitted by federal law. Republicans pushed back at the accusation, saying state laws have long been incongruent with federal labor standards. They also said some of the letter's contents reflected outdated bill language.

Reynolds signs drug penalty law: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday signed a law hiking penalties for selling fentanyl and for providing a drug that results in a person's serious injury or death. The law also expands who can dispense naloxone, a medication used to reverse the effects of an overdose.

Roast and Ride picks up speakers: Former Vice President Mike Pence, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and conservative talk show host Larry Elder will join former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at Sen. Joni Ernst's Roast and Ride fundraiser June 3. The event will be held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.

They said …

“If the election is about anything else — if it’s about distractions, side issues, all these other things — if we allow Biden to just sit in his basement again and not have to be held accountable, then I think the Democrats are likely to seize that power that we know they will abuse.” — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in visit to Iowa

"In the rush to expand child labor in Iowa, Republican legislators will be inviting businesses to break federal law. Protections against unsafe and exploitative child labor are there for a reason, and failed measures to address Iowa’s workforce crisis is no excuse to undermine those safeguards.” — Iowa Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, on child labor bill

Odds and ends

2024 watch: A new super PAC launched last week to encourage former Vice President Mike Pence to run for the Republican nomination for president in 2024. South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott recently teased a "special announcement" set for Monday, weeks after he formed an exploratory committee for a presidential run.

Conversion therapy: The Waterloo City Council gave final passage to a ban on conversion therapy — an attempt to change someone's gender identity or sexual orientation — on Monday. The policy passed on a 6-1 vote.

Water cooler

Grassley proposes ag rules: U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said he is working on legislation to overturn a California law that regulates the humane conditions of certain livestock whose products are sold in the state. The Supreme Court recently upheld the law, which Iowa farm groups say will push up pork prices nationwide.

Child care law: Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law Thursday that increases eligibility for child care assistance. The law will allow people making up to 160 percent of the federal poverty line to qualify for child care assistance, but also require that recipients work 32 hours a week.

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