Week in Iowa, Oct. 9, 2023: Recap of news from across the state

Iowa leaders condemn attack on Israel: Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst visited Israel with a congressional delegation shortly after the country suffered an unprecedented, surprise attack by Hamas last week. Ernst said Hamas was a terrorist organization that needs to be "eradicated from the face of the Earth." She called for freezing $6 billion in Iranian assets that were part of a prisoner swap brokered by President Joe Biden.

More than 2,000 people had died in Israel and Gaza nearly a week into the war, as of Thursday. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered Iowa flags at half-staff to honor the lives lost in Israel last week, and said Iowa "stands in solidarity with Israel and their right to defend themselves.”

Hinson calls to 'unite' around Scalise: Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson called Thursday for fellow House Republicans to unify and elect Steve Scalise, the current House majority leader, as speaker of the House following Kevin McCarthy's ouster. But Scalise withdrew his bid for the speakership later that night after failing to gain enough support.

Iowa AG targets Massachusetts law: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led a court brief last week challenging a Massachusetts law that dictates the living condition of sows who produce pork sold in the state. The law closely mirrors a California law that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in May.

18,900 ESA applications approved: The state announced last week it had approved nearly 18,900 applications for private school education savings accounts for the current school year. Officials did not say how many students are currently using those accounts to attend private school, and said that information will be available in December. The accounts allow students to use up to $7,600 in public funds to pay for a private school education.

Iowa families submitted nearly 30,000 applications for the accounts. Some were rejected because they did not meet the residency or income requirements, while others were closed voluntarily. This year, the program was open to all public school students, and private school students in families making up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line.

State revenue to decline: Iowa's revenue from taxes and other sources will fall by nearly 1 percent in the current fiscal year, according to recent state panel estimates. The downturn is planned and the result of tax cuts made by Republican leaders in recent years.

They said ...

“Iowans mourn for the families of those killed by Hamas in Israel. Hamas’ brutality knows no bounds, with reports of Holocaust survivors, women, and children taken by Hamas militants from their homes as hostages or brutally murdered. Today and every day, Iowa stands in solidarity with Israel and their right to defend themselves.” — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Hamas attack in Israel

"There is wide bipartisan support in Congress for Israel, so I’m hopeful we can come together and put politics and disagreement on other issues aside, and show our friends we’re going to stay true to our word and get them what they need." — U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson on Congress approving funding for Israel

Odds and ends

2024 watch: Former Republican Texas congressman Will Hurd dropped his bid for the presidency last week, endorsing Nikki Haley. That leaves a dozen candidates in the running for the Republican nomination, which will kick off with the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15.

Candidates on Israel: Republican presidential candidates roundly blamed President Joe Biden for the attacks on Israel by Hamas last weekend. They pointed to the $6 billion in funding the Biden administration released to Iran in a prisoner swap earlier this year. Administration officials say none of that money has been spent.

Water cooler

Mercy Iowa City bid: A Texas firm outbid University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to purchase Mercy Iowa City, the community hospital that went bankrupt earlier this year. Preston Hollow Community Capital will run a nonprofit community hospital through American Healthcare Systems, the firm said.

Clark, Hawkeyes to tip off at Kinnick: The Iowa women's basketball team will play an exhibition game at Kinnick Stadium today against DePaul University. The game at the outdoor football stadium is expected to break an NCAA women's basketball attendance record.