Week in Iowa: Recap of news from across the state

Legislators tackle mental health: Mental health care workers and patients would be in line for assistance under a package of bills introduced by state lawmakers. Iowa House Republicans have introduced four bills that would aim to add more mental health beds at state-run facilities, establish more psychiatric residencies, and create a loan repayment program for mental health care workers. Iowa Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, spoke to reporters about the proposals Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol. “It’s a crisis that needs to be addressed in a big way,” she said.

Public assistance: Attempts in previous years to add requirements for Iowans who receive public benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps failed to pass both chambers in the Iowa Legislature. A renewed effort is underway this year, with a new approach. Instead of pushing for just one or two big bills addressing public assistance programs, statehouse Republicans have broken the proposals into a slew of bills running separately.

Lawmakers look at gun bill: Local governments or law enforcement officers who enforce federal gun regulations that exceed Iowa’s rules would be subject to $50,000 fines under a legislative proposal advanced by Iowa Senate Republicans. The proposal would nullify any federal gun regulations that exceed Iowa state law. The legislation is similar in spirit to resolutions passed by several Iowa counties declaring themselves “sanctuary counties” from federal gun laws.

Hog deaths: A year after dropping charges against an activist who exposed what many viewed as the inhumane killing of hundreds of pigs at two Iowa pork plants, prosecutors have dropped a second case against him. The dismissal of the second case against Matt Johnson, an activist with Direct Action Everywhere, comes in the continued fight over Iowa's so-called “ag gag” laws that criminalize undercover investigations into animal treatment on livestock farms.

Overdoses: Increasingly driven by fentanyl, opioid-related deaths continue to surge in Iowa and across the country at a “shocking” rate, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said Thursday. The Iowa Public Health Department estimates that deaths in Iowa due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, rose from 31 percent of all overdoses in 2016 to 87 percent in 2021.

They said …

“By limiting the access of the press to our legislators it also limits the fundamental right of the citizens of Iowa to have firsthand knowledge of the governmental process.” — Terese Grant, president of the League of Women Voters of Iowa.

“I want to get it right so we’re looking at that language to make sure it does what the intent was to do (because), really, what we’re trying to do is not tax retirement income.” — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, discussing her tax plan at Van Meter in Cedar Rapids

Odds and ends

Library social worker: The Davenport Public Library has hired a social worker, becoming the first library in Iowa to do so. Quinn O’Brian works to aid in connecting residents to services such as housing, unemployment and child care assistance; substance abuse and mental health services; and more.

Newspaper closes: The Jesup Citizen Herald weekly community newspaper was printed for the final time Dec. 29. Its website, www.jesupcitizenherald.com, while still active, includes a letter from editor Kim Edwards Adams titled, “Saying goodbye to Jesup,” as well as access to recent obituaries, and contact information for him.

Press access: Free press advocates pushed Iowa Senate leaders Wednesday to change a policy that barred reporters from the Senate floor for the first time in more than 100 years and moved them to a second-floor public gallery where they can't interact with lawmakers.

Water cooler

Triples are best: Iowa's Caitlin Clark posted her second straight 30-point triple-double, setting a Division I basketball record for men or women, in a 105-49 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night. The Des Moines native and Hawkeye sophomore is averaging 26.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game this season.

Fundraising totals: Incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ campaign finished 2021 with nearly $4.8 million in her campaign account, according to new state fundraising reports published Wednesday, crushing her likely opponent in the money race. Deidre DeJear, who has the highest profile among Democratic gubernatorial candidates, finished the year with just more than $8,500 in her campaign account. Reynolds’ campaign raised nearly $3.8 million in 2021 — more than 13 times what DeJear raised. DeJear’s campaign raised nearly $280,000 in 2021, but spent nearly $271,000 to run her campaign.