State Government

Iowa schools would have fewer requirements on what they teach and how they provide instruction under a bill the Iowa Senate passed Tuesday.

The Iowa Senate voted 34-15 Tuesday to advance Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to reorganize state government. Senate Democrats presented 11 amendments to the bill, most proposing to strike a proposed change and keep a state agency where it currently resides within state government. All of the Democrats’ proposals were rejected by Republicans.

Elgin woman accused of theft agreed to settlement but says board would not disclose alleged food purchases with the facility’s credit.

Several hundred people crowded the west steps of the Iowa State Capitol to protest LGBTQ-related bills lawmakers are considering this year. They held signs that said “Trans People Belong in Iowa” and referenced the state’s motto — “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” They flew rainbow and trans pride flags.

Federal law requires states to have “estate recovery programs” to seek reimbursements for spending under Medicaid. While some states target very little — Hawaii’s program collected just $31,000 in 2019 — other states are more aggressive — Iowa contracts with a private company that recovered $26 million that same year.

Same-sex marriage, medical marijuana proposals fail to clear first ‘funnel’ hurdle

The three-member commission for the blind had been down to just one after one member retired and another passed away.

Today’s funnel is the first key deadline that winnows the number of bills that remain eligible for consideration for the remainder of the legislative session.

On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics podcast: state lawmakers put the F-U in funnel week, and 2024 really gets going with both Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis planning trips to Iowa soon.

State government reorganization, bills impacting LGBTQ students and youth, gun regulations and more were passed overnight Thursday into early Friday

Lawmakers also advance jobs open to teens, limits on speed cameras

Republicans advanced bills Wednesday that would restrict which materials are available to students in school libraries amid increased scrutiny from conservative activists around school material they consider to be explicit.