State Government

Plans to move forward with consolidating some local boards of Early Childhood Iowa were discussed at the ECI State Board meeting Friday, though some members of the public brought up concerns about the loss of local control.

Against the background of a dismal federal jobs report, two Iowa business group leaders on Friday said the state’s employers remain optimistic about the economy here, although they also warned against the impact of ongoing uncertainty in federal trade policy.

State and tribal law enforcement officers will be able to cross jurisdictional boundaries while pursuing fleeing suspects under a new legal agreement between the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Meskwaki Nation.

Also, Iowa judge fines Pennsylvania insurer $481,500 for misleading seniors.

Food banks in Iowa will get $200,000 in new funding this year to address food insecurity by buying fresh food — such as dairy products, meat, poultry, eggs, grains, honey and produce — from local producers.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has granted 55 pardons since taking office, more than double her predecessor and mentor, former Gov. Terry Branstad; commuted sentences have been exceptionally rare under both governors.

Republican legislative leaders said they will use money from the state’s $2 billion general fund surplus and $4 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund to cover the difference between how much revenue the state takes in and how much it’s budgeted to spend.

The campaign for Iowa Senate District 1 lasted two months and cost more than $100,000 in total campaign spending and involved tens of thousands of volunteers. And as of last Tuesday, the Democrat stands as the winner, breaking the GOP supermajority in the Iowa Senate and flipping the seat from R to D.

Also in today’s Capitol Notebook, the Iowa Department of Education announced $8 million in a new round of grant funding to recognize and reward teacher excellence.

Iowa Democrats celebrated Catelin Drey’s victory, saying the Tuesday results — alongside results from other special elections this year — mark a turning point for the state party following several election cycles of overwhelming GOP victories.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates Rob Sand and Julie Stauch both say they would propose significant changes to the state program that provides taxpayer-funded scholarships for K-12 private school tuition.

Also in today’s Capitol Notebook, Iowa AG Brenna Bird joins a bipartisan coalition urging artificial intelligence firms to protect children from harmful chatbots.