State Government

The Iowa Capitol will be ground zero for state abortion policy debate. Advocates on both sides of the issue plan to fill the Capitol in Des Moines as lawmakers consider legislation to severely restrict abortion access in the state.

The Kansas native who has been the group’s executive director since 2012 has developed a research-based communications strategy that he hopes will help progressives better connect with their fellow Iowans

Iowa Republicans will consider a similar bill to that so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill that passed in 2018 but was blocked by the courts. The new bill, which was introduced on Friday, would ban abortions after cardiac activity is detected in a fetus, with some exceptions.

On the podcast this week, a special legislative session on abortion, some big ESA numbers, Gov. Reynolds joins the mammas for Casey DeSantis, Mike Pence is back in Iowa, Iowa’s ag secretary talks land ownership, and the Davenport city council pulls the plug on public comments.

Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith says the time has come to raise the annual limit because the increasing cost of college has outpaced inflation. In 2000, two years after College Savings Iowa was created, the average cost of college was $8,653 for a four-year public college and $21,856 for a four-year private school; in 2020, those averages were $21,878 for a public school and $47,961 for a private college.

Advocates call on supporters to contact legislators before Tuesday’s special legislative session

The state said Thursday it has approved more than 17,500 applications. The majority of those approved applications have come from students who already attend a private school.

State also auctioning unclaimed safe deposit boxes, Treasurer Roby Smith says