Iowa’s two major political parties are at odds over one of the only issues they’ve remained in agreement over the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses. The Iowa Democratic Party has submitted a plan to the D-N-C that says the state party will have a mail-in option for Iowans to pick a presidential nominee. The D-N-C voted earlier this year to remove Iowa from the early window of states but details are still up in the air.
Meanwhile, the Republican-led legislature has advanced a bill that requires Iowans to be physically present for the caucuses. Republican Party of Iowa chair Jeff Kaufmann calls the Democrats’ plan a “primary-in-all-but-name” that will cause New Hampshire to jump the order, and kill the Iowa caucuses.
Sixty Republicans in the Iowa House have given final legislative approval to a bill outlining state spending for administrative and regulatory agencies. One Republican and 34 Democrats in the House voted against the plan, which provides a nearly 22% increase in the budget for the governor’s office.
A spokesman for Governor Kim Reynolds tells Radio Iowa, the money will be used to recruit and retain staff in the governor’s office.
The Iowa legislature has plans to increase pay for private attorneys who take cases from the state public defender’s office.
At the start of the session, Iowa Chief Justice Susan Christensen said there is a severe shortage of people willing to act as defense lawyers for people who can’t afford one, especially in rural areas.
The justice system budget approved yesterday in the Iowa Senate would add nearly 2 million dollars to the state’s Indigent Defense Fund.
That would cover an increase in hourly fees and travel compensation, particularly for attorneys who travel outside of their home counties to appear in court in-person.
The same increase is working through the House.
A bill moving through the Iowa legislature (HSB 254) calls for the Board of Regents to complete a comprehensive study of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs at the University of Iowa, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa.
That follows a proposal that stalled earlier in the session that would have banned all DEI spending at the Regents universities.
Board of Regents president Michael Richards announced in March the universities would pause any new DEI initiatives and the board would make a study of the programs already in place.
Overall, general funding for the universities would stay mostly flat under the proposed budget for next year. There would be some additional state support to graduate more teachers, nurses and workers in other high-demand fields.
Funding for Iowa’s Area Education Agencies would be cut by nearly 30 million dollars under budget proposals advancing in the legislature.
The nine AEAs around the state provide special education and other services to both public and private school students.
The legislature normally reduces state aid to AEAs from what is provided in the school funding formula, but opponents say this year’s proposal (HSB 252) goes beyond what is typical.
A funeral service took place this afternoon at the Orpheum Theatre for civil rights leader and educator Flora Lee. Lee died unexpectedly last week at the age of 69. Morningside University President Rev. Dr. Albert Mosley officiated the service that brought community members together to honor Lee a former school board member, NAACP President, and special education strategist and consultant for the Northwest Area Education Agency. She was working as Executive Director of Woman Aware at the time of her death.
Siouxland Public Media news partner Siouxland News CBS/FOX 44 plans to end local news coverage. Owner Sinclair put out a statement on the station’s website that says, starting May 15, The National Desk, which provides real-time national and regional news from Sinclair’s television stations across the U.S., will air instead. Sinclair says the change was needed in Sioux City to ensure long-term success.
Sioux Center and Hull had been waiting for more than 30 years to hook up to the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System that came one month ago. The communities celebrated Tuesday with a ribbon cutting.
Radio Iowa reports Sioux Center will receive 600,000 gallons each day, while Hull pumps in 400,000 gallons a day to blend with their current water supply.
There were originally 59 communities that signed up for the project in 1993, but the latest two make the total hooked up at 20
The remaining communities to be connected to the service include Sheldon, which should connect to the system late this year or early next year; and Sibley should connect in late 2024 or early 2025.