Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is debating whether to decrease the minimum age for Iowans to own and carry a handgun from 21 to 18.
The bill passed out of both chambers on Tuesday.
Current law allows 18- through 20-year-olds to have long guns but not handguns, unless they’re on military duty or are working as a security guard or law enforcement officer.
Democratic Senator Art Staed (stayed) of Cedar Rapids says long guns are harder to hide and are less likely to be used in spontaneous violence or suicide compared to handguns. He added, “Lowering the age to purchase handguns won’t save any lives. It will cost lives.”
Republican supporters of the bill say 18-year-olds can join the military, get married, and vote, so they should be able to carry handguns to defend themselves, too.
*Additionally, millions of dollars in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities are now canceled for arts and cultural groups across all 50 states.
The National Humanities Alliance, an umbrella organization that supports the humanities, says it’s heard directly from all three of Iowa’s public universities and the State Historical Society about grants they were awarded that have been terminated.
Heather Plucar, executive director of Humanities Iowa, says dozens of smaller organizations will be impacted as well because significant grants to state humanities councils have been canceled.
“We won't be able to help librarians and volunteers and folks in historical societies in a meaningful manner without this funding,” Plucar said.
Humanities Iowa is partnering with other cultural organizations like the Iowa Museum Association and the Iowa Library Association to advocate for supporting the humanities.
*The state of Iowa is awarding nearly 3 million dollars to help install or upgrade gas station pumps for E15 and biodiesel.
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program Board recently approved 114 projects around the state.
A 2022 state law requires most gas stations to offer the E15 ethanol blend in at least one pump by January 1st.
Since the grant program began in 2006, the department of agriculture has distributed nearly 57 million dollars.
The latest round of state funding is in addition to the federal grants announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins during her visit to Iowa last week.
*Additionally, a new lawsuit claims an executive order signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds weakened state oversight of water resources and pipeline companies.
Reynolds issued Executive Order 10 in January of 2023. It requires all administrative rules coming from state agencies to pass a cost-benefit analysis.
Three Iowans brought the lawsuit. One of their claims is that the executive order made state regulations less effective in preventing pollution from livestock farms from reaching rivers and streams.
When she signed the executive order, Reynolds said the state’s administrative code was putting an undue burden on Iowans and the state’s economy.
