The state is appealing a judge’s decision to reopen the State Historical Society of Iowa research center in Iowa City.
The Department of Administrative Services closed the Centennial building, where the center is located, in December due to budget constraints. THE agency said the facility was too costly to maintain and a safety hazard.
The closure pushed a group of advocates to sue the department. Earlier this month a Johnson County judge ruled that the facility must reopen.
The judge found that the building is in stable condition and not costly to operate, and that DAS is required to maintain a research center in Iowa City.
The DAS agency then filed an appeal against the judge’s decision.
*In other news, a $15 Billion steel plant is planned for Lee County in southeast Iowa.
President Donald Trump announced the investment Monday afternoon from the White House.
Representatives from the Indian business Essar Group joined him in the Oval Office. Essar Group owns Minnesota-based Mesabi Metallics, who will build the plant.
A slate of Iowa Republicans, including Governor Kim Reynolds, were there.
“And really, what this does is it changes the economic trajectory for this region. It's one of the most depressed regions of Iowa,” Reynolds said.
