Here First

There are two more cases of bird flu reported in Iowa. The Iowa House of Representatives has passed a bill that includes parts of Governor Kim Reynolds’s priority education bill. Plus, landowners gathered at the Capitol last night to oppose carbon capture pipelines running through their land.

President Joe Biden has announced the US would be accepting up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine and refugee resettlement organizations in Iowa are trying to prepare amid challenges. At the statehouse, House lawmakers are proposing a pay bump for home caregivers for Iowans with disabilities. Plus, a state panel will meet to review challenges to the nominating forms for candidates for primary elections in June.

An immigrant advocacy organization is offering a post-citizenship class for the first time this week. Certified professional midwives who specialize in home births say they could better help Iowa’s growing maternal care provider shortage if they are properly licensed. Plus, IPR State Government reporter goes over what happened last week at the Iowa statehouse.

Two new charter schools had applications approved by the Iowa State Board of Education this week. The Iowa House of Representatives voted to prevent carbon pipeline companies from requesting eminent domain rights before February first of next year. Plus, a nonprofit in Des Moines is creating opportunities for girls, transgender and nonbinary youth to get involved in every aspect of music.

A bill to cut the maximum duration of unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 16 weeks passed in the Iowa House and Senate. The Iowa Department of Agriculture is canceling all live bird exhibitions for the time being because of bird flu. Plus, IPR’s Kassidy Arena reports on how the war in Ukraine hits closer to home for one community in rural southern Iowa.

Democratic lawmakers criticized House Republicans today (Tuesday) for proposing no budget increase for Iowa’s public universities for the third year in a row. A bill that would make changes to Iowa’s bottle deposit law is advancing the House. Plus, IPR Agriculture reporter Katie Peikes explains how bird flu is affecting commercial and backyard flocks in the Midwest.

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says the confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was off to a good start. Grassley is the top Republican on the committee. At the statehouse, House Republicans are proposing a new $12 million scholarship program at Iowa’s public universities. Plus, the Mason City School Board approved the Student Senate's recommendation to rename its mascot the “River Hawks.”

The June primaries appear are set for the Republican and Democratic parties in Iowa. This week a group of Black law students from the University of Iowa are setting aside their studies for a few days to witness Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation process in person. Plus, IPR State Government reporter Katarina Sostaric goes over what survived the second so-called “funnel” deadline at the Iowa statehouse.

Iowa Republicans have used procedural moves to keep some bills alive now that the second legislative deadline has passed. Gov. Kim Reynolds says she’s working with lawmakers to get her unemployment benefits changes passed this session. And if snow’s not your thing, Sioux City was the place to be this winter. It got way less snow than usual this season.

Governor Kim Reynolds blamed schools when asked on Wednesday about calls for stricter gun laws following a recent shooting outside of East High School in Des Moines. A bill that would ban COVID-19 vaccine mandates from employers, schools, businesses and government entities failed to pass the Iowa House of Representatives. Plus, Iowa’s eight commercial airports will receive $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan funding.