Here First

The fight over whether or not Iowa Speaker of the House Pat Grassley can enforce a mask mandate intensified on Tuesday. A bill advanced by Republicans on an Iowa Senate panel would allow landlords to deny potential tenants based on their use of housing choice vouchers. Plus, IPR’s Grant Gerlock explains why Des Moines Public Schools is considering a plan to end its contract with the city police to provide School Resource Officers at its middle and high schools.

State health officials have announced they have identified three cases of the more contagious U.K. variant of the coronavirus in Iowa. Lawmakers in the Iowa Senate put Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposal to expand broadband access on hold on Monday. Meanwhile, IPR’s Kassidy Arena tells us that meatpacking plants in Iowa are part of an investigation in Congress into COVID-19 outbreaks at plants in the country.

State health officials have announced they have identified three cases of the more contagious U.K. variant of the coronavirus in Iowa. Lawmakers in the Iowa Senate put Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposal to expand broadband access on hold on Monday. Meanwhile, IPR’s Kassidy Arena tells us that meatpacking plants in Iowa are part of an investigation in Congress into COVID-19 outbreaks at plants in the country.

Two hundred and fifty coronavirus-linked deaths were reported in Iowa on Sunday, which is the biggest one-day increase the state has recorded. The deaths didn’t occur within a 24 hour period. There are bills advancing in the Iowa House that seek to provide more opportunities for nursing home residents to have visitors during a public health emergency. Plus, IPR State Government reporter Katarina Sostaric tells us about all the action that happened last week in the Iowa legislature and what she expects this week.

Two hundred and fifty coronavirus-linked deaths were reported in Iowa on Sunday, which is the biggest one-day increase the state has recorded. The deaths didn’t occur within a 24 hour period. There are bills advancing in the Iowa House that seek to provide more opportunities for nursing home residents to have visitors during a public health emergency. Plus, IPR State Government reporter Katarina Sostaric tells us about all the action that happened last week in the Iowa legislature and what she expects this week.

There was a lot of action at the Iowa statehouse on Thursday. Governor Kim Reynolds is expected to quickly approve a bill passed in the House and Senate that requires schools to begin providing the option of 100 percent in-person learning during the pandemic. Lawmakers in the Senate passed a bill that would put public funding into independent charter schools and a proposed gun rights amendment will be up for a statewide vote in 2022. Plus, IPR’s Kate Payne brings us up to speed on where things stand in the disagreement over the outcome of November’s 2nd congressional district race.

There was a lot of action at the Iowa statehouse on Thursday. Governor Kim Reynolds is expected to quickly approve a bill passed in the House and Senate that requires schools to begin providing the option of 100 percent in-person learning during the pandemic. Lawmakers in the Senate passed a bill that would put public funding into independent charter schools and a proposed gun rights amendment will be up for a statewide vote in 2022. Plus, IPR’s Kate Payne brings us up to speed on where things stand in the disagreement over the outcome of November’s 2nd congressional district race.

While Iowa’s COVID-19 vaccine allocation will increase by 16 percent next week, the state’s demand for it will far outstrip supply. Des Moines native and actress Cloris Leachman has died at 94 and we hear a clip from her during a tour through Iowa in 1989. Plus, After pro-Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, some rank and file Republicans want the party to cut ties with Donald Trump but IPR’s Kate Payne explains that opinion hasn’t proved very popular in Iowa, where the former president and his supporters still hold sway.

While Iowa’s COVID-19 vaccine allocation will increase by 16 percent next week, the state’s demand for it will far outstrip supply. Des Moines native and actress Cloris Leachman has died at 94 and we hear a clip from her during a tour through Iowa in 1989. Plus, After pro-Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, some rank and file Republicans want the party to cut ties with Donald Trump but IPR’s Kate Payne explains that opinion hasn’t proved very popular in Iowa, where the former president and his supporters still hold sway.

Unofficial results indicate Republican Adrian Dickey has beaten Democrat Mary Stewart to be the next state Senator from District 41 in southeast Iowa. Plus, bills advanced in the Iowa legislature that would require k-12 schools to provide in-person instruction full-time during the pandemic. IPR’s Grant Gerlock also explains a bill that advanced in an Iowa House Subcommittee that would end tenure systems at the state’s regents universities.