Here First

A top state health official says Gov. Kim Reynolds’ plan to overhaul Iowa’s behavioral health system will make it easier for people to get help. Sen. Joni Ernst says time is running out for the federal government to fix the college financial aid application process for families applying this year. And the University of Iowa women are headed to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Senate Republicans could send Gov. Reynolds an education package this week, giving school districts more control over state funding that currently goes to Area Education Agencies. A Woodbury County supervisor whose wife was convicted last year of voter fraud says he won’t run for another term. And bees across the country produced more honey last year.

The Iowa House has passed another version of a bill to change funding and oversight for the state’s Area Education Agencies. A key lawmaker says tax cuts are still up in the air this session, as debate over AEA changes has put tax and budget talks on hold. And one school district in northeast Iowa is working on ways to keep up with the growing demand for child care space.

A bill that would put a flat tax in the Iowa Constitution is moving ahead at the Statehouse. Lawmakers are also considering allowing the Perry School District to pay bonuses to teachers and staff to encourage them to stay after this year’s shooting at the city’s high school. And a healthcare clinic in northeast Iowa says it's having trouble keeping up with the cost of remote care.

A bill that would allow certain undocumented immigrants in Iowa to be arrested and deported is awaiting Gov. Reynolds’ signature. The House is considering another bill that would challenge the use of eminent domain in building utility projects. And Sen. Chuck Grassley says he believes the Senate will eventually approve a bill ordering the sale of the social media app TikTok.

Iowa Senate Republicans are proposing putting school districts in control of state money that goes toward Area Education Agency services. Salaries for direct care workers in Iowa have remained stagnant in recent years, according to a new report. And a school district in northwest Iowa will change extracurricular activity policies after a hazing incident involving members of the high school wrestling team.

Iowa Senate Republicans say they’re getting close to unveiling their own version of a bill to overhaul Area Education Agency services in the state. Two new housing projects in Sioux City are aimed at putting at least a dent in the need for affordable housing. And the University of Iowa women’s basketball team is among the Number One seeds in this year’s NCAA tournament.

School districts in Iowa have to submit their proposed budgets today - but they still don’t know how much money they’re getting from the state. A bill to define man and woman in Iowa law appears dead for this legislative session. And, a small town in western Iowa is still recovering from a flood that hit the community five years ago today.

Iowa lawmakers are trying to move bills along before a Friday deadline that could leave some legislation dead for the session. On Wednesday, the House approved a bill to allow school districts to use state funding to pay for guns for staff members. In the Senate, a bill that critics fear could have affected in vitro fertilization did not advance.

A proposal that would keep the Iowa DNR from acquiring land for public use if it was bought at an auction is moving ahead in the House. The NAACP says it’s concerned about a bill that would ban citizen police review boards in Iowa. And, Perry’s mayor says he’s trying to find ways to help nearly 1,300 Tyson workers who will lose their jobs when a processing plant closes in June.