Here First

A bill to raise starting teacher pay in Iowa is moving ahead in the Iowa House, but its future in the Senate is less certain. The House has passed a bill ending a requirement that state and local boards and commissions have to be gender balanced. And a 183-year-old inn in eastern Iowa has been moved a few miles up the road.

Union members plan to rally at the Iowa Statehouse today. They say they’re promoting solutions workers need – like restoring and expanding collective bargaining. More than 123,000 households in Iowa could lose internet service this spring unless Congress renews a federal subsidy. And Des Moines is proposing extra funding to help the city’s financially-troubled transit service.

Iowa House Republicans have approved an increase in funding for public schools next year, but Democrats say it’s not enough to avoid school budget cuts. An audit has revealed money missing from a county public health department. And one Iowa county has become home to dozens of Ukrainians displaced by the war with Russia.

Parents and educators told Iowa lawmakers last night they’re worried that a proposal to overhaul Area Education Agencies will result in lost services that help students. Teamsters protested outside the Statehouse yesterday. They’re against a bill they say could decertify some public worker unions. And a Mississippi River cruise line that has served several Iowa cities has suspended operations.

Iowa Senate Republicans have passed a bill they say guards against government interference in the exercise of religion – but opponents say it could weaken civil rights protections. The Senate has also voted to repeal a law that says public boards and commissions have to have an equal or nearly equal number of men and women. And a new report says Iowa has the country’s fastest growing rate of new cancers.

The Iowa Senate has approved a bill from Gov. Kim Reynolds extending postpartum Medicaid coverage, while reducing the number of women who’d qualify for it. Lawmakers are also moving ahead on the governor’s proposed tax changes, though they plan to break the proposal into separate bills. And a turkey processing plant in eastern Iowa says it will cut about one-fourth of its workforce this year.

The federal government says it’s concerned Iowa isn’t processing food assistance applications fast enough. The latest agricultural census shows the average age of farmers continues to rise. And it’s the last day to request a presidential preference card from the Iowa Democratic Party. The mail-in cards are replacing the in-person presidential caucus this year.

Caitlin Clark makes basketball history in Iowa City. A bill moved ahead in the Iowa House would continue to rely on the state’s Area Education Agencies for special education. And a Sioux City Symphony oboe player searched the world for the right instrument for a new composition.

Lawmakers in Iowa continue trying to advance bills ahead of a legislative deadline this week. Last night the Senate Education Committee advanced its version of the governor’s proposal to overhaul Area Education Agencies. The House will try to do the same later today. And, the governor’s bill to reduce the number of boards and commissions in the state is moving ahead at the Statehouse.

Iowa Republican lawmakers are proposing changes to the state’s voting laws – including moving up the deadline for returning absentee ballots, and mailing them out sooner. Another bill in the House calls for joint training for nursing home staff and home inspectors. And limits on tax revenue are leading one Iowa community to rethink city staffing needs.