Here First

Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature has passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. MercyOne officials say they still plan to move ahead with plans to replace their hospital in Cedar Falls. Plus, IPR’s Zachary Oren Smith follows a reverend who the Methodist church forced to choose between their spiritual home and who they are.

Lawmakers gavel in for a special session to ban abortion in Iowa Tuesday. Abortion providers say if lawmakers pass new abortion restrictions, they plan to challenge the law in court. Plus, a state board has suspended a former Lone Tree educator’s Iowa teaching license for at least 12 years for alleged sexual involvement with a student nearly two decades ago.

Iowa Republican lawmakers have scheduled public hearings Tuesday morning on a so-called fetal heartbeat bill. Iowa Republican Party leaders have set January 15th as the date for their party's 2024 first-in-the-nation Caucuses. Plus, public school advocates react to initial numbers for Education Savings Accounts.

Planned Parenthood officials are urging abortion rights supporters to come to the Iowa Capitol next week to speak out against abortion bans. The number of applications for Iowa’s new program providing state funding to pay for private school has more than doubled estimates. Plus, how tax credits are playing a key role in the Biden administration’s efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has called a special legislative session so lawmakers can enact new abortion restrictions. The first of two Iowa teenagers who pleaded guilty to fatally beating their high school Spanish teacher with a baseball bat is to be sentenced. Plus, Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark played in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am.

Iowa has a new law that adds requirements for schools to report and investigate allegations of teacher and staff misconduct. The state treasurer says it might be time to consider raising the yearly amount of money that can be set aside in College Savings Iowa accounts. And, Iowans could soon have access to voter registration forms and instructions in languages other than English.

This long Fourth of July holiday period is largely free of presidential campaigning in Iowa. Only three of the GOP candidates are in the state for the holiday. For people who sell fireworks in Iowa, the days before the Fourth mean long hours. And Iowa has already seen about three dozen tornadoes this year – though most of them happened on a single day.

Iowa’s Board of Regents declined to comment on the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling that strikes down affirmative action policies at universities. Molina Healthcare will join the state Medicaid program as its third managed care organization. Plus, how a major surge in climate resilience funding is allowing urban forestry departments to bet big on trees.

Bettendorf school officials have agreed to settle a claim that they unlawfully prevented journalists from attending a high-profile public meeting last year. Iowans who need emergency contraception can now get it in the mail for free through the Family Planning Council of Iowa. Plus, Abortion is still legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, but it’s not clear how long that’ll last.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued an air quality advisory for the entire state through Wednesday because of Canadian wildfires. Tens of thousands of Iowans will be traveling for holiday road trips. Plus, the Iowa Association of Realtors report shows some improvement in the availability of homes in May.