Governor

Iowa will have to dip further into its reserves to cover a larger budget gap than expected as federal tax changes add to the impact of state tax cuts. Republican leaders say they have saved enough money to pay the state's bills, while Democrats say the majority party is mismanaging the state's finances.

Sen. Joni Ernst and other members of Iowa’s all-Republican congressional delegation blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown. They also thanked U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for her agency's arrest of former Des Moines Superintendent Ian Roberts.

Three Republicans running for governor of Iowa said they support banning the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines. Eddie Andrews, Brad Sherman and Adam Steen spoke at an anti-eminent domain rally in Shelby County.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is seeking federal approval to receive education funding as block grants. She said Iowa's improving K-12 public school performance shows the state is ready to have more control over federal funding.

The ISU employee said on a personal social media account that Charlie Kirk “got what was coming.” The university said the comments are harmful to the institution.

A member of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Iowa DOGE Task Force apologized Monday for his ideas about performance-based teacher pay and IPERS pension plan changes being “misunderstood,” and sought to clarify his recommendations.

Over the past few months, Iowa tried a new way of fighting summertime food insecurity among kids by replacing Summer EBT with "healthy" food. The Healthy Kids Iowa program has faced many logistical challenges that have food pantry leaders questioning if it should return.

Republican Adam Steen, former director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, announced his campaign for governor Tuesday, labeling himself as a “faith guy” in the race to succeed Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Iowa DOGE Task Force is floating government efficiency ideas that include paying teachers based on their performance and reducing state employee benefits to align with the private sector.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is working out an agreement with the federal departments of Defense and Homeland Security that could involve deploying the Iowa National Guard for immigration enforcement. Although she was short on specifics, Reynolds said she has offered the state’s resources.