One Big Beautiful Bill

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law Thursday that raises the tax on HMO health insurance plans to generate more money for Iowa’s Medicaid program. Democrats say the tax hike will raise some Iowans' health insurance premiums.

A tax hike on HMO health insurance plans that would raise money to help the state pay for Medicaid has advanced through committees in the Iowa House and Senate. Insurance and business group lobbyists criticized the proposal, saying it would raise health care costs for Iowans.

Some Iowans with disabilities are pushing lawmakers to remove income and asset caps from a special Medicaid program that allows them to work. But recent reductions to spending for Medicaid at the federal level may be giving lawmakers pause.

In a visit to Iowa, President Trump rallied Republican support ahead of the midterms and tried to appeal to voters with provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill and by asserting his support for ethanol industry priorities.

Immigration advocates say an Afghan man was detained, questioned and released by ICE in Des Moines on Tuesday. Afghan community leaders and advocates report many families are feeling fearful and anxious in the wake of the Trump administration's sweeping immigration restrictions.

The federal funding package to reopen the government included a one-year extension of certain 2018 Farm Bill programs. Several expired Sept. 30 or would have been null by the end of the year.

Iowa's 1st District Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks faced her constituents during an in-person town hall for the first time since winning reelection last November. They grilled her on President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda, her stance on the government shutdown and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act she supported.

Refugees in Iowa are learning they are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits. The federal government has ordered states to start enforcing a part of the One Big Beautiful Bill that cuts off food assistance for refugees and many other types of immigrants with legal status.

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.

Renewable energy from wind and solar rose to 67% last year in Iowa. But tariffs and a rollback on federal tax credits could dampen momentum.