GOP presidential hopefuls and lots of Iowa legislative news

Feb. 20 "Capitol Week" is online

Feb 21, 2023

Before I get to this week’s show, I wanted to mention that supporters are organizing some house parties for me around the state this spring to help support my work at Bleeding Heartland. We have tentative dates for events in Newton, Pella, Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City, and are planning some get-togethers in other locations as well. Drop me a line if you’d like to be on the invitation list, or would like to host one of these parties.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Remember, all past editions of “Capitol Week” are available for your listening enjoyment anytime on KHOI’s website.

I’ve been spending lots of time at the statehouse lately, and legislative news again dominated the February 20 show:

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Here’s what Dennis Hart and I covered this week:

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s prospects as a presidential candidate, as she visits Iowa this week (her event in Urbandale was ongoing while Dennis and I were on the air, but Brianne Pfannenstiel wrote it up for the Des Moines Register);
Former Vice President Mike Pence’s recent Iowa visit, where he joined the crowd of Republicans attacking the Linn-Mar school district’s policy related to transgender students (Tom Barton covered this story for the Cedar Rapids Gazette);
Pence vowed to defy a subpoena to testify about former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election (more on this from Brianne Pfannenstiel);
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina’s coming Iowa visit, and how the parade of prospective presidential candidates will give a boost to Iowa Republicans;
The Trump campaign’s announcement of its Iowa hires—lots of heavy hitters on the list (I consider him the front-runner for the 2024 caucuses, even though he finished second in the 2016 caucuses);
Governor Kim Reynolds’ plans to remain neutral in the presidential race prior to the caucuses;
News related to the medical malpractice bill Reynolds signed last week (I published a deep dive on this at Bleeding Heartland);
How the last-minute compromise that helped the medical malpractice bill get through the Iowa House could create an equal protection problem (that’s only one of several possible angles for legal challenges);
Reynolds signing a new law on property taxes, which will cost local governments more money as they finalize their budgets for the coming year (although this has been reported as fixing a mistake by the Iowa Department of Revenue, the state agency insists they calculated the number correctly);
The Iowa House Education Committee advancing a bill that would prohibit any instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through sixth grad (I can’t editorialize on the air due to KHOI’s non-commercial license, but I had more to say about this bill at Bleeding Heartland);
News about Iowa Department of Education director Ann Lebo stepping down;
An Iowa Senate subcommittee advancing a death penalty bill (Robin Opsahl covered this for Iowa Capital Dispatch; the full Senate Judiciary Committee will consider this bill later today);
An Iowa Senate subcommittee advancing a bill that would ban state or local enforcement of gun restrictions that limit Second Amendment rights;
A new House Republican bill that would limit eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines (Jared Strong has more on this at Iowa Capital Dispatch—I tend to think this bill won’t go anywhere in the Iowa Senate, which is why it looks like kabuki theater to me);
Thoughts on how Iowa Democratic lawmakers might approach eminent domain bills;
A “drafting error” in that bill that would have exempted two of the CO2 pipeline proposals (supposedly that’s being fixed);
A quick note on the lobbyist declarations on the new eminent domain bill;
A report funded by a renewable fuels lobbying group that emphasized how important CO2 pipelines are for the future of the ethanol industry in Iowa (Donnelle Eller covered this for the Des Moines Register; I’m skeptical about any industry-funded analysis like this);
Iowa’s state university presidents defending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs during a House budget subcommittee meeting last week (more on this from Katie Akin);
The latest bill seeking to limit cities’ use of traffic cameras (Tom Barton has more);
A House bill inspired by Pieper Lewis’ case, which would give judges discretion over whether to order restitution following a killing.
What the legislature’s “funnel” deadline means, and what I’m watching as the first funnel date approaches on March 3.