Iowa ties to MN tragedy, notable vetoes and bill signings, Wahls in for Senate

June 16 edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week"

Landowners gather at the state capitol during the 2025 legislative session to oppose the use of eminent domain for Summit Carbon Solutions’ CO2 pipeline. Republican State Representative Steven Holt shared this photo on Facebook several times, including on June 11, adding the comment, “Betrayed but not defeated.”

I have a few public events coming up soon, for those who want to meet me in person and ask me anything about Iowa politics.

• Women for a Stronger America is hosting me on Wednesday, June 18, starting at 9:30 AM at Temple B’nai Jeshurun (51st and Grand in Des Moines).

• Evan Burger (Bernie Sanders' Iowa organizer) invited me to an Ankeny Town Hall, where I'll speak about what's in the budget reconciliation bill and the lies Republicans are telling about it. That's on Thursday, June 19, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at FFA Enrichment Center (1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy in Ankeny).

• On Saturday, June 21, I’ll be at the Grassroots Iowa Network Leadership Retreat & Boot Camp at Monticello High School (850 East Oak Street). The event runs from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM; click here to RSVP. My session is starting at 10.

• I have an event in Sioux City scheduled for Thursday, June 26. Contact me for more details about the place and time. This is a fundraiser to support my work, but no donations are required to attend. All are welcome to come hear me speak about my reporting journey and ask me anything about Iowa politics.

Let’s get to the show, because as usual, Spencer Dirks and I had lots to cover Monday night’s edition of “KHOI’s Capitol Week.” If you mainly like to listen, the audio file is at the top of this post, or you can subscribe on any podcast platform. The full show archive (going back to February 2021) is available on KHOI’s website.

Here’s the written recap for the June 16 show, for those who would rather read than listen. If your email provider truncates this post, you can read it without interruption here.

Political assassinations in Minnesota

We had to start with the weekend’s horifying events in the Twin Cities. Many Iowans knew some of the MAGA assassin’s victims.

State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who survived the shootings, lived in the Des Moines area for about a decade. John Hoffman co-founded the West Des Moines Democrats in 1992. You may think of that suburb is fairly Democratic now, but it was a Republican bastion during the 1970s and 1980s. John Hoffman worked for Polk County and for the state at various times. He had been back in Iowa in recent years to campaign for Senator Amy Klobuchar before the 2020 caucuses.

Yvette Hoffman, who showed incredible bravery by throwing herself on top of her daughter during the attack, was an on-air personality (Kelly Foxx) on Star 102.5 in Des Moines before the couple moved to Minnesota in 2001.

Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were murdered by the gunman posing as a police officer. Hortman was speaker when Democrats (they call themselves the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) had a trifecta, so she had a big role in passing lots of groundbreaking legislation in 2023. Because of that work, she was the keynote speaker at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding, an annual fundraiser in Clear Lake, in August 2023. I did not attend that year but many Iowa legislators and others met her there.

Hortman was a law school classmate of former State Senator Rob Hogg, and they were minority leaders at the same time in 2017. Hogg told KCCI, "When I think about public servants who are in the legislature for all the right reasons, there would be nobody I would rank ahead of Melissa Hortman.”

Vance Boelter, who has been charged with the shootings, took online courses in the Des Moines Area Community College mortuary science program in 2023 and 2024. DMACC said in a statement that Boelter hasn’t been a student since 2024; the college offered its “deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community members affected by the shootings.”

The Des Moines Register also reported that at a press conference on Sunday, Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said there were some Iowans among the 70 names on a target list found in the suspect’s vehicle. He didn’t provide names. We don’t know if the Iowans were politicians; the targets also included some business and health leaders.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported Monday,

Iowa House and Senate Democratic leaders Rep. Brian Meyer, of Des Moines, and Sen. Janice Weiner, of Iowa City, told The Gazette they reached out Monday to the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Iowa State Patrol, which provides security at the Iowa Capitol. Both said they were told by state law enforcement officials that they were aware of people in Iowa included on the list, and those people were contacted privately by DPS or other law enforcement to make them aware.

Meyer and Weiner said officials were not publicly releasing the list of names.

“We reached out proactively to DPS, and my understanding is there are no legislators on the list,” Weiner said.

Many Iowa politicians and candidates condemned the assassinations, including Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Chuck Grassley, Representatives Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, Iowa House and Senate Minority Leaders Brian Meyer and Janice Weiner, State Representative Jennifer Konfrst, and State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott.

Governor vetoes eminent domain bill

Last week was the deadline for Governor Reynolds to sign or veto bills passed late in the legislative session. On Wednesday, she vetoed House File 639, a wide-ranging bill on pipelines and eminent domain, which was designed to scuttle the Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 pipeline project. Here’s a summary of what’s in the bill.

I mentioned the key points from Reynolds’ veto message, which you can read in full here. I was struck by her claim that she has “consistently said that if eminent domain is used, it must be rare, fair, and a last resort.” I don’t remember her saying that at all, let alone “consistently.” She has mostly avoided comment on the pipeline project for years.

Reynolds pointed out that the bill could scuttle other pipeline projects that don’t use eminent domain because of the permitting and insurance requirements. She disagreed with claims CO2 pipelines are unsafe.

Ultimately she said she was “committed to working with the legislature to strengthen landowner protections, modernize permitting, and respect private property.” And she instructed the Iowa Utilities Commission to make a couple of changes that were part of the bill. Going forward, all commissioners must be present for live testimony and at least one must attend every informational meeting.

Political fallout from the veto

I’ve never seen such an angry reaction from Iowa House Republicans. House Speaker Pat Grassley described the veto as “a major setback for Iowa” and said he would ask all members to sign a petition to hold a special session to override the veto. I don’t see it happening. That Senate vote was 27-22, with thirteen Republicans and fourteen Democrats voting yes. You would need 34 senators to sign on for a special session.

Senate Majority Leader Whitver issued a statement supporting the veto. He noted “a significant majority of our caucus supports a better policy to protect landowner rights. I expect that majority of our caucus would not be interested in any attempt to override her veto.”

State Representative Charley Thomson, who helped craft several pipeline-related bills, said in a statement that the governor had “a choice between supporting legitimate private property rights and supporting a ruthless cabal of politicians intent on a reckless, unsafe, and illegal pipeline project. We now know that Governor Reynolds is solidly on board with Team Cabal.”

State Representative Steven Holt posted several times on Facebook about the veto, which “profoundly disappointed” him. (I forgot to mention during the show that after the legislature adjourned for the year, Holt told statehouse reporters that he expected Reynolds to “stand up for the freedom of Iowans” and sign House File 639.) Holt noted that the governor provided no leadership on this issue as House GOP lawmakers worked for three years to protect private property rights.

State Representative Bobby Kaufmann, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, provided some of the most colorful quotes. Speaking to Radio Iowa, he referred to the governor as “Bruce Rastetter’s errand girl.” He told the Cedar Rapids Gazette,

“I didn’t think it was possible for her to make a bigger mistake than lying to Donald Trump about the caucus endorsement, but clearly this is her ‘Hold my beer’ moment,” Kaufmann said. “I vow to work to kill every single piece of legislation that has her name on it. Her days of legislating, as far as I’m personally concerned, are over.”

Kaufmann can be a big talker. I’m not convinced he would kill absolutely every bill Reynolds proposes. But I do think the governor’s energy bill (which has some controversial provisions benefiting utility companies MidAmerican and Alliant) is not going to pass next year.

Holt approvingly shared some of Kaufmann’s comments, adding, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This will be her legacy.”

Democratic lawmakers criticized the veto. House Minority Leader Brian Meyer said in a statement, “It’s no surprise that Governor Reynolds has once again sided with her political donors rather than Iowa landowners. Iowa House Democrats and Republicans worked together to protect property rights. At the end of the day, there is only one group to blame for the failure of the eminent domain bill: Iowa Republican lawmakers.”

Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner also wasn’t surprised. “There is simply no amount of political posturing or legislative stonewalling that can deny the fact that Iowans’ right to private property should never be infringed upon for private gain.”

When I interviewed State Senator Zach Wahls last week, he said he wasn’t surprised by the veto but he thought it might be a “pocket” veto (taking no action for 30 days), rather than a veto with a message. Wahls isn’t necessarily against carbon pipelines; he opposes the use of eminent domain for a private project.

As for other Democratic candidates, State Auditor Rob Sand hasn’t said anything about the veto, to my knowledge. His opponent in the primary for governor, Julie Stauch, recorded a statement criticizing the veto and calling for a special session.

Eminent domain could become key issue in GOP primaries

We’ll be talking about this veto during next year’s legislative session, and I expect it to be an issue in some of the GOP primaries. If State Senator Mike Bousselot runs for governor, it’s going to be a big problem for him. He floor managed House File 639 in the Senate and tried to rewrite the bill in a way that would have allowed the Summit Carbon Solutions project to go forward. He also angered many House Republican by claiming “environmental extremists” were pushing for the eminent domain bill.

U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra, who is running for governor on the Republican side, has generally avoided comment on the pipeline and is perceived to be on the side of the ethanol industry. Most of the private property rights activists aren’t big fans of his. Two declared GOP candidates for governor, State Representative Eddie Andrews and former State Representative Brad Sherman, have made private property rights a central talking point.

David Pautsch, who is challenging Representative Miller-Meeks in the first Congressional district, said in a statement that the veto was a “direct assault on the U.S. Constitution” and a “betrayal of the people.”

I expect some of the Republican legislators who opposed the bill to face primary challengers. One has already announced: Rocky Damiano will run against State Senator Annette Sweeney in the GOP primary to represent Senate district 27 (covering Hardin, Grundy, and Poweshiek counties, most of Tama County, and a small area of Black Hawk County). Sweeney happens to be a childhood friend of Bruce Rastetter.

A surprising veto of psilocybin bill

I expected Reynolds to block the pipeline bill, but her veto of House File 383 was a total surprise. Both chambers unanimously approved the bill, which “would have allowed for the prescription and distribution of synthetic psilocybin.” Some research has suggested that psychoactive compound could be useful in treating PTSD. The bill wouldn’t legalize it right away, but only if the FDA approved what is now a Schedule I controlled substance.

The governor wrote in her veto message, “This decision is not a dismissal of the emerging science or the sincere advocacy behind this legislation. Rather, it is a call for a more deliberate and Iowa-centric approach.”

Oddly, she didn’t talk to the floor manager, pharmacist and State Representative Brett Barker, about the bill before vetoing it. I reached out to him and he said he had been “laser focused on ensuring that Governor Reynolds signed SF383, PBM Reform, and did not have any conversations with the Governor’s office surrounding HF383.”

Governor signs new regulations for pharmacy benefit managers

Advocates for independently owned pharmacies have worked for years on legislation to rein in pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which have contributed to the closure of many pharmacies in recent years, especially in rural Iowa. Senate File 383 had a lot of pieces, which Stephen Gruber-Miller summarized well in this Des Moines Register story. The idea is that local pharmacies will be reimbursed at a fair rate, and PBMs will have less leverage to drive people to use mail-order pharmacies.

The lobbyist declarations on this bill were fascinating. Some very large employers (Tyson, Wellmark, Principal Financial Group) and influential business groups (National Federation of Independent Business, Federation of Iowa Insurers, Iowa Association of Business and Industry) were registered against the bill. They all have a lot of clout with GOP politicians. Some labor unions registered against the bill too, because they were worried about increased costs associated with a new dispensing fee.

Pharmacy groups, the Iowa Medical Society, Hy-Vee, and groups advocating for people with diabetes and epilepsy were among the entities lobbying in favor of the bill.

Governor signs spending bills

All of the spending bills setting the state budget for fiscal year 2026 (which begins on July 1) were among the bills Reynolds signed last week. As we’ve mentioned previously, the budget foresees spending about $917 million more than projected revenues for next year; the state will be pulling funds from the surplus and the Taxpayer Relief Fund to cover the shortfall.

Iowa’s governor has the authority to item veto provisions in budget bills, but she only exercised that power once this year: to block a $1.5 million appropriation to the University of Northern Iowa. Brooklyn Draisey covered that story for Iowa Capital Dispatch.

We flagged a couple of controversial policy provisions in budget bills that the governor signed. The health and human services budget (House File 1049) includes a discriminatory ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care like hormones, surgery, voice therapy. Iowa Medicaid can continue to cover mental health services for gender dysphoria, which some critics have pointed out are more expensive than other health care that transgender people may need.

The “standings” appropriations bill (Senate File 659) included a last-minute change to funding for 911 services. I didn’t know about this change until after the legislature adjourned, when some local officials and law enforcement called for the governor to veto the provision. Marissa Payne reported for the Des Moines Register,

When the new law takes effect, the Iowa 911 Program "may request reimbursement from each joint 911 service board for reasonable costs." It requires the 911 service boards to reimburse the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management within 30 days.

A big change like this certainly should have gone through the committee process to allow stakeholders to raise concerns. Sand criticized this veto in social media posts, saying it could make Iowans less safe.

The GOP in the legislature passed and the Governor signed a new law despite widespread active opposition from Sheriffs and 911 Dispatchers. The irony of people sitting on billions being mad that anyone else is sitting on $66 million would be funny if your safety wasn’t at risk.

More notable bill signings

We didn’t have time to discuss all of the newsworthy bills the governor signed over the past couple of weeks. We’ll cover some of them as they take effect in July. I did want to flag some important bills affecting public education.

• Senate File 175 will require schools to show students in grades 5-12 videos on fetal development, with a provision stating organizations that perform or promote abortion cannot provide such material. This was commonly known as the “Baby Olivia” bill, but the final version does not mention the “Meet Baby Olivia” video produced by the anti-abortion group Live Action.

• House File 189 will force public school districts to allow private school students to participate in extracurricular activities not offered at their private school. That could include sports, band, drama, or other activities.

• House File 865 changes the definition of bullying for school districts, removing a list of “actual or perceived traits or characteristics” such as race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Instead, any kind of “targeted and repeated behavior” could be considered bullying at school.

• The governor got a win with Senate File 369, which will require all high school students to pass the U.S. citizenship exam, beginning with the 2026/2027 academic year.

• House File 835 caps a years-long effort by advocates to require educators and school staff to undergo training on how to recognize seizures and administer first aid. Every student with epilepsy will have a seizure action plan on file at their school.

• House File 299 requires schools and child care centers to inform parents and guardians about the process for gaining vaccine exemptions at any time they are providing information about required immunizations.

Zach Wahls launches U.S. Senate campaign

Last Wednesday, State Senator Zach Wahls became the third Democrat to confirm he’s running for U.S. Senate in 2026. We only had a few minutes to discuss his campaign, but you can hear more about his message in my interview with him.

Wahls has highlighted some of his work in the state legislature, including on bills to help Iowans living in mobile homes, and his willingness to stand up to leaders of his own party, as well as to Republicans. He’s introduced legislation on term limits and criticized Ernst for (apparently) not keeping her promise to serve only two terms.

He met with labor leaders in the Quad Cities on his first day as a candidate and has promised to work on economic issues to support working and middle-class families. As the youngest candidate in the field (just 33 years old), he has also talked about generational change.

Wahls joins Nathan Sage and JD Scholten as declared candidates. Jackie Norris is expected to run for Senate as well, and Josh Turek hasn’t ruled it out.

My sense is that many Democrats like several of the candidates, so I don’t know how it will shake out. Wahls has a large social media following and announced raising $400,000 on the first day. So will certainly be able to fund a statewide primary campaign. He has a base of support in eastern Iowa, where a lot of Democratic voters are.

During our interview, I asked Wahls about concerns that he has been very vocal about LGBTQ rights (not only as a legislator but before that as leader of Scouts for Equality, and before that as a son of two moms). Republicans have campaigned heavily on anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

He told me that since the New Deal, the Democratic Party has stood for workers’ rights, civil rights, and women’s rights. From his perspective, the party has been most successful when it’s focused on those core values. He thinks Iowans want someone who is willing to stand up and fight for their own family. Not everyone is going to agree with him on every issue, but people should know that he’s willing to fight for their families the way he fought for his own family.

“Widespread” speculation that Ernst may not run again

Ernst recently announced that she had hired a 2026 campaign manager. But the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, “speculation that she might not seek a third term is widespread in Washington and Iowa, according to several Republican consultants, aides and strategists who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.”

The article didn’t name any sources. I still expect Ernst to run, but as we’ve discussed on the show, she did push back her Roast and Ride fundraiser (usually held in June) to October. She may be considering other options.

The difficult math facing Iowa Democrats in 2026

I wanted to take a minute to talk about my reporting from this weekend about the difficult path for Democrats running in next year’s statewide elections. The gist is that Republicans have both a large voter registration advantage, and a tradition of turning out at a higher rate in a midterm election. There may not be enough no-party voters to make up the difference, even if Democratic candidates carry the independent vote.

People may recall that Fred Hubbell didn’t lose the 2018 governor’s race by much (a little less than 3 points, or about 36,000 votes). But the playing field has tilted way toward Republicans since that time.

To those who say, Iowa voted for Obama twice not that long ago, I would counter that Democrats had the voter registration advantage in 2008 and 2012.

Click through for the data, more of my analysis, and comments from two Democratic strategists who know much more about this than I do.

Rob Sand announces schedule for 100 town halls

State Auditor Rob Sand has been holding town halls in every county in his official capacity for years. Now his campaign for governor is taking over that program, and on Friday, Sand announced a schedule for 100 public town halls this year. (He does 100 to visit both of the Lee County seats: Fort Madison and Keokuk.)

You can look for a meeting close to you here. It does make sense to run these through the campaign. When I’ve attended a few of Sand’s “official” town halls, there are always people asking political or election-related questions that he can’t answer because office funds were used to pay for the tour.

Ernst, Miller-Meeks attended Trump’s military parade

Two prominent Iowans attended President Donald Trump’s very expensive military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which was also his birthday. Senator Joni Ernst, who served in the Army, was seated on the riser with Trump during the parade, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ernst appeared on Fox News before the parade to praise Trump effusively. It will all fuel speculation that she may be looking for an administration job.

Miller-Meeks, a U.S. Army veteran, posted pictures of herself at the parade. She was sitting near Dana White (CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.

I didn’t see anyone else from the Iowa Congressional delegation there.

Big turnout for No Kings protests around Iowa

I missed the big protests against Trump’s authoritarian policies on Saturday, because I was attending the Iowa Secular Summit. But tens of thousands of Iowans attended “No Kings” demonstrations around the state. Turnout was large in the major cities (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Council Bluffs, etc.), and I saw some impressive photos from smaller towns, including Spirit Lake, Charles City, Burlington, and Indianola.

According to Denise O’Brien, around 250 people showed up in Atlantic (population roughly 7,000). J.D. Scholten said more than 50 rallied in Sac City (population roughly 2,000).

The Senate candidates all took advantage of the chance to connect with Democratic activists. Sage attended No Kings rallies in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque (where he said “we need to vote these assholes out and reclaim our government”). Scholten went to at least two events (Storm Lake and Sac City). Wahls was in Iowa City.

Sand and Stauch don’t appear to have attended any protests over the weekend. Sand put up a generic social media post about Flag Day.

Of the declared Congressional candidates, I think only Travis Terrell (who is running in the first district) went to a No Kings event.

Nathan Sage against sending Marines to LA protests

We didn’t have much time to talk about Iowa reaction to the Trump administration’s actions in California. Courts will determine whether it’s legal for the president to use the National Guard to put down protests without the governor’s request, and whether it’s legal to deploy the Marines for this kind of mission.

Sage, a Marine veteran, spoke out repeatedly last week against the idea. Spencer and I couldn’t repeat everything he said on the show, because we don’t want to jeopardize KHOI’s broadcast license! You can listen here. He said it was “fucking insane” to send Marines in to deal with protests. They are not trained to police. “You’re putting up this fighting force made to destroy against protesters who are literally just trying to keep their fucking families in America.”

Sage also spoke to Andrew Egger of the Bulwark about the Trump administration’s actions:

Marine Vet Rips Trump’s Parade

Thanks so much for reading or listening. Spencer and I will be back next Monday.