Presidential campaigns, abortion news, open records, and more

June 26 "Capitol Week" is online

Jun 28, 2023

Apologies for the late message this week. I was tied up on Tuesday with some unrelated meetings and wanted to finish some exclusive reporting I’ve been working on for a long time. One thing I love about having my own platform is being my own assignment editor. There’s no one to tell me I can’t write about the state of Iowa “failing at a basic government requirement.”

Best wishes to all for a safe holiday weekend, whether you’re staying home or on the road. Dennis Hart and I will be on the air next Monday evening at 7:00 pm. Remember that you can listen live through KHOI’s website or at 89.1 FM in the Ames listening area. Our entire archive of more than 120 shows is available here.

On to the June 26 program.

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Topics Dennis and I covered this week:

Latest news related to former President Donald Trump’s indictment for mishandling classified material. It looks like his trial will start in December at the earliest;
Other presidential campaign developments: former U.S. Representative Will Hurd became the fourteenth GOP contender. We talked about the niche he’s trying to find;
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson was back in Iowa last week; we discussed a couple of the challenges he faces as he tries to win over GOP caucus-goers;
One of Dennis’ favorites, Ryan Binkley, was in Des Moines last week. I enjoyed the Des Moines Register’s coverage of his event by Phillip Sitter;
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, pled guilty to tax and firearms charges last week. I explained why I’m skeptical this will affect the presidential campaign in any meaningful way;
Planned Parenthood North Central States is closing three clinics in Iowa and expanding services in a few other locations. We talked about why the organization made that decision in a context of rising demand for abortions in Iowa;
Anti-abortion advocates rallied at the Iowa state capitol over the weekend. I do expect a special legislative session, if Republicans can agree on the details. We talked about the competing concerns among GOP lawmakers, and I wrote about this in more depth at Bleeding Heartland;
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has called for a nationwide 15-week abortion ban. To my mind, this is a non-starter for just about everyone on both sides of the debate;
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst spoke out last week against the Biden administration’s proposed Title IX rule change related to transgender participation in sports. We talked about the proposed policy as well as the big picture reason Ernst and other Republicans are elevating this controversy as a “women’s issue”;
We discussed recent court rulings that spell trouble for Iowa’s ban on gender-affirming care for patients under age 18; my Bleeding Heartland story has much more detail on last week’s blockbuster decision out of Arkansas, which is directly on point for Iowa;
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a decision that upset the biofuels industry and Iowa’s Congressional delegation, but USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced funding that will help Iowa gas stations sell higher ethanol blends;
Iowa Department of Education Director Chad Aldis resigned last week after only a few months on the job, and Governor Kim Reynolds’ office immediately announced his successor, McKenzie Snow. We talked about the unusual nature of this leadership change, and how the backgrounds of Reynolds’ last two picks differ from previous directors of this state agency;
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last Friday that Polly Carver-Kimm, the former communications director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, can proceed with both of her wrongful termination claims against the state. We talked about the broader significance of the ruling, which I covered at Bleeding Heartland;
The state settled the open records lawsuit that several plaintiffs (including me) filed against the governor in late 2021. I’m working on a Bleeding Heartland post about my experience as the lead plaintiff in Belin v. Reynolds, which produced a significant Iowa Supreme Court ruling in April. Dennis and I talked about the key terms of the settlement agreement;
State Auditor Rob Sand voted against approving the settlement agreement last week;
Finally, Dennis and I noted that two northwest Iowa school districts rescinded policies allowing school staff to carry firearms. I expect the legislature to address this issue in 2024.