by Sen. Janice Weiner, Democrat, Iowa City, District 45

Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers passed an insultingly low amount of school funding for the 2026-27 school year. The measly two percent increase ensures that Iowa’s public schools will remain underfunded and school districts around the state will be forced into steep budget cuts, teacher lay-offs, and service reductions.

At the same time, costs for the state’s unaccountable private school voucher program once again exceeded expectations, putting taxpayers on the hook for millions in higher costs.

The majority party called it “choice.”

Now those same Republican lawmakers would put their fingers on the scale again and shift more money and resources away from public schools – where over 90% of Iowa kids are educated – to support charter school expansion.

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch
April 17, 2026

The fire chief for the City of Eldridge, fired last year from his job as a city mechanic for the misuse of public funds, is not entitled to unemployment benefits, a judge has ruled.

State records indicate Keith Schneckloth worked for the City of Eldridge for 11 years, from December 2014 until his firing in December 2025, most recently as a city mechanic who reported to Public Works Director Tony Rupe.

In addition, Schneckloth served as the chief of the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department until his resignation from that post in December 2025. In recent weeks, Schneckloth rejoined the department as its chief, Mayor Scott Campbell said Friday.

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch
April 15, 2026

A western Iowa nursing home cited for 24 regulatory violations, including the sexual abuse of a resident, has been fined a total of $500 by the state.

State inspectors working for the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing visited Hillcrest Health Care Center in Hawarden in March 2026 in response to six separate complaints, all of which were deemed verified. The inspectors cited the home for a total of 24 state and federal regulatory violations — an unusually high number.

The violations included resident abuse; failure to protect resident funds; failure to notify a resident’s emergency contact about a hospitalization; failure to provide a safe, clean, homelike environment; failure to respect residents’ right to be free of chemical restraints; failure to self-report alleged violations; failure to meet standards for overall quality of care; failure to provide sufficient nursing staff; inadequate services or treatment for people with dementia; failure to prevent significant medication errors, and failure adequately prevent infections.

Iowa Capital Dispatch
April 9, 2026

A West Des Moines woman from Venezuela is asking a federal judge to intervene and prevent the Trump administration from blocking her path to citizenship.

Mirna Elena Marin De Marcano is taking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Xian Wang, the acting field office director for Des Moines’ ICE office, to court over the federal government’s alleged cancellation of her planned oath-of-citizenship ceremony.

According to her lawsuit, Marin De Marcano has had lawful permanent residency status in the United States for five years and submitted an application for full citizenship in March 2025.

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch
April 1, 2026

An assisted living center in Iowa recently used a video camera owned by a female resident’s family to document the staff’s neglect of the woman.

The use of resident-owned cameras in senior care facilities is a hotly contested issue in Iowa with resident advocacy groups repeatedly pushing for legislation that would prohibit state-licensed care facilities from banning the use of such devices.

Over the past 10 years, industry lobbyists have vigorously opposed the legislation and state lawmakers have repeatedly failed to approve the measure.

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch
March 23, 2026

The attorney for an immigration detainee held in the Polk County Jail says federal officials maliciously staged a “sham” court hearing orchestrated to keep his client behind bars.

The case involves Suraj Vasal, who four years ago came to the United States from India seeking asylum and was then released on his own recognizance.

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch
March 16, 2026

A report from the environmental group Food & Water Watch found that the majority of counties that are in the top 20% for glyphosate application have non-Hodgkin lymphoma rates above the national average. 

In Iowa, the report concludes that 82% of high-spray counties have elevated rates of lymphatic cancer. The report, Food & Water Watch argues, “underscores the need to fight back” on proposed pesticide labeling policies and on the overall use of chemical pesticides. Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide.

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch
March 12, 2026

The Iowa House advanced legislation Thursday that would provide greater oversight of pet breeders in the state, expand dog ownership documentation and specify how the state can issue water use permits. 

House File 2674 updates state law pertaining to commercial animal breeders, commercial kennels, pet shops and related businesses in Iowa to increase state oversight of these operations. 

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch
March 6, 2026

The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement determined regulations on fertilizers, animal feeding operations and agricultural drainage, among other things are policies that would improve water quality and public health in Iowa.

The Harkin Institute released a policy report Friday as a follow-up to the comprehensive Polk County water quality report released this summer. 

Adam Shriver, the institute’s director of wellness and nutrition policy, wrote in the report’s forward that it contains “a set of policies that, if followed, would dramatically improve Iowa’s waterways to protect the health of current and future generations.”