Iowa House Votes Eminent Domain Bill Through To Senate
(Des Moines, IA) — The state House is sending a bill prohibiting eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipeline projects. It’s the first bill passed by the House this session, signaling how important the issue has been to the legislature. The Senate has a competing bill that is a little more lenient, allowing the use of eminent domain only after multiple other options have been exhausted. Debate over the use of eminent domain has percolated since a 2024 permit was approved, allowing Summit Carbon Solutions eminent domain powers for its 25-hundred-mile pipeline through five different states. Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh says the Senate proposal balances rights of landowners while creating new ethanol markets for struggling farmers.
Former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Expected To Plead Guilty
(Des Moines, IA) — Former Des Moines schools superintendent Ian Roberts is expected to plead guilty to federal immigration charges. He is due in court Thursday for falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen and illegally possessing firearms. Roberts was originally born in Guyana but served a two-decade career as an educator before becoming the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. He was arrested in September in his school-issued Jeep Cherokee but fled from agents who found the car abandoned with a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says he obtained a work permit in 2018 but it expired in 2020.
Senate Subcommittee Advances Expanded ‘Gender Theory’ Ban
(Des Moines, IA) — The Senate education subcommittee is advancing a bill that expands a ban on teaching “gender theory.” The bill would extend the ban that is in place for kindergarten through sixth graders to seventh and 12th graders as well. A similar bill has been introduced by House Republicans. Under Iowa law, “gender theory” is the belief that a person’s gender can differ from their biological sex. The subcommittee voted two-to-one along party lines to advance the measure.
>Winter Weather Causes Multiple Crashes On Wednesday
(Ellsworth, IA) — Two overturned semi-trucks on Interstate 35 amid strong winds and reduced visibility were causing traffic delays Wednesday. One of the semis was blown over near the Highway 20 interchange, while another was seen on its side near Ellsworth. Another crash caused a road closure on Highway 65 near Bondurant and six people were hurt in a crash in Mahaska County around 4 p.m. on Highway 92. Wind gusts up to 60 mph were reported in eastern Iowa around 4:00 p.m. and in Des Moines, they reached 50 mph. Temperatures are expected to plummet below zero for most of the state through Sunday which could cause icy road hazards through the weekend.
House Republicans Introduce Third Bill On Property Taxes
(Des Moines, IA) — Senate Republicans, Governor Kim Reynolds and House Republicans now have competing bills to alleviate property taxes. House Republicans unveiled their plan on Wednesday to cap local government property tax revenue growth at two percent per year with exceptions for school funding and debt service. It would also establish a 25-thousand dollar exemption for all residential property. Analysts say the three plans show both the urgency of the issue and the lack of consensus on how to fix it. Democrats have also issued a plan that includes a tax freeze for seniors and say there is optimism that all sides will reach common ground.
