U.S. Capitol (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) With both chambers of Congress now back in Washington after their holiday break, the Iowa delegation introduced legislation on biofuels, border security, artificial intelligence and more.  House members also voted in a bipartisan fashion to expel a colleague, with all four of Iowa’s representatives voting in favor of the expulsion.  Here’s what Iowa’s lawmakers were up to this past week: Flex-fuel fairness Citing a threat to the availability of gas-powered vehicles for farmers, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks introduced the Flex Fuel ..read more

A Texas National Guardsman observes as Border Patrol agents pat down migrants who have surrendered themselves for processing at Gate 42, some after waiting near the border wall for days, May 10, 2023. Congress is currently debating a new border security package. (Photo by Corrie Boudreaux for Source NM) WASHINGTON — As Congress negotiates the White House’s $106 billion supplemental aid request for Israel, Ukraine and U.S. border security, fights over immigration policy have tied up the request. The White House sent its proposal that includes nearly $14 billion in supplemental ..read more

(Photo by Getty Images) A hotly contested race for school board in a small eastern Iowa community may be decided by a drawing on Monday. The Scott County Auditor’s Office recently presided over a recount for one of the races involving a seat on the school board for the Pleasant Valley Community School District. Initially, the results of the Nov. 7 election indicated challenger Jameson Smith had beaten incumbent Tracey Rivera on a vote of 256 to 250. Rivera then requested a recount which led to a new controversy involving Iowa’s own version of a hanging-chad dispute. An assistant Scott County ..read more

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor died on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Here she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 25, 2012 in Washington, DC. O'Connor spoke to the necessity for civics education in maintaining an independent judiciary. The former associate justice also expressed doubt about the process in some states of electing judges, and about the validity of asking Supreme Court nominees how they would vote in the future. (Photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — The first woman to serve on the nation’s highest court is dead at 93. Sandra Day O ..read more

Activists and members of the transgender community gathered outside the historic LGBT Stonewall Inn on Feb. 13, 2023 in New York. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Most Republican presidential hopefuls share the same views on so-called “culture war” issues, including prohibiting transgender women from participating in women’s sports, opposing LGBTQ materials in K-12 schools and supporting police forces against protesters – but candidates argue their specific approaches will help them win the nomination and beat President Joe Biden. In the months ahead of the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses ..read more

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis debated California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Nov. 30 in Georgia. (Photo of Ron DeSantis by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch; photo of Gavin Newsom by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gavin Newsom from California, two of the nation’s most well-known governors who sit on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum, engaged in a fiery 90-minute debate on Thursday night from Alpharetta, Georgia, which was broadcast live on the Fox News Channel. The stakes were undoubtedly higher for DeSantis, 45, who hopes that the primetime platform can catapult wha ..read more

The U.S. House voted on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, to pass a measure that would end the use of public lands for temporary migrant shelters, but it’s unlikely to pass the Senate. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Thursday passed a bill to bar the use of public lands for temporary housing for migrants applying for asylum. The bill, H.R. 5283, passed with a majority of Republicans in support, 224-203.All four of Iowa’s Republican representatives voted for the bill. Six Democrats voted with Republicans: Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Caro ..read more

Iowa's teachers union joined Penguin Random House and four authors challenging a state law banning certain books from school libraries. (Photo by Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector) The Iowa State Education Association and Penguin Random House filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday challenging parts of an state law prohibiting books that depict sex acts from being available in Iowa K-12 school libraries. It’s the second lawsuit filed against Senate File 496 this week. On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and Lambda Legal also filed a suit seeking to block enforcement of certain p ..read more

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is shown speaking to an audience in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about her trip to the Middle East during the Israel-Hamas conflict before introducing Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley Oct. 20, 2023. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is doing okay after a fellow senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the Iowa Republican when she choked on food during a closed-door GOP lunch Thursday. “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats. Thanks, Dr. @RandPaul!,” Ernst w ..read more

The FBI headquarters building in downtown Washington, D.C., on Nov. 23, 2023. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON — The watchdog for the General Services Administration will investigate the process that led the federal agency to choose a Maryland site over two others for the new FBI headquarters. Acting Inspector General Robert Erickson wrote in a letter released Thursday that the “objective will be to assess the agency’s process and procedures for the site selection to relocate the FBI Headquarters.” “We intend to begin this work immediately and will share with you and the rele ..read more