Author: SHANNON NAJMABADI
Iowa will recognize abortion rights if SCOTUS reverses Roe v. Wade
At this point, Iowans won’t see an immediate impact if Roe v Wade is overturned, an Iowa attorney general spokesman says. The Iowa Supreme Court has recognized a right to abortion in the state’s constitution, Office of the Attorney General Chief of Staff Lynn Hicks told The Center Square in an emailed statement Wednesday. Iowa legislators and […]
Think tank speakers call on Minnesota to offset tax cuts with $9.3 billion surplus
Speakers at the Center for the American Experiment rally Saturday demanded Minnesota’s governor and legislators return the state’s $9.3 billion surplus to taxpayers. “The message for policymakers today on the surplus is clear – no more spending,” CAE President John Hinderaker told The Center Square in a statement Monday. “Between the federal COVID money and now […]
ARPA will provide $100M for 8 Iowa airports
American Rescue Plan Act funds will provide $100 million for modernizing Iowa’s air transportation program through the Iowa Commercial Aviation Infrastructure Fund, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday. Ninety percent of the funding will be granted based on passenger numbers from 2019 and the remainder will be split equally among the eight airports eligible for funding, the […]
Minnesota senators propose plan for sports betting
Minnesota senators proposed a plan Wednesday to legalize sports betting at tribal casinos and racetracks by the fall of 2023. The state would tax online gaming revenue as contributions to the general fund. Earmarks for the dollars are yet to be determined, a Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus news release said. Licensing fees would be collected for in-person […]
WalletHub reports Iowa is the best state in the U.S. to drive in
Iowa is the best state in the nation to drive in, WalletHub reported in its 2022 ranking of the Best and Worst States to Drive In. Iowa achieved a total score of 62.04. Oklahoma (61.65 points) and Kansas (61.51 points) placed second and third, respectively. Among Iowa’s neighbors, Wisconsin fared the best (7th) and Missouri was […]
Iowa cities’ preliminary plans for ARPA funding emphasize infrastructure spending
Most Iowa cities report they intend to spend American Rescue Plan Act funding to improve infrastructure, the Iowa League of Cities found in a survey. Nearly 500 city officials and staff members responded to the survey, which the organization conducted in December and published in the February issue of its magazine, Cityscape. The December results indicated […]
Iowa governor requests DHS staff salary increases, ‘status quo’ on Medicaid funding
For the first time in at least 15 years, an Iowa governor has not recommended funding changes for Medicaid. The announcement was made by Legislative Service Agency Analyst Jess Benson as he presented Gov. Kim Reynolds’ fiscal year 2023 Department of Health and Human Services budget recommendations Tuesday. Benson said the Department of Management and […]
IDPH progressing on filling state medical director role
Iowa Department of Public Health is conducting interviews for the state medical director and epidemiologist position vacated last October by Dr. Caitlin Pedati. DPH Public Information Officer Sarah Ekstrand told The Center Square in an emailed statement Oct. 25 that the department was in the process of filling the position and would provide an update when the […]
Iowa leisure and hospitality leaders say November job gains fall short of industry profitability
With a gain of 2,000 jobs in November, leisure and hospitality was the most successful sector in Iowa last month, complementing its hiring success this past year, Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday. Over the past year, leisure and hospitality has added the most jobs of any super sector (16,100), with 12,900 job gains in accommodations and […]
Minnesota’s major urban roadways are the 13th smoothest in the country
Minnesota ranks in the top third of states with the smoothest major urban roadways and just above average for roadway spending per lane mile, according to a MoneyGeek review of road conditions and state spending. The North Star State’s urban road roughness index is 88.6. Seven percent of its roads are in poor condition, and 63% are in […]