The Iowa legislature adjourned for the year shortly after midnight this morning. The final actions were related to passage of an $8.2 billion state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
From the Associated Press:
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Supreme Court decision is holding back the state’s solidly Republican Legislature and governor from banning abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Iowa is among GOP-controlled states that would be expected to ban abortion, except for state high court decisions recognizing the right under the state constitutions. The issue is most immediate in Iowa, where a court now dominated by Republican appointees is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to uphold the ruling, decided just four years ago. The Iowa case highlights the inevitable confrontation between new abortion bans being prepared in anticipation of Roe’s reversal and state constitutions.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Deer hunters will be able to use semi-automatic rifles during a newly created antlerless season in January under a bill approved by lawmakers and sent to the governor. The measure given final approval Tuesday by the House is designed to help control the deer population and respond to complaints that excess deer eat corn and are hazardous to motorists. Charles City Democratic Rep. Todd Prichard, a a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, opposed the bill. He noted the AR-15 type rifles allowed for hunting were similar to those he was trained to use in the military and that ammunition authorized in the bill can travel up to 2½ miles.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley says Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to divert about $55 million from public schools to private school scholarships will not pass in the Iowa House because of a lack of Republican support. The plan called for taxpayer-funded scholarships for up to 10,000 students to attend the private school of their choice. It passed the Senate in March but too many Republicans in the House oppose the idea. Reynolds has said she won’t give up and will work to pass the measure next year. Lawmakers are expected to end the legislative session this week, about five weeks behind the scheduled adjournment.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Auditor Rob Sand says he was the target of an attempted email scam in which someone pretended to be him and unsuccessfully tried to move his paycheck deposit to a different bank account. Sand used his own experience to warn Iowans on Monday about ways fraudulent emails can be designed to give scammers access to tax refunds or paycheck deposits. He credited a state human resources worker with contacting him directly on May 13 to alert him of the email to divert his paycheck direct deposit to a different bank. Sand confirmed the email was fake. He says such scams should be reported to the state auditor and the FBI.
CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) — A 52-year-old Cherokee police officer is facing charges after he allegedly hit a 6-year-old girl with a pickup truck and then drove away. The Sioux City Journal reported that Michael McGee was cited with leaving or failing to return to the scene of an injury accident. The Iowa State Patrol says McGee struck the girl, who was in a crosswalk, on Friday afternoon in Cherokee. He was off-duty at the time. The patrol says the girl was hospitalized with injuries that were not considered life threatening. The patrol continues to investigate the incident.
