Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“Conditions have reached a point where mandatory conservation is necessary to protect reliable water service for more than 600,000 people across central Iowa.” — Tami Madsen, executive director of Central Iowa Water Works, in a statement announcing a lawn-watering ban for the second year in a row.
Police body-camera footage shows Tayvin Galanakis being read his rights and arrested seconds after a roadside breath test showed he had no alcohol in his system. (Screenshot of YouTube video sourced from the Newton Police Department)
An Iowa jury has awarded $105,000 to a former college student whose YouTube video of a police traffic stop generated 1.6 million views.
In February 2023, Tayvin Galanakis of Newton sued the city and its police department for false arrest, civil rights violations and negligent supervision and training, after he was arrested for drunken driving despite passing all sobriety tests.
University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom Advisory Council member Christine Hensley, right, led a discussion June 8, 2026, with the council on the implementation of a new law requiring six hours of core civics classes for state university undergraduate students. Shown here are panelists speaking Dec. 6, 2025, at the Center for Intellectual Freedom. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
The advisory council for the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom discussed Monday how the center could implement Iowa’s new civics course requirement for public universities.
The meeting took place six days after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed House File 2800 into law, requiring undergraduate students at UI, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to take six credit hours of core civics courses.
Iowa has a new state government body dedicated to helping expand state tourism and recreation options, as Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order Monday establishing the Iowa Office of Outdoor Recreation.
Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer will be Iowa Auditor Rob Sand’s running mate on the Democratic ticket in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial race, Sand’s campaign announced Monday.
Central Iowa Water Works issued an alert Monday prohibiting Iowans from watering commercial and residential lawns. This is the second year the utility has issued a lawn-watering ban for central Iowa due to elevated nitrate concentrations.
The most recent budgets proposed by governors across the country reflect ongoing financial pressures for states as they expect modest revenue growth, rising prices and federal policy changes, Stateline reports.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow states to access federal citizenship data by June 30 and plans to monitor the flow of mail ballots for signs of voter fraud, according to a court document.
A federal judge in Massachusetts Monday struck down the Trump administration’s efforts to require a $100,000 visa fee for highly skilled immigrant workers, finding the policy is an unlawful tax.
The Pentagon changed course Monday after its removal of dozens of religious denominations from a list of recognized faiths drew intense criticism over the weekend from Utah Republicans incensed by the failure to classify the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a Christian denomination.
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