Teachers aren't having it.

Senate File 2003, proposed by Iowa Sen. Sandy Salmon (R-Janesville), would prohibit public and charter schools from having any instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in grades 7 through 12. The bill expands a portion Senate File 496, which banned the same for K-6 students and is currently being blocked in federal court.

A staffer for Gov. Kim Reynolds denied a local journalist access to an official press briefing before the Condition of the State address yesterday. Laura Belin, who runs liberal website Bleeding Heartland, said this has happened multiple times, even though she is a member of the Iowa Capitol Press Association.

Iowa has some of the worst water quality in the nation, and the pollution impacting us has been linked to the state's cancer crisis. Iowa Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner discusses how the state legislature can begin to address these issues so all Iowans have access to clean, safe water.

Speaker of the Iowa House Pat Grassley said even though Gov. Kim Reynolds didn't mention eminent domain in her Condition of the State speech, the issue is still a priority for the state legislature.

Last year, a bill restricting the use of eminent domain to build carbon capture pipelines caused division among the state's Republican supermajority. The bill passed the House and the Senate, but Gov. Reynolds vetoed it.

On day one of the legislative session, Iowa Senate Republicans proposed sweeping changes to the state's property tax system. Gov. Kim Reynolds followed up during her Condition of the State speech with her own suggestions for lifting the burden on Iowa's homeowners. With Speaker of the House Pat Grassley promising similar legislation from his chamber soon, property taxes are sure to be a focal issue of the 2026 session.

But with shrinking state budget reserves and slashed income taxes, concerns are mounting about where the state will get funding for essential public services.