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Axios
6 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: Joe Gatto is running for Polk County supervisor
DSM City Councilperson Joe Gatto filed organization papers this week to seek the Democratic nomination for Polk County supervisor, a seat that Tom Hockensmith is not seeking reelection to next year. Why it matters: Gatto's potential move could alter the balance of power in both city and county governments, creating a seat on the council and bringing new leadership to the board after months of infighting. Catch up quick: Gatto, a part-owner of Baratta's Italian Restaurant, has served on the council since a special election in 2014, filling a spot vacated after Brian Meyer won an Iowa House seat. Hockensmith announced last week that he will not seek reelection after serving more than 20 years on the board, citing ongoing division among the board as a reason for his decision. Zoom in: Gatto's time on the council has focused on revitalizing neglected neighborhoods, attracting small business investment and upgrading infrastructure, especially along commercial corridors like Southwest 9th Street in his district. He's known for being direct, recently telling some of DSM's top managers that they are in the wrong positions if they recommend cutting fire department services. He joined Hockensmith in 2023 in leading an effort to oust the longtime director of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The intrigue: Hockensmith tells Axios he's not ready to endorse anyone for his seat and wasn't aware, as of Tuesday morning, of anyone else running for it.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Governor's veto of bill on synthetic psilocybin drugs takes key lawmaker by surprise
Dried magic mushrooms with spore prints on tin foil. (Photo) A key lawmaker said he was surprised by Gov. Kim Reynolds' veto this week of a bill that would have allowed for the prescription and distribution of synthetic psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in 'magic mushrooms' following federal approval of the drug. Reynolds said the bill 'moves ahead' of public health systems, law enforcement and regulatory systems in the state. 'This decision is not a dismissal of the emerging science or the sincere advocacy behind this legislation,' Reynolds said in her explanation of the veto. 'Rather, it is a call for a more deliberate and Iowa-centric approach.' House File 383 was one of two bills from the Iowa House this year that sought to legalize the use of psychedelics as a treatment for mental health issues, like post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill's floor manager, Rep. Brett Barker, R-Nevada, said the veto from the governor was 'unexpected' considering the bill passed with unanimous consent in both chambers. 'I look forward to having a conversation with the Governor to learn more about her concerns regarding the bill,' Barker said in an email. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The other bill, House File 978, would have created a psilocybin licensing board in Iowa, and similar to the state's medical marijuana program, would have allowed eligible patients access to the drug while it is still federally classified as Schedule I substance. The bill advanced from the House but was not heard in the Senate. HF 383, the bill put before the governor, would have immediately rescheduled any drugs containing crystalline polymorph psilocybin, the synthetic version of the compound, if they were approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Under the bill and conditioned circumstances, it would be legal to prescribe, distribute and market drugs with the ingredient, which is also sometimes referred to as COMP360. Clinical trials of COMP360 as a treatment for PTSD and treatment resistant depression have been conducted and are ongoing. A similar bill was signed into law in Colorado in March. Colorado and Oregon are the only states with legalized medical licensing programs for psilocybin. Reynolds said she does 'recognize and respect the growing body of research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin' but she said the compound should be approved by FDA and the Drug Enforcement Agency before Iowa acts to reschedule. 'The pathway provided by this bill for legalization of psilocybin at the state level before we have a chance to review federal action … creates legal uncertainty, poses risks for misuse and could undermine broader efforts to ensure safe and effective therapeutic use in the future,' Reynolds said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knoxville's Ken Locke Stadium holds ribbon cutting
KNOXVILLE, Iowa — The Knoxville Alumni Association held a ribbon cutting ceremony at Ken Locke Stadium in Knoxville to kick off multiple events planned for the stadium. The Knoxville Alumni Association purchased the Ken Locke Stadium from the Knoxville Community School District last October. Danielle Huffine, the President of the Knoxville Alumni Association, said the ribbon cutting spreads awareness of the events that will be held at Ken Locke this summer. 'We're doing a ribbon cutting because this is our grand opening, I guess you would say, of all the things that we want to do at the stadium this year. So we're just kind of invited all of the public to come and join us so we can do this right now,' Huffine said. Iowa House Republicans, candidates describe Gov. Reynolds pipeline veto as 'betrayal' Ken Locke Stadium is named after Ken Locke, a football player who died from injuries sustained while playing at the stadium. Huffine said the Locke has already been used by the community. 'We have had youth soccer here for the last few months. However, we're getting into a concert series. Plus we're going to be having some semi-pro football,' Huffine said. The Knoxville Alumni Association plans to renovate parts of the stadium. 'One of the things we want to do is build a community center for the community to hold any type of an event, whether that be class reunion and whether that be a family reunion inside flea markets, things like that. The pickleball courts, of course. And we just kind of want to have different types of events here that's more community oriented, which includes this upcoming concert series that starts June 21, is our first concert,' Huffine said. Huffine said that planned renovations will be expensive so the association is focused on fundraising. 'We're trying to raise money right now to do all of these events. For several, it takes money. And so one of the big things we have coming up is on August 30, we're doing along the way, it's a concert. So what that is, is basically we're going to have probably, I think, four or five different bands there, including Jason Brown maybe, and some other locals, and we're taking sponsorship for those,' Huffine said. To learn more about or donate to the restoration of Ken Locke Stadium, visit the Knoxville Alumni Association's website. Iowa News: Dad and sons play catch to 'Handle Hard Better' Knoxville's Ken Locke Stadium holds ribbon cutting Iowa House Republicans, candidates describe Gov. Reynolds pipeline veto as 'betrayal' WHO 13 Farm Report: Thursday, June 12th Deal's Orchard is a favorite Jefferson destination Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
11-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Iowa governor rejects GOP bill to increase regulations of Summit's carbon dioxide pipeline
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday rejected a bill that could have introduced more complications for a massive carbon-capture pipeline project routed across several Midwestern states, issuing a rare veto in the Republican-controlled statehouse. The legislation was designed by Iowa House Republicans to increase regulations of Summit Carbon Solutions' estimated $8.9 billion, 2,500-mile (4,023-kilometer) project that cuts across Iowa and already has an approved permit in the state. But the bill provoked loud opposition from members of Iowa's powerful ethanol industry, which argued the project is essential for Iowa's agricultural dominance, for farmers and for construction jobs. And it exposed a rift within the party over how to protect property rights. 'While I shared the bill's goal of protecting landowners, good policy should draw clear, careful lines. This bill doesn't,' said Reynolds, a Republican, in the explanation of her veto. 'It combines valid concerns with vague legal standards and sweeping mandates that reach far beyond their intended targets.' Despite her veto, Reynolds said she was 'committed to working with the legislature to strengthen landowner protections, modernize permitting, and respect private property.' Iowa state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican who supported the bill in the House, said Wednesday that her commitment is too little, too late. 'If she was willing to work with us on this, where in the world has she been the last three years?' Kaufmann said. 'She is clearly not siding with the constitutional rights of landowners but rather she's siding with special interests.' Summit has said it has invested nearly $175 million to enter into voluntary agreements with landowners in Iowa and more than $1 billion on the project overall. In a statement, Summit thanked the governor for a thoughtful review of the bill and said their goal is to proceed with voluntary agreements with landowners. Even with the relief from Reynolds' veto, Summit will likely have to readjust plans after South Dakota's governor signed a ban on the use of eminent domain — the government seizure of private property with compensation — to acquire land for carbon dioxide pipelines. Summit's permit application was also rejected in South Dakota. The project has permit approvals in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota but faces various court challenges. The Iowa bill would have prohibited the renewal of permits for a carbon dioxide pipeline, limited the use of such a pipeline to 25 years and significantly increased the insurance coverage requirements for the pipeline company. Those provisions would likely have made it less financially feasible for a company to build a carbon dioxide pipeline. 'We look forward to continued discussions with state leaders as we advance this important project,' Summit said Wednesday. 'At a time when farmers are facing increasing pressures, this project opens the door to new markets and helps strengthen America's energy dominance for the long term.' Rift in Republican-controlled statehouse Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley said after Reynolds' veto that he would pursue a special session to vote on an override, saying in a statement that the veto 'is a major setback for Iowa.' The Iowa Constitution states that a request for special session from two-thirds of both chambers, or the governor, can bring lawmakers back to Des Moines. Two-thirds of both chambers would need to vote for an override for the bill to become law without the governor's approval. 'We will not stop fighting and stand firm on our commitment until landowners' in Iowa are protected against Eminent Domain for private gain,' Grassley said. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver suggested that would be unlikely in his chamber. Thirteen Republican senators had joined with 14 Democrats in voting in favor of the bill, but 21 Republicans and one Democrat voted against it. 'Based on the votes on that bill in the Iowa Senate, a significant majority of our caucus supports a better policy to protect landowner rights. I expect that majority of our caucus would not be interested in any attempt to override her veto,' he said. As the legislative session wound down, a dozen Republican senators insisted their leaders bring the House-approved bill to the floor for a vote after several years of inaction. The stalemate ended in a long and divisive debate among the Iowa Senate's Republican supermajority, with senators openly criticizing one another and exposing the closed-door discussions that got them there. Summit's project and its critics The Summit pipeline was proposed to carry carbon emissions from ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to be stored underground permanently in North Dakota. By lowering carbon emissions from the plants, the pipeline would lower their carbon intensity scores and make them more competitive in the renewable fuels market. The project would also allow ethanol producers and Summit to tap into federal tax credits. The pipeline's many critics have for years begged lawmakers for action. They accuse Summit of stepping on their property rights and downplaying the safety risks of building the pipeline alongside family homes, near schools and across ranches. Lee Enterprises and The Associated Press reviewed hundreds of cases that reveal the great legal lengths the company went to to get the project built. In South Dakota, in particular, a slew of eminent domain legal actions to obtain land sparked a groundswell of opposition that was closely watched by lawmakers in Iowa as well. A group of landowners released a statement Wednesday calling the veto a slap in the face. 'Big money, greed & self interest won the day,' said Jan Norris, a landowner in southwest Iowa whose neighbor is in the pipeline's route. 'Our property rights are for sale to the highest bidder.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reynolds makes ‘difficult decision' to sign bill on pharmacy benefit managers
Pharmacists who advocated for legislation setting regulations on pharmacy benefit managers celebrated from the Iowa House gallery as the chamber sent the bill to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk May 12, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Calling it a 'difficult decision,' Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation Wednesday that's intended to help keep rural pharmacies in business but could also lead to higher drug costs for Iowans. At the urging of the state's pharmacists, the Iowa Legislature approved the measure earlier this year. Senate File 383 imposes restrictions and regulations on pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, that negotiate prescription drug prices between manufacturers, health insurance companies and pharmacies. The law limits PBMs' use of strategies that favor a specific pharmacy to fill a prescription — such as cost-sharing rates, fees, and other financial penalties or incentives. The legislation would also require pharmacies to be reimbursed at the average state or national price for a drug. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Supporters have claimed the law is needed to combat 'anti-competitive' practices by PBMs that they say give an advantage to mail-order prescription refills and larger pharmacy chains that have greater purchasing power. In signing the bill, Reynolds said that while PBMs have helped negotiate drug prices and access for millions of Americans, consolidation has led to only three major PBMs controlling 80% of the market, giving them 'outsized power' in determining what patients pay for their medications. 'But this bill does not signify an end,' she said. 'The complexity and lack of verifiable data made signing this bill a difficult decision and my administration will closely monitor implementation to mitigate and ensure that any unintended consequences for private employers are addressed.' Reynolds vetoes $1.5 million for UNI tuition program A Legislative Services Agency analysis found the bill could result in higher costs and co-pays for the state's health insurance program. The Iowa Association of Business and Industry warned it could result in an additional $340 million in costs for private-sector health insurance plans and add $169 annually to the average insured Iowan's pharmaceutical expenses. Earlier this year, Rep. Jeff Cooling, D-Cedar Rapids, warned that while the bill may initially increase revenue for smaller pharmacies, the added cost for consumers and their employers will give Iowans even more incentive to fill their prescriptions at a lower cost through larger pharmacies. More bill actions See a full list of the bills signed or vetoed Wednesday by Gov. Kim Reynolds here. The Iowa Pharmacy Association said the new law 'marks a major victory for Iowa patients, independent and community pharmacies, and healthcare providers across the state' by ensuring greater oversight of PBMs. 'For too long, PBMs have put profits over patients, contributing to the closure of more than 200 pharmacies in Iowa since 2014,' said Kate Gainer, CEO of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. 'This law gives us the tools to level the playing field and protect access to care, especially in rural areas.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
