Iowa Capital Dispatch

The Iowa Capital Dispatch is a robust and independent news outlet focused on linking Iowans with their state government and its influence on their daily lives. This organization offers a blend of state government reporting, thorough investigative journalism, in-depth analysis of policy effects, political insights, and thoughtful commentary. We are committed to highlighting the experiences of everyday people beyond the corridors of power, illustrating how the decisions of state leaders affect the lives of Iowans. We hold the conviction that strong local journalism is essential; without it, Iowans may face a decline in the integrity and accountability of their government that they have long cherished.

Local

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#122888

United States

#24380

News and Media

#1136

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Iowa puppy mills cited in national nonprofit's annual report of violators • Iowa Capital Dispatch

1 day ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Clark Kauffman

Iowa is again ranked near the top of the list in the annual “Horrible Hundred” tally of states with the most dog breeders and brokers cited by regulators. The nonprofit Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States, recently published its 2025 installment of its annual Horrible Hundred report cataloging the most egregious regulatory violations as cited by state and federal inspectors of puppy mills.
Legal battle escalates over long-term care insurance policies sold to Iowans

2 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Clark Kauffman

A long-running dispute between insurance commissioners in Iowa and Pennsylvania has escalated, with Iowa regulators arguing that hundreds of elderly Iowans are now being put at risk due to a company’s willful violation of a court order.
Senate passes bill restricting eminent domain for carbon pipelines

2 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Cami Koons

Iowa senators voted 27-22 late Monday to pass a bill to limit the ability of carbon sequestration pipelines to use eminent domain, sending it to the governor’s desk after a drawn-out debate. The decision follows four years of Iowans and House lawmakers urging for eminent domain reform in response to the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. House File 639 comprised a number of bills passed by the House aimed at eminent domain.
Farmers in a ‘good spot’ with planting, crop emergence

2 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Cami Koons

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 12, 2025 More than half of corn and soybean acres are planted, which puts Iowa farmers more than a week ahead of last year’s pace, according to the crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thirty percent of corn and 16% of soybean acres have emerged as of Monday.
UI plaintiffs fear ICE may be creating new, unlawful policies to facilitate deportation

2 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Clark Kauffman

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 12, 2025 Lawyers for four University of Iowa international students fighting their potential deportation are now telling a federal judge they fear federal officials may have crafted a new, unlawful policy to revoke their status as students. Last month, the four students sued Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons in federal court.
Report pinpoints nursing home staffing shortages in Iowa and the nation

3 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Clark Kauffman

Newly reported federal data shows the overwhelming majority of nursing homes in Iowa and the United States are operating with too few staff to meet resident’s basic needs. Eleven of Iowa’s 410 nursing homes were staffed at least 40% below the level expected to meet residents’ needs during the third quarter of 2024, according to the data. Among the 50 states, Iowa ranked in the middle of the pack, with staffing levels that averaged 20% below expectations.
‘Four years and another day’: Senators punt long-awaited eminent domain debate

5 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Cami Koons

“Shame, shame, shame,” a red-shirted group chanted from a Senate gallery after a full day waiting for senators to debate a bill impacting carbon sequestration pipelines. A group of landowners has been pushing lawmakers to take up the issue around property rights for four years. They, along with farmers and union workers in favor of the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, showed up to the Capitol in droves Friday, expecting to hear debate on House File 639.
D.C. Dispatch: Iowa delegation discuss measures on maternal health, Medicaid

5 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Robin Opsahl

Members of Iowa’s federal delegation have introduced multiple measures related to health care, weighing in on Medicaid coverage and maternal care options. Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Ashley Hinson, both Republicans, helped introduced the “More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed” (MOMS) Act in the Senate and House respectively, legislation that they said would help provide more services and support for expecting and new mothers.
Iowan whose nurse's license was revoked for fraudulent diploma gets a new license • Iowa Capital Dispatch

5 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Clark Kauffman

A man whose nursing license was revoked for knowingly purchasing a fraudulent diploma has been awarded a new license to practice in Iowa. In January 2022, the Iowa Board of Nursing revoked the practical nurse’s license it had granted to Enome Massango of West Des Moines in 2018, as well as the registered nurse’s license it had granted him in 2021.
Iowa Supreme Court rejects LULAC's lawsuit over English-only voting materials • Iowa Capital Dispatch

5 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Clark Kauffman

The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a district court decision that cleared the way for election officials to distribute voter materials in languages other than English. Without directly addressing the merits of Iowa’s law restricting the dissemination of government records in languages other than English, the court found that the League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa lacked standing to bring its lawsuit challenging the state’s application of the English Language Reaffirmation Act.