DES MOINES – The 2025 Iowa Legislative Session appears to be nearing its end. Iowa Capitol Dispatch reports budget bills made their way through both the Iowa House and Senate, including funding for health and human services, administration and regulation, transportation, education, and economic development. It comes after lawmakers sent bills to the Governor’s desk adding work requirements to Medicaid, adding some restrictions to eminent domain, and a rural health care initiative. The session was scheduled to end on May 2nd.

IOWA – Warm and dry conditions last week made for excellent planting conditions, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers made quick progress planting corn and soybeans. Conditions were also favorable for spraying. Topsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent very short, 22 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Corn planted reached 76 percent — eight days ahead of last year and three days ahead of the five-year average. Sixty-four percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted.

PELLA – Two people were injured near Pella on Tuesday in a three-vehicle crash involving a school bus. The Iowa State Patrol reports that an SUV was rear-ended by another car, pushing it into a Pella School District bus carrying the Dutch high school girls soccer team. Two occupants inside the SUV were injured and one was life flighted to Des Moines. No members of the high school team were harmed.