IOWA – The state of Iowa can not enforce a part of its law banning books from school libraries, at least for now. The Associated Press reports federal judge Stephen Locher has issued a temporary ban on a bill signed by Governor Kim Reynolds in 2023. The U.S. Court of Appeals had allowed the law to go into place, but Locher is citing a different provision of the U.S. Constitution this time, claiming unconstitutional restrictions on books exceed those that may be constitutional. The bill passed in 2023 prohibits certain obscene material from books in school libraries and classrooms, but critics have argued its meant to restrict certain topics some may find objectionable for political reasons.

DES MOINES – Lawmakers passed a bill in the Iowa Senate that places work requirements on the expanded portion of Medicaid. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Senate File 615 passed on a partisan-line vote that places guidelines for those Republicans considered “able-bodied” to work at least 80 hours monthly to continue receiving coverage. The Legislative Services Agency estimates the bill would remove at least 32,000 people from the expanded plan meant to ensure Iowans in poverty have access to healthcare.

MARION – A Marion woman pled guilty to misspending money from a special needs trust. KCRG-TV reports Megan Middaugh deposited money from a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of a victim into a checking account to form a trust. Middaugh then spent nearly $67,000 on personal expenses, including more than half of that on gambling. She now faces 20 years in prison after she falsified accounting reports after failing to do so for the trust for three years.