DES MOINES – The Iowa Senate passed a bill that requires Iowa’s Secretary of State to verify the citizenship status of voters. WHO-13 reports Senate File 2203 was passed mainly along party lines and requires the secretary of state to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program. Opponents argue that the measure has declared otherwise eligible voters ineligible in other states using it. Those in favor say that 35 votes from noncitizens counted in the 2024 election in Iowa.

AMES – Iowa State University is ending a program that promised free tuition to some Des Moines students. KCCI-TV reports the ISU 4U Promise Program was designed to make college more affordable for students at King and Moulton Elementary, which are among the state’s poorest zip codes. Iowa State contributed more than $1 million to the program since 2015, but budget concerns have leadership reconsidering it as an option.

DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds ordered flags to be at half-staff today to honor Former First Lady of Iowa Billie Lee Ray. The Des Moines Register reports that Ray died on February 18th and that her visitation will be held today. Ray was married to long time Governor Robert Ray, and both founded an organization at Drake University dedicated to Character Counts.