AGP Executive Report

State Budget: Iowa’s revenue forecast rose $66 million, but the state still expects a $1.1 billion gap between revenue and planned spending for the current budget year. Officials cited inflation, borrowing costs and uncertainty over fuel prices. Election 2026: Trump plans two Iowa campaign stops before Election Day as Senate and governor candidates make affordability, farm economics, water quality and cancer rates central issues. Democrats outraised Republicans in several key Senate races, including Iowa, in the latest fundraising quarter. Energy and Growth: The federal government may lend up to $4.4 billion to restart three shuttered nuclear plants, including Iowa’s Duane Arnold Energy Center, to supply power for homes, businesses and data centers. AI Lawsuit: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and three other state attorneys general say they plan to sue OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT harmed children and violated consumer-protection laws. Cold Case: A Minnesota man has been charged in the 1995 killing of Waterloo woman Angela Buck, whose body was found near a creek east of the city.

Midterm Campaigns: President Donald Trump plans rallies in Sioux City on Oct. 22 and another Iowa stop Nov. 1, as Republican Ashley Hinson faces Democrat Josh Turek in a tight Senate race. Rising costs, fuel prices and the Iran war are weighing on voters, while farm economics and water quality have become central campaign issues. State Economy: Iowa’s unemployment rate held at 3.2% in September, unchanged since May; nonfarm employment rose 4,000 from a year earlier. State Lawsuit: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joined other states suing OpenAI, alleging its chatbot harms children and misleads families. Local Accountability: A Minnesota man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the 1995 killing of Waterloo’s Angela Buck. In Knoxville, a Little League treasurer faces a theft charge over nearly $26,000 in alleged unauthorized withdrawals.

Election Watch: Iowa’s competitive midterms are taking shape around the Senate race between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek, with a new poll putting Turek just three points ahead. President Donald Trump plans campaign visits Oct. 22 and Nov. 1 as early voting begins and control of Congress hangs in the balance. Farm and Water Issues: High diesel costs, harvest delays and fertilizer timing are adding pressure for farmers, while water quality and cancer rates have become campaign issues. Iowa’s river-sensor network is also struggling to secure funding. Technology and Local Policy: Johnson County extended its data-center moratorium for nine months to study effects on water, roads and land use. In Boone, residents weighed a proposed data center after a similar plan was dropped in Ames. AI Lawsuit: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joined seven other states suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT’s safety claims misled consumers and the chatbot put children at risk. Economy: Iowa’s unemployment rate held at 3.2% in September, though the number of working residents fell from August and from a year earlier.

Midterm Campaign: Early voting opened across Iowa on Oct. 14, with Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek clashing over healthcare, tariffs, diesel prices and the proposed Lee County steel mill. Water quality and cancer rates are also emerging as campaign issues; gubernatorial candidates debated education funding. AI Safety: Attorney General Brenna Bird has sued OpenAI in Iowa, alleging ChatGPT’s safeguards failed to protect children and that the company violated consumer protection laws. Consumer Alert: The AG’s office is warning Iowans about Medicare scams during open enrollment, which runs through Dec. 7. Officials say Medicare won’t call to demand personal or banking details. Rural Investment: Iowa awarded $385,000 in grants to 15 rural communities for housing, childcare and business growth, while the state also announced $435,000 for specialty-crop growers.

AI Lawsuit: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joined seven other states in suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT misled users about safety and failed to protect children. The states seek stronger safeguards and damages; OpenAI says it is continuing to improve protections. Senate Race: Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek clashed in their final debate over rural healthcare, tariffs, diesel prices and Social Security, as the Nov. 3 election nears. The closure of an Ottumwa clinic sharpened concerns about access to care in rural Iowa. Election 2026: Early voting is underway across Iowa, with competitive races drawing attention and Secretary of State Paul Pate expecting higher turnout. Farm Economy: Iowa farm groups and Sen. Chuck Grassley welcomed an EPA proposal to reallocate biofuel volumes lost to refinery exemptions, a move supporters say would bolster demand for Iowa-produced fuels. Housing: Dubuque opened The Union at the Marina, a 201-unit affordable housing community, as the city faces a projected need for 2,500 additional homes by 2035.

Senate Debate: Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek agreed taxpayers shouldn’t be left paying for infrastructure if the proposed $15 billion Lee County steel mill falls short. The company has yet to secure land, permits or financing. The candidates also backed local control over data-center siting and opposed importing Russian diesel. Wind Power: A proposed 140-megawatt wind farm near Yarmouth could seek Des Moines County permits in early 2027, with construction planned for 2028–29. More than 30 landowner families have signed easement agreements. Food and Farming: The John Deere Foundation is directing more than $13 million to Iowa food banks, aiming to grow their network of local farm suppliers from about 20 to 117 over three years. Rural Investment: Iowa awarded $385,000 in grants to 15 rural communities for housing, child care and local economic development.

Senate Race: Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek clashed in their final debate over farm policy, water quality, healthcare and major industrial projects as Iowa’s closely watched Senate contest heads toward Election Day. Water and Health: Iowa’s high cancer rates and polluted waterways have become campaign flashpoints. Both candidates favor water-infrastructure spending; Turek also backs incentives for conservation, but neither said farm subsidies should be tied to runoff reductions. Campaign Money: A major Republican super PAC is shifting funding away from Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ reelection bid, redirecting money to other races as strategists weigh a tough political climate. Local Finances: Delayed property-tax statements in Madison County are straining local budgets; Earlham is considering a loan, and school districts say they have gone without county payments since June. Farms and Food: The EPA proposed fully reallocating renewable-fuel volumes waived for small refineries, a move farm groups say could support demand for Iowa-grown feedstocks. John Deere’s foundation also announced an $18.5 million food-security initiative, including plans to connect more than 100 Iowa farmers with food banks.

Iowa Campaigns: Cook Political Report gives Democrats an edge in Iowa’s 1st and 3rd congressional districts and calls the 2nd a toss-up. The GOP’s Congressional Leadership Fund is shifting $10 million away from Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ district as Republicans reassess their path to a House majority. Election Watch: Early voting starts this week, with high fuel costs and affordability emerging as key issues for Iowa voters. Data Center Debate: Opposition is growing: a Woodward meeting over Microsoft’s proposed campus ended with a resident forcibly removed, while Google is pursuing a Linn County-area project through Palo after county rules complicated negotiations. Rural Health: CMS chief Mehmet Oz visited Grinnell with Senate candidate Ashley Hinson to highlight a federal rural-health fund that could bring Iowa about $200 million a year for five years, including support for a new MRI machine at the local hospital.

Iowa Elections: Early voting starts Wednesday, as Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek make affordability and health care central issues. In the statewide youth straw poll, Hinson led Turek 44% to 42%; Christina Bohannan edged Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the 1st District mock vote. Steel Plant: The candidates for governor, Rob Sand and Zach Lahn, have both met with developers planning a $15 billion steel mill in Lee County. The project could bring 1,750 permanent jobs and qualify for up to $1.4 billion in state tax incentives. Rural Investment: USDA announced more than $12.9 million for Iowa cooperatives, including support for hospital upgrades in Humboldt and Montgomery County and a new community center in Larchwood. Agriculture’s reach is broader than the farm workforce: a new analysis estimates it supports about one in four Iowa jobs and a third of the state’s economy.**

Election Day Nears: Early in-person voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Iowa county auditors’ offices, with absentee ballots also going out to voters who requested them. The U.S. Senate race between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek remains competitive, with healthcare access a prominent issue; a new Cook Political Report analysis also shifted several House races toward Democrats, including Iowa contests. Statewide Debates: Gov. candidates Zach Lahn and Rob Sand will meet again Wednesday after debating affordability, education, cancer rates and a major Lee County steel project. Attorney general candidates Brenna Bird and Nate Willems clashed over voter ID and Bird’s record prosecuting election cases; four defendants in election-fraud cases brought by her office were acquitted. Farm Businesses: Iowa small-scale meat processors and custom lockers can apply for state grants of up to $20,000 for equipment to expand processing capacity. The state has allocated $105,000 for the program in fiscal 2027.

Iowa Elections: The governor and Senate candidates have faced off in their first debates, sparring over trade, Social Security and political attacks. Democrat Josh Turek also drew support from California Rep. Ro Khanna, while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Republican Ashley Hinson in their closely watched Senate race. Water Quality: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says the agency is updating Iowa’s impaired-waterway list as the state faces questions over nitrates and rising cancer rates. Energy: Linn County supervisors are set to consider an agreement that would bring $5.3 million in payments if Alliant’s proposed Morgan Valley gas plant moves ahead, plus annual payments during its operation. Public Health: Iowa reported 17 new measles cases, bringing its total this year to 39. Economy: Tariff concerns are weighing on factory workers and Republicans in competitive races, including Iowa, as voters weigh the impact on jobs.

Campaign Trail: Iowa’s first televised governor and Senate debates put trade, Social Security, political attacks and bipartisanship under scrutiny as Election Day nears. Housing Costs: Des Moines has joined a growing list of Midwest metros where homeownership is no longer affordable for the median household, eroding the region’s reputation as a budget-friendly refuge. Farm Economy: U.S. farm debt has hit a record $605 billion, and federal estimates may miss borrowing from suppliers and other nontraditional lenders. High fuel costs and trade disruptions are adding pressure on Iowa growers. Steel Investment: Iowa’s proposed $1.36 billion incentive to attract a steel mill and 1,750 jobs from Minnesota is fueling debate over the cost and benefits of the deal. Senate Watch: Chuck Grassley, 93, has filed to seek another term in 2028; if elected, he would be 101 at the term’s end.

Iowa Campaigns: Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn drew more than 100 people to a Marion meet-and-greet, while Democrat Rob Sand continued campaigning. Democrat Chris Jones, running for secretary of agriculture, is calling for changes to Iowa’s corn-and-soy-heavy farming system to improve water quality. Tax Amendment: A coalition of Iowa groups is campaigning against a ballot measure that would require a two-thirds legislative vote to raise income taxes, warning it could put public services at risk. Senate Race: Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek clashed in their first debate, as affordability, tariffs and immigration figure in the closely watched contest. Steel Investment: Essar-backed Mesabi Metallics is proposing a $15 billion steel mill in Lee County as part of an $18 billion Midwest project, but questions remain about financing and whether the promised investment will materialize. Higher Education: The University of Northern Iowa’s Our Tomorrow campaign raised a record $342.8 million from more than 34,000 donors. Health Workforce: A study found 14.8% of new nurse practitioners licensed in Iowa in 2024 trained at for-profit schools, up from 2.4% in 2010.

Iowa Midterm Races: Senate hopefuls Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek clashed over affordability, tariffs and their records in their first debate. Hinson is emphasizing independence from Trump as polling and political analysts point to tightening Iowa House contests. Steel Plant Stakes: President Trump is touting a proposed $15 billion steel complex in southeast Iowa, projected to create more than 1,700 jobs. State lawmakers expanded tax incentives, but the project remains a promise, drawing comparisons to past megaprojects that failed to deliver. Energy and Rural Needs: Linn County supervisors are weighing a host agreement that would bring at least $5.3 million from Alliant Energy for a proposed natural-gas plant. Separately, Iowa has obligated more than $209 million in first-year rural health funding, as communities seek help sustaining care and jobs.

Iowa Campaigns: Analysts see Democratic gains in several Iowa House races as midterms near. House Speaker Mike Johnson rallied for Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Davenport, where protesters challenged her record and accessibility. Farm Economy: Iowa lawmakers approved up to $1.4 billion in incentives for a proposed $15 billion steel mill, while farmers face higher fuel and fertilizer costs. Rural Health: Iowa is moving early to deploy $209 million in federal rural-health funding for technology, specialty care and hospital recruitment. Transportation: The new Lansing Bridge is set to open Nov. 6, months ahead of schedule, restoring a key Iowa-Wisconsin route after nearly a year of ferry service and detours. Higher Education: UNI’s Our Tomorrow campaign raised a record $342.8 million, including $108 million for student scholarships.

Iowa Elections: Republican Ashley Hinson leads Democrat Josh Turek by 47% to 45% in an Emerson College poll of likely voters, a narrow gap within the survey’s 3.8-point margin of error. In the governor’s race, Zach Lahn and Rob Sand are making water quality and rising cancer rates central issues. Steel Mill Stakes: Iowa has approved expanded tax incentives worth up to $1.36 billion for a proposed $15 billion southeast Iowa steel plant, a major economic bet that has drawn questions over the public cost. Agriculture: The USDA’s $180 million investment in the National Plant Germplasm System was welcomed by seed industry leaders during an announcement in Prairie City. Meanwhile, Trump’s push to import more beef has barely eased prices, while ranchers remain frustrated. Research and Growth: Iowa State President David Cook aims to make the university a top-20 public land-grant school and raise its annual economic impact from about $6 billion to $8 billion by 2032.