Iowa
Putting EATS Act in farm bill would be a gift for corporate agriculture
EATS serves the interests of industrial livestock operations. As local people push back against corporate ag, we need more control over what happens in our communities, not less.
When the House Agriculture Committee marked up its draft farm bill in late May, representatives included a provision that’s a big gift for the corporate livestock industry. Dubbed the EATS Act (Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression), the measure would strip state and local governments of their ability to enact policies that protect our air, land and water from problems caused by factory farms.
Most of the attention, including a recent guest column in the Register by former Iowa Pork Producers Association President Trish Cook, has focused on how EATS would challenge California’s Proposition 12. Using corporate ag talking points, Cook and others are trying to portray factory farms as the victim. That’s just not true.
The reality is that Prop 12 was passed in 2018 by a huge majority of voters (63% to 37%). It requires hog factories in California to allow more space and freedom of movement for confined animals (sows, in particular). It also says California retailers can’t sell meat in their state if it doesn’t comply with this standard.
Prop 12 incensed the industrial livestock lobby, particularly in Iowa. All of Iowa’s U.S. senators and representatives have joined the EATS bandwagon. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, and Reps. Ashley Hinson, Randy Feenstra, Zach Nunn, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks are all co-sponsors of the EATS Act. Gov. Kim Reynolds also supports EATS. Our delegation wants to shield the factory farm industry from local control and other state and local measures that protect people and our environment.
More: Farm bill must expand American food security and the farm safety net
Thousands of everyday Iowans have worked for years to strengthen environmental standards, assure local government authority to restrict factory farms, and mandate serious fines and penalties for polluters. We want our state and county governments to do more to protect our water, air and land from factory farm pollution. Industrial livestock operations should be regulated like any other industry that produces high levels of pollution and public health risks.
Factory farm rules, as minimal as they are in Iowa these days, are deeply personal to me. Back in 2002, a developer from 60 miles away wanted to build a 7,000-head sow confinement just 1,975-feet from our house in rural Adair County. Every year, 10 million gallons of liquid manure would be hauled up and down the gravel roads in our community and applied on various fields. Our neighbors joined with us and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) to fight back against this invasion. We worked with our local Board of Supervisors to voice our concerns. And because of our state laws (and grassroots organizing), we were able to stop that factory farm from being built.
Those of us challenging factory farms are not taking this corporate power grab lightly. Over 120 grassroots organizations across the U.S., including Iowa CCI, will keep organizing and talking with our neighbors throughout the farm bill debate to make sure EATS is removed from the final legislative package. The Senate draft is coming soon, and it doesn’t include EATS. Thirty senators and 172 representatives have signed letters opposing EATS in the farm bill. Those numbers are far more than the handful of co-sponsors captured by the factory farm lobby.
Let’s be clear: EATS serves the interests of industrial livestock operations. As local people push back against corporate ag, we need more control over what happens in our communities, not less. And we don’t need our elected officials working against us.
Barb Kalbach is a fourth-generation family farmer in Adair County and board president of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Contact: barbnealkalbach@gmail.com.
More: Farm bill needs to be radical, demand more from farmers on conservation
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.
His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”
“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.
Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The Senate is in session this week.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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