CHARLES CITY, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – While lawsuits from Republican lawmakers work its way through the courts over eminent domain, things could also be changing in the legislature.

Iowa landowners who don’t think private companies should be allowed access to their land found hope with legislators in the Iowa house who tried to ban it. But those property owners were frustrated with the Republican senate leadership who blocked the bills.

The proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline would run through one of Pat Mennenga’s fields in Clarkesville. “We have 120 acres that the pipeline has been proposed to go through from north to south,” she said.

Mennenga doesn’t want it. “We want to preserve our land the way it was given to us and we want to keep it that way. We’re not in favor of a pipeline,” she said.

This week, a group of nearly 40 republican lawmakers filed lawsuits in state and federal court aiming to stop the pipeline.

State Rep. Helena Hayes said, “Our group initially started with 19 legislators but has since doubled in size reflecting the growing concern among senators and representatives here in Iowa.”

The lawsuits are the newest way to try and stop the pipeline. Lawmakers in the Iowa House voted to reign in the use of eminent domain, but Republican leaders in the Senate never brought the bills up for a vote.

State Sen. Kevin Alons said, “The way that politics, the rules are established and the way the hierarchy works in the Senate and both chambers, leadership has quite a bit of control over what advances and what doesn’t.”

State Rep. Charley Thomson of Charles City says he sees changes on the horizon.

Thomson says many of the new Republican candidates running for the state Senate are opposed to the project. “There’s not a lot of support for this outside of people who are financially interested. There are a few rather muted supporters in the legislature but I think that’s disappearing,” he said.

Thomson says public opinion is on their side and growing. “As more public opinion shifts in to our favor, it’s going to be harder and harder for the Senate to not act on this. I think the Senate’s going to be compelled to at some point,” Thomson said.

Mennenga says she now has hope regardless of what happens with the lawsuits. “I’ve become very hopeful in the last six months. Just listening to some of our representatives and some of the other landowners and I know a lot of ‘em have ideas of how they are going to stop it,” she said.

Summit contends that by lowering carbon emissions, it makes ethanol production more sustainable and can increase demand.

“Summit Carbon Solutions in confident in the Iowa Utilities Commission’s thorough review process. Our project represents a significant opportunity for farmers and ethanol producers to access new markets, such as sustainable aviation fuel, by lowering ethanol’s carbon intensity score. With current economic challenges, including corn prices falling below production costs, this pipeline will help grow markets and support the long-term viability of our farmers and rural communities, contributing to economic growth and American energy independence.”

Summit also says they’ve signed voluntary agreements with around 75% of affected landowners.

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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

Iowa Hawkeyes legend Caitlin Clark has not been a disappointment in any way, shape, or form to begin her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever.

After an amazing college career with Iowa, Clark was unsurprisingly selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. That pick is one that has changed the Fever franchise completely.

In her first season, Clark has already become a superstar and has been able to help lead Indiana to the playoffs. She’s expected to win the Rookie of the Year ward as well.

Some are calling Clark’s rookie season the best of all-time.

ESPN recently took a look at the best rookie campaigns of all-time in the WNBA. When it came to Clark, they ranked her rookie season at No. 3 on the list. Ahead of her were just Candace Parker and Tamkia Catchings.

“Clark was the top pick in April, following fellow No. 1 selection Aliyah Boston, who was the 2023 Rookie of the Year for the Fever. Those two have made great progress in one season as a top guard-post combo. Clark also has jelled well with starting backcourt mate Kelsey Mitchell; both are averaging just over 19 points per game. A strong case can be made that Clark has had the best offensive season ever for a WNBA rookie. Where a player such as Catchings has an edge is that she also was an elite defender as a rookie. Clark has made progress on that side of the court. And while she averages a league-high 5.7 turnovers per game, her being the team’s primary ball handler and the league’s assist leader must be taken into account.”

Clark has played in 37 games this season, averaging 19.1 points per game to go along with 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds. She has also chipped in with 1.3 steals.

In addition to those averages, Clark has shot 41.7 percent from the floor and 33.9 percent from the three-point line.

Those numbers show just how impressive her rookie year has been. She still has plenty of room to grow her game, but she’s already among the best and most impactful players in the WNBA.

All of that being said, this just goes to help show how dominant Clark has been already. She’s taken the WNBA by storm and she has no intention of slowing down. For years to come, she’ll be one of the top players and attractions in the WNBA.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – All three of Iowa’s public universities have released their enrollment numbers for the Fall 2024 Semester.

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa says the Class of 2028 is its third-largest incoming first-year class on record.

According to enrollment numbers released by the University of Iowa on Thursday, there are 5,208 undergrads in the 2024 incoming class. That’s up from 5,054 undergrads from the year prior.

The university says about 53% of the first-year students are from Iowa, including from 92 of Iowa’s 99 counties. 19% are first-generation students and 16% are from rural areas.

When it comes to overall enrollment, the university says it has 22,738 undergrads, including 1,083 transfer students. There at 6,164 graduate students and 1,877 professional students, brining the University of Iowa total enrollment to 30,779 students.

University of Northern Iowa

The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) says it’s total enrollment for fall 2024 is 9,283 students, which is up 2.9% compared to 2023.

This is the first time since 2009 and 2010 that UNI’s enrollment has increased in consecutive years.

UNI says there is 1,546 students in the incoming freshman class, more than a third of which are first-generation college students.

UNI also boasts 788 new transfer students and 1,567 graduate students.

Iowa State University

Iowa State University (ISU) says it’s also seeing growth when it comes to first-year students.

ISU says it has 30,432 students on campus, including 25,628 undergrads and 5,906 first-year students. ISU says its number of first-year students has increased 16% over the past five years. ISU says 21% of first-year students are first-generation college students.

There are 4,170 graduate students enrolled at ISU and 634 veterinary medicine students.

Iowa State says its students come from all 99 of Iowa counties, all 50 states, and 116 countries.

The 30,432 students enrolled for the fall semester is up 255 students from 2023.

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