Iowa

Kim Reynolds offers remedies, but her diagnosis of Iowa has holes | Opinion

Published

10 months ago

January 19, 2025

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Kim Reynolds offers remedies, but her diagnosis of Iowa has holes | Opinion

But so long as state government denies forms of health care and casts suspicions on members of certain demographics, efforts to sell Iowa will have a ceiling.

The Register’s editorial
| Des Moines Register

Iowa doesn’t have enough people. Job openings are too hard to fill, particularly ones for medical professionals. Child care options are scarce enough that some people who would like to work or work more choose not to.

Gov. Kim Reynolds and her Republican colleagues in the Legislature note those problems accurately. On Tuesday, the governor proposed a few innovative investments and policies to attack them. But the state’s GOP leaders aren’t articulating the entire picture of why there’s a shortage of people who want to live and work here. Specifically, they aren’t looking in the mirror.

It was no surprise that the governor’s sales pitch for the state focused on tax reductions and national rankings while omitting mention of laws that make people feel unwelcome or even endangered in Iowa — people who fear whether they can find adequate care during pregnancy in light of a strict ban on abortions. People who could face scrutiny based on their appearance under harsh immigration laws. People who see the state formally labeling information about their or their family members’ sexual orientations and gender identities inappropriate for schoolchildren.

It is indisputable that the state’s aggressive income tax reductions make living here more attractive. Pumping money into rural recruitment problems and chipping away at preschool and child care burdens would make a positive difference, too.

But so long as state government denies forms of health care, casts suspicions on members of certain demographics, and refuses to take meaningful action to protect the state’s soil and water, those efforts to sell Iowa will have a ceiling.

Policy ideas range from terrible to adequate

Many of Reynolds’ policy proposals during her annual address to lawmakers were less sweeping than the “flat tax” or “school choice” unveilings of previous years, but their potential impact on the state is still great. A few highlights, and lowlights, deserve notice:

MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS: Reynolds insists that now is the time to try again on a bad and tired idea: requiring some prospective Medicaid recipients to work in order to receive health care coverage. Or, to put it another way, putting obstacles between health insurance and a small, small slice of low-income Medicaid recipients (those who are not children or retired or disabled or already working). Or, to put it another way, creating a costly new apparatus of bureaucratic red tape using money that could instead pay for needed care for Iowans. This popular Republican idea has progressed furthest in Arkansas and Georgia, and neither state’s experience is in the least encouraging. Georgia’s rules have not led to increased employment, which is, you know, the point.
NUCLEAR ENERGY: Reynolds said she’d set up a task force to explore bringing nuclear power generation back to Iowa. A robust debate on this topic over a decade ago ended with MidAmerican Energy declining to pursue the idea beyond a study. Reynolds is correct that the massive electrical demands of data centers, especially for artificial intelligence, counsels an open-minded look at the state’s energy mix.
CANCER RESEARCH: Iowa’s cancer statistics are among the nation’s worst, and Reynolds says she wants to spend $1 million to launch a new research team to better understand what’s happening. That’s a start, to be sure. Almost no investment would be too much, and the task force should have freedom to investigate and deliver, if necessary, unpleasant answers or hypotheses about what contributes to cancer in Iowa.
GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY: Nobody is against government efficiency. Reynolds’ remarks about copying the Trump administration’s new Department of Government Efficiency weren’t particularly amusing to people like Democratic state Sen. Zach Wahls, who sarcastically and correctly wrote on X about Reynolds “inventing” … the office of state auditor, the real-life version of which the Legislature keeps kneecapping.
ATTRACTING MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, IMPROVING CHILD CARE: Reynolds’ overall state budget proposal would increase spending 5.4% over the current year, with tax revenue continuing to fall. Large chunks of new money will go to educating savings accounts for private school students and to cover a projected $174 Medicaid shortfall. Reynolds also says Iowa should put millions of dollars into projects to bring more physicians and nurses to rural Iowa and to fill gaps parents face in managing preschool and child care. Those are solid proposals, though a bigger and better swing would be expanding state-paid universal preschool to full days for 4-year-olds and at least some subsidy for 3-year-olds.

Iowa has reasons to be proud and to stay, and reasons to run away

Reynolds opened her address by taking a deserved victory lap for state and local government success in 2024: responding meaningfully to natural disasters and providing for recovery and implementing her far-reaching state government reorganization. Iowa does have plenty to be proud of, plenty of reasons to stay, plenty of reasons to come. The governor and the Legislature need to realize that they have also given people reasons to flee. Until that changes, they aren’t doing all they can to solve Iowa’s worker shortages.

Lucas Grundmeier, on behalf of the Register’s editorial board

This editorial is the opinion of the Des Moines Register’s editorial board: Lucas Grundmeier, opinion editor; and Richard Doak and Rox Laird, editorial board members.

Want more opinions? Read other perspectives with our free newsletter or visit us at DesMoinesRegister.com/opinion. Respond to any opinion by submitting a Letter to the Editor at DesMoinesRegister.com/letters.

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Iowa

Tamin Lipsey injury update, the latest on Iowa State basketball guard

Published

1 day ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

Tamin Lipsey injury update, the latest on Iowa State basketball guard

LAS VEGAS — After getting time to further evaluate Tamin Lipsey’s status, Iowa State basketball ruled out the senior standout before the Cyclones’ 78-60 win over Creighton on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Beyond that, though, his status remains unclear. Following Tuesday’s win over the Bluejays, head coach T.J. Otzelberger said that Lipsey remains day-to-day with a groin injury.

“The decision was made this morning,” Otzelberger said. “Wanted to give it as much time as we could to see and Tamin certainly knows his body better, so we’ll just continue to evaluate it. It’ll stay as day-to-day, work with him and our training staff.”

It is not the same groin injury that Lipsey sustained towards the end of last season.

Lipsey’s latest injury occurred in the Cyclones’ 83-82 win over St. John’s. With 2:09 left in the game, Lipsey was hobbling while scrambling over to contest a shot. He went down to the side and did not return to the game.

Through five games this season, Lipsey is averaging 18.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game, while shooting 50.7% overall.

The Ames native was off to an impressive start this year and appeared to be the healthiest he had been in his career after playing through the 2024-25 season while dealing with various injuries. He suffered an MCL injury that required him to miss six weeks of the preseason, but there didn’t seem to be any lingering effects once he returned for the regular-season opener.

Although an exact timetable for a return is uncertain, Otzelberger said the emphasis is on Lipsey’s health.

Iowa State improved to 6-0 overall and awaits its opponent for the third game of the Players Era Festival. The Cyclones won both of their games against St. John’s and Creighton, but they’ll need to wait out the results of the remaining games on Tuesday to see if they’ll play in the championship, third-place contest or one of the consolation games.

“We don’t want him to feel any additional pressure,” Otzelberger said. “As much as we’re competitive and want to win every game, Tamin has done so much for our program. We want him to be healthy. We want his body to feel great, and we want him to be at his best, and we’ll be disciplined until that time comes.”

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.

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Iowa

Iowa Supreme Court upholds $4.25 million wrongful death verdict against Manchester police

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

Iowa Supreme Court upholds .25 million wrongful death verdict against Manchester police

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a $4.25 million wrongful death verdict against the city of Manchester in the death of 31-year-old Gus Mormann, who died following a police chase in December 2020.

Mormann was killed after Lt. James Wessels of the Manchester Police Department continued a high-speed chase that other agencies had discontinued. The chase ended when Wessels crashed into Mormann’s motorcycle, severely injuring him. Mormann died about a month later from his injuries.

The case was never initially investigated until Mormann’s family took matters into their own hands, according to their attorney, Dave O’Brien.

“This case, for example, was never even investigated. No one would have ever heard of it if this family hadn’t sat down and said We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” O’Brien said.

Mormann’s mother, Sandra, described her son as someone who “had a lot of friends, everybody just loved him.” She said he was known as a character who always made people laugh and was an avid outdoorsman. Mormann lived with schizophrenia and had previous encounters with Manchester police.

On December 10, 2020, Mormann was riding his motorcycle despite having a suspended license when a police chase began. Eight law enforcement officers from the state patrol, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manchester Police were involved as Mormann travelled at 100 mph.

The State Patrol and County Sheriff’s Office discontinued the chase, but Wessels continued pursuing Mormann. O’Brien said the police officer bumped Mormann’s motorcycle twice, causing him to crash.

Initially, Mormann’s parents were only told their son had gone into a ditch and was thrown from his motorcycle.

A jury found the police were reckless and disregarded Mormann’s rights, awarding the family $4.25 million. The Iowa Supreme Court upheld that verdict last week.

O’Brien said cases like this don’t happen often, but when they do, they set a precedent.

“We honour officers in Iowa, but if they are committing reckless, egregious, wrongful conduct, we’re going to hold them accountable,” O’Brien said.

The attorney noted this outcome would have been impossible without Mormann’s parents pushing for answers. Sandra Mormann said the family continues to grieve.

“Now we just have a broken heart, empty soul,” she said.

O’Brien said the city still has avenues to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but he believes that is unlikely to happen.

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Iowa

25 burning questions we have entering the 2025-26 Iowa high school boys basketball season

Published

3 days ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

25 burning questions we have entering the 2025-26 Iowa high school boys basketball season

The Iowa high school boys basketball season is almost here.

The Des Moines Register came up with 25 questions we’re asking about the upcoming IHSAA season, which begins on Dec. 1. Most questions focus on Des Moines-area teams, but our staff was also curious about teams and players all around the state.

The answers to these questions will be revealed over the next few months.

25 questions entering the 2025-26 Iowa high school boys basketball season

What does back-to-back-to-back state champion Valley look like under a new head coach and without players like Jayden McGregory, Kiki Deng, Trevin Jirak and Zay Robinson?
With three of its five starters back – including Division I-bound big men Colin Rice and Landon Davis – is last season’s runner-up Waukee Northwest the favorite in Class 5A?
Ames graduated most of its starting lineup from last year’s 21-win campaign. How many wins can the Little Cyclones pull off this season?
Who will fill the Anthony Galvin-sized gap in Cedar Falls’ lineup?
Cael LaFrentz scored 400 points as a sophomore and 701 as a junior. Can he break the 800-point mark in his final season of high school basketball?
Is Des Moines Roosevelt the top team in the DMPS?
Only one team across the state finished last season with an undefeated record. Can any programs do that this year?
Players like Jevyn Severson (Madrid) and Pete Craig (Waukee) made an instant impact in their freshman year. Who will be the top first-year high school player in the state this season?
Does Cedar Rapids Kennedy bring back enough firepower to return to the Casey’s Center for the fifth-straight season?
Can Hudson Lorensen, Hudson Shull and Trey Bryte lead ADM back to the state tournament – and past the semifinals?
Who will emerge as the best big man in Iowa?
Will junior Lincoln Norris (Knoxville) sink over 100 3-pointers for the second-straight season?
Can MOC-Floyd Valley make another surprising run in the state tournament, despite graduating three starters from last year’s championship-winning lineup?
Dallas Center-Grimes graduated its leading scorer and leading assist-getter. Who will take over for Kyle Cason and Mateo Dzolota?
Only one Iowa high school boys basketball player has ever scored over 1,000 points in a single season: Wapsie Valley’s Brooks McKowen in 2003. Are there any players capable of hitting that mark this year?
Madrid capped an undefeated season with the Class 1A state title. After graduating three starting seniors – Brody Buck, Fabian Ortiz-Alaniz and Toryn Severson – can the Tigers make it back to the tournament?
Will Des Moines Christian make it to the state tournament after coming up short last season?
Jaxon Clark opted to return to Keokuk instead of playing for Montverde Academy. Will he lead the state in rebounds?
Iowa City Liberty relied on a lot of young players last year. Can Jerimiah Washpun – who scored 437 points – and his teammates help the Lightning to a winning record?
Dual-sport recruit Evan Jacobson opted to play his final season of high school basketball instead of graduating early. How far can he take Waukee after leading the Warriors in points and rebounds last year?
Of the top 10 scorers in Class 5A from last season, seven graduated. Will Rio Aguirre (Ankeny), Washpun (Iowa City Liberty), Tevin Schultz (Dubuque Senior) or someone else emerge as the top scorer in Iowa’s largest class?
What does Linn-Mar look like without Davis Kern on the court?
It’s been a couple of years since Pryce Sandfort (Waukee Northwest) scored over 600 points in a single season. Will any player in Class 5A break the 600-point mark?
West Lyon came up short last season, losing to Western Christian in the state title game. Can Jorden Meyer, Jared Ciesielski and Ben Meyer lead the Wildcats back to the state tournament?
Which program – across all four classes – has the best shot of winning its first-ever state championship?

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

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