Iowa
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine backs ‘Iowa Plan’ to snub last-ditch Dem gerrymandering amendment
COLUMBUS, Oh. — Governor Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) is taking a stand against a Democrat-led proposal on the ballot in his state this November that would amend the state’s constitution, supposedly aimed at “ending gerrymandering” in the Buckeye State.
The only problem, DeWine said in a Wednesday press conference, is that it won’t.
The amendment in question would move the ability to draw state voting districts from the current Ohio Redistricting Commission to a new body called the “Citizens Redistricting Commission.”
If passed, the amendment would create the CRC, comprised of a fifteen-person panel chosen through direct citizen votes. The panel would hold five Democrats, five Republicans and five “independents” at all times. The current ORC is seven members including DeWine himself.
“We must stop writing and rewriting our state constitution. We must defeat this ballot measure,” DeWine said Wednesday at a press conference devoted to condemning the measure, which received enough citizen signatures earlier this month to appear on Ohio’s ballot this November.
“They needed signatures so they went out and paid people to go get signatures,” DeWine said. “But there’s no vetting. No vetting for this at all.”
The gov argues it doesn’t matter who draws the maps, but how.
So he’s looking to a Midwestern neighbor as a model of how to draw districts, and throwing his weight behind what he’s calling “The Iowa Plan.”
In Iowa’s unique district drawing system, a nonpartisan agency manages the process without accessing additional info like past voting records or party affiliations when making new maps.
DeWine wants to put this same strategy in place in Ohio to avoid having the new commission prioritize proportionality of voter affiliation above all else in the redistricting process.
At the press conference, DeWine showed slides of a sample map drawn by a third party consultant charged with creating the most proportional map possible.
“[Proportionality] sounds good,” DeWine said, pointing to the sample slides. “But then you have places here where ten different cities and townships are being divided up to make a single district just for the sake of proportionality.”
Republicans hold a supermajority in Ohio’s state legislature, giving DeWine no veto power over the Ohio General Assembly.
This means, as even he admitted during his remarks, DeWine can only provide the general assembly with requests not demands. But, he added that he’s still determined to make his opinion abundantly clear.
“I want to do this the right way,” he said. “There should be hearings and vetting for this plan…I will do all I can to work with the legislature to get this on the ballot; and if they can’t pass it, I’ll do all I can to get it on by initiative. That’s the backup plan.”
Ohio’s Republican Speaker of The House Jason Stephens had kind words for the governor but did not acknowledge his challenge to pass the Iowa Plan onto the ballot by November.
“I look forward to working with the Governor, the Senate, and the entire GOP Caucus to defeat Issue 1 in November. Once Issue 1 is defeated, we will continue to work to ensure all Ohioans voices are heard and represented,” he said.
The Ohio legislature is currently on recess and is not expected back until after the November 5 election. This means DeWine will almost certainly have to call a special session before then if he truly wants to put the Iowa Plan on the ballot, as he says, “the right way.”
DeWine just gave the Republicans in power homework with no due date.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrat Minority Leader Allison Russo said the gov is “scared” of the Democrat-led ballot measure.
“Ohioans deserve leaders who reflect our values and live up to the promise that they’ll always respect the will of the voters. Today was the governor’s manufactured attempt to confuse and misdirect voters from the truth,” she said. “Republicans are desperate because they know their gerrymandered grip on power is coming to an end.”
A strategist for former Governor John Kasich, was asked if they thought the assembly would either get the Iowa Plan on the ballot or if DeWine could manage it without them via a citizen initiative.
They kept their responses brief.
“No. And no,” they told The Post.
From here, DeWine and Republicans will either be able to put their Iowa Plan on the ballot to compete with Issue 1, or they will attempt to “defeat” Issue 1 by swaying public opinion before it reaches the voting booth.
The Iowa State Cyclones will start a new era when the 2026 college football season kicks off next month.
For the first time in a decade, they have a new leader on the sidelines. Jimmy Rogers, hired away from the Washington State Cougars, will be replacing Matt Campbell, who accepted the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions and brought along almost the entire coaching staff and most of the eligible roster along with him.
The roster purge left Rogers and Iowa State in a tough spot. He and his staff have done as good a job as possible to restock the talent, but they are certainly facing an uphill battle in the Big 12 in 2026.
So much so, predictions aren’t in their favor. Over at CBS Sports, Brad Crawford has projected game-by-game results for every team in the conference. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t believe the Cyclones are going to find much success in Year 1 under Rogers.
Iowa State predicted for tough 2026 season in Big 12
He has predicted Iowa State to finish 4-8 on the season and 2-7 in the Big 12. Their victories will come against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, Bowling Green Falcons, West Virginia Mountaineers and Cincinnati Bearcats.
That means losses against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Utah Utes, BYU Cougars, Arizona Wildcats, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Baylor Bears, UCF Knights and Kansas State Wildcats.
As Crawford notes, a major reason for his predictions unfolding in that fashion is their signing class being near the bottom of the Power 4 ranks. Rogers has experience working with revamped rosters; the Washington State group in 2025 had 75 newcomers on the team.
Cyclones predicted to struggle on the road
However, he is facing a much bigger challenge integrating so many new players, from all levels of college football, into a Big 12 program. As a result, the toss-up games against teams thought to be on their tier, such as Baylor, UCF and Kansas State, are all predicted to be losses.
Another interesting takeaway is that the Cyclones aren’t predicted to win a single game away from Jack Trice Stadium in 2026. The lack of Power 4 experience certainly plays a role in that, as winning on the road is a tall task; doing so in hostile conference environments most of the roster has never been part of is even tougher.
Rogers knows how to get the most out of what looks to be an overmatched roster. Iowa State shouldn’t be counted out from being able to secure a spot in a bowl game, but they will need a lot to go right and in their favor during the season.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — Several hundred Iowans turned out for the Republican Party of Iowa’s Lincoln Dinner fundraiser Friday night that served largely as a tribute to Gov. Kim Reynolds, the state’s first female governor who is retiring after her term expires in January.
One of granddaughters described Reynolds as her “best friend,” a moment that brought tears on stage.
Two of Reynolds’ daughters praised their mother’s work ethic and commitment to their family.
A video played during the evening included a salute for Reynolds from Terry Branstad, the former governor who had chosen Reynolds as his running mate.
Republican governors from Nebraska, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Georgia also offered their compliments for Reynolds in videos.
So did Trump administration officials including U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins .
Reynolds, first elected lt. governor in 2010, became governor in 2017 after Branstad resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to China.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau. All rights reserved.
SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (KTIV) – Gelita USA held an open house Friday, July 10, to celebrate the completion of a new wastewater treatment facility at its plant near Sergeant Bluff, marking the end of years of regulatory violations tied to its discharge into the Missouri River.
Gelita manufactures gelatin and collagen, ingredients used in food, medicine, and supplements. That manufacturing process produces large amounts of contaminated wastewater containing proteins, fats, and ammonia, a substance categorized as a toxic pollutant.
According to an Iowa Department of Natural Resources sampling inspection from March 2025, the plant was processing nearly double its design capacity. Before the upgrade, the Iowa State lab documented black water in the Missouri River near the facility’s discharge site. The Iowa DNR found Gelita had exceeded ammonia limits multiple times.
The report said that at the outfall to the Missouri River, Iowa DNR Tom Ross observed that the effluent had a black coloration. Roos requested additional testing at this location.
“Following the inspection, the discharge location on the Missouri River was visited. During the visit, the effluent at the river appeared to be a dark color, much different then the effluent observed at the treatment facility. It was explained during the visit, the color of the discharge to the river was a violation of 567-61.3(2) ‘c’, lowa Administrative Code, which states that all surface waters shall be free from materials attributable to wastewater discharges or agricultural practices producing objectionable color, odor, or other aesthetically objectionable conditions.”
Jeff Tolsma, General Manager of Gelita USA, said the upgrade was the result of an extended dialogue with regulators and upgraded technology.
The new facility includes ultraviolet disinfection, a feature the old plant did not have. The UV light treatment damages the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms before discharge, improving the company’s compliance with Iowa DNR standards.
Company, regulators call it a turning point
“We met with the EPA and the Iowa DNR probably 18 months, two years ago. It’s been a long dialogue with them, but they were great partners, great to work with,” Tolsma said. “And this wastewater treatment plant allows us to basically meet those new regulations that have been put in place. I think what is significant is that this actually brings us forward from a compliance standpoint for a long-term sustainable operation.”
The Iowa DNR said it will continue monitoring the facility to ensure ongoing compliance.
Gelita USA has operated in the Siouxland area for approximately 30 years and employs around 200 people.
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Copyright 2026 KTIV. All rights reserved.
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