January
Income tax rate drops to 3.8%
Iowa’s income tax rate dropped to 3.8% for all residents who pay income tax, the result of several rounds of tax cuts passed by Republican lawmakers in recent years.
February
Transgender Iowans lose civil rights protections
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that removed gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The law, which took effect July 1, ended state anti-discrimination protections for transgender people in housing, employment, public accommodations and more.
March
Sen. Chuck Grassley faces angry constituents at town hall
Iowans voiced frustrations over sweeping cuts to federal agencies and concerns about Congressional oversight during a town hall hosted by Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Grassley wasn’t the only elected representative to face combative crowds at town hall events this year. Sen. Joni Ernst received national attention in May for comments she made about Medicaid cuts when she said, “we all are going to die.”
Iowa’s 1st District Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was also met with sharp criticism from her constituents for her support of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Similarly, 2nd District Rep. Ashley Hinson received pushback from Iowans for supporting DOGE and immigration crackdowns.
April
Gov. Kim Reynolds is not running for reelection
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she is not running for reelection in 2026. She said she is stepping aside at the end of her term to give back to her family that has supported her political career.
The announcement set up a wide-open race that would soon fill up with candidates vying for the seat, including Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand and Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra.
May
Abortion clinics in Iowa close, and Reynolds launches an alternative summer food assistance program for kids
Planned Parenthood North Central States announced its plan to close four clinics in Iowa amid financial challenges. Clinics in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Urbandale were shuttered, leaving Planned Parenthood with just two clinics in the state, one in Des Moines and another in Iowa City.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Gov. Kim Reynolds’ plan to provide “healthy” foods for low-income kids over the summer instead of sending their families money for food. The program ultimately ran into many logistical challenges and will not be renewed in 2026.
June
High nitrate levels in central Iowa drinking water lead to lawn watering ban, and drivers brace for hands-free cellphone law
Water treatment facilities struggled to keep up with high levels of nitrate in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers — two of the drinking water sources for Central Iowa Water Works' 600,000 customers. To keep drinking water from exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard, a lawn watering ban was put in place. It was the first time CIWW ever implemented this kind of ban.
Iowa's hands-free law aimed at combatting distracted driving took effect on July 1. Under the law, people can't hold their phone in any way while driving. For the first six months, law enforcement only issued warnings. But in 2026, citations with $100 fines will be handed out.
July
Trump touts his ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ in Iowa, and public media loses federal funding
President Donald Trump held a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds to kick off a year-long countdown to the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding and to tout the passage of his tax and spending bill — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — through the U.S. House and Senate.
Separately, Congress voted to eliminate federal funding for public media, including Iowa Public Radio and Iowa PBS, by defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
August
Iowa National Guard assists ICE agents, and state Senate Republicans lose their supermajority
Gov. Kim Reynolds deployed the Iowa National Guard to assist with federal immigration enforcement in Iowa. The announcement came in response to a request from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to provide ICE agents with help carrying out the president’s mass deportation orders.
In western Iowa, first-time Democratic candidate Catelin Drey broke the Republicans’ supermajority in the Iowa Senate when she won a special election.
September
Des Moines Public Schools superintendent arrested by ICE
Ian Roberts, then-superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested after fleeing ICE agents during a traffic stop. Roberts, who was born in Guyana, did not have authorization to work in the U.S. and was given a final order of removal in May 2024.
Following his arrest, he was charged with illegally possessing four firearms while in the U.S. without legal status. While in custody, his education license was revoked, and he resigned from his position as superintendent of the state’s largest school district.
The Des Moines School Board faced criticism for hiring Roberts in 2023 as discrepancies in his credentials and immigration status emerged.
October
Food pantries see spike in need as the government shutdown delays SNAP benefits
Across the state and the country, low-income households that rely on federal assistance to help pay for food turned to food pantries. With money for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program temporarily paused due to the government shutdown, food pantries and food banks prepared for unprecedented need.
Gov. Kim Reynolds pledged up to $1 million in matching funds for Iowa food banks to help fill the gap. However, some advocates said it was not nearly enough to address the need.
November
Election Day delivers varied results for Des Moines and Cedar Rapids schools
Iowa voters wrapped up the 2025 city and school elections by weighing in on local issues. In Des Moines, voters approved a large school bond measure, while one was narrowly defeated in Cedar Rapids, and several eastern Iowa communities voted to adopt a local sales tax.
December
Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in Syria return home
The two Iowa National Guard soldiers who were killed in Syria earlier this month returned to Iowa in an honorable transfer on Dec. 24.
Staff Sgts. William Nathaniel Howard and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar were shot and killed by a lone ISIS gunman while deployed in Palmyra, Syria on Dec. 13.
Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines and Howard, 29, from Marshalltown, are the first Iowa National Guard soldiers to be killed in action since 2011.
