DES MOINES — A new legislative committee will deal specifically with higher education policy in Iowa, Republicans in the majority in the Iowa House announced Thursday.
House Republicans created the new House Higher Education Committee, which will deal with bills “containing significant reforms to Iowa’s higher education system,” House Republicans said in a new release.
Rep. Taylor Collins, a Republican from Mediapolis who in recent sessions — in his first term in the Iowa House — has been forefront on the House GOP’s work to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Iowa’s public universities and other conservative higher education reforms, was named the new committee’s chair, appointed by caucus leadership.
“We know one of the biggest issues facing our state is the workforce crisis. Iowa House Republicans have been proactive and innovative in our solutions to address this, including our efforts to refocus Iowa’s higher education system on producing students ready to fill high-need jobs in our state,” Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said in a statement.
“In his first term, (Rep.) Collins led efforts to dismantle the DEI bureaucracies at the regent institutions and remove political bias from the university presidential selection process,” Grassley said. “I’m eager to see the work he will continue to do as chair of this new committee. A comprehensive review of Iowa’s entire higher education system is long overdue.”
Collins, in the news release, also called for “reforming Iowa’s higher education system.”
“We have a tremendous amount of work to do in restoring Iowans’ confidence in our institutions, controlling costs, and returning the focus of our higher education system away from ideological agendas, and back to the pursuit of academic excellence,” Collins said.
The 2025 session of the Iowa Legislature begins Jan. 13.
Reynolds honored for state’s tax policy
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds received the 2024 Distinguished Service Award at Thursday’s Tax Foundation’s 2024 “Tax Prom” in Washington, D.C.
Reynolds, a Republican, is the first sitting governor to win the Tax Foundation’s highest achievement, according to a news release.
The D.C.-based think tank collects data and publishes research studies on tax policies at both the federal and state levels. Its stated mission is to “improve lives through tax policy research and education that leads to greater economic growth and opportunity.“
Since 1941, the Tax Foundation has honored public figures who show “an extraordinary dedication to advancing sound tax policy.”
Previous recipients have included Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and George W. Bush, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, former U.S. Sens. Max Baucus of Montana and Orrin Hatch of Utah, and former U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas.
Reynolds has reduced taxes and state spending since she took office in 2017 — eliminating taxes on retirement and inheritance income, and lowering individual income, corporate and property tax rates.
David P. Lewis, chair of the Tax Foundation’s board of directors, said in a statement that Reynolds “has been leading the way on implementing smart tax policy.”
“From her first day in office, Gov. Reynolds has worked tirelessly to make Iowa’s tax code simpler, more neutral, and more competitive,” Lewis said. “All states — and our federal leaders — should learn from her leadership.”
Democrats and Common Good Iowa, a liberal-leaning tax and policy analysis firm, contend Iowa lawmakers repeated tax cuts provide the greatest benefits to the highest-income taxpayers while ratcheting down investments that historically made the state attractive to raise a family or do business — including funding for schools, health care, public safety, child care and environmental protection.
They argue Iowa already is underfunding critical services, and that newly authorized tax cuts will erode critical services for Iowans.
Iowa AG Bird decries account takeovers, lockouts
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Thursday reiterated her call for Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, to address a rise in account takeovers and lockouts on its social media platforms.
Bird, a Republican, said her office has received nearly 400 reported incidents this year of Iowans who have had their social media accounts hacked and hijacked by “scammers and fraudsters,” who change passwords and steal login credentials.
Once they gain access to an account, fraudsters can exploit personal information, impersonate the account owner and scam the account owner’s friends and family, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Iowa businesses, Bird said, are particularly vulnerable to account takeovers, as they rely on social media platforms to reach customers and promote products or services.
The Attorney General’s Office gave the example of one Iowa woman who was locked out of both her personal and professional Facebook accounts by a hacker. The woman’s professional account shared announcements and promoted events and fundraising for the Iowa Hall of Fame and Racing Museum. According to Bird’s office, the social media account takeover cost the museum business by restricting its outreach to the public for nearly a year as the woman repeatedly sought help through Facebook’s customer-support channels.
The woman eventually was able to regain control of her accounts with the help of the Attorney General’s Office, according to the news release.
“Many Iowans spend years building networks and profiles on social media,” Bird said in a statement. “When a scammer takes over, masquerading as these Iowans or sabotaging their hard work, it is easy to feel helpless. The good news is we can take action to stop it. My team is committed to helping Iowans recover their accounts and preventing future takeovers.”
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office offered the following tips:
- Use strong, unique passwords; avoid using easily guessable information such as birthdays, pet names or common phrases
- Use two-factor authentication, which requires two different forms of identification to access an account — adding another layer of protection beyond a password
- Be suspicious of links and attachments; do not click on links or download files from unknown sources as they may contain malware
- Make sure operating systems, browsers and antivirus software are updated with the latest security patches
- Avoid sharing personal information online, including full date of birth, home address or financial information on social media
- Regularly check your account for any unusual activity, such as unauthorized posts or messages
Any Iowan experiencing an account takeover or lockout should contact the Iowa Attorney General’s Office at (888) 777-4590 or file a report online at iowaattorneygeneral.gov.
Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
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