Iowa’s economy remained basically steady in August with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.1% according to Iowa Workforce Development. However, the labor participation rate declined slightly from 66.9% to 66.8%. According to Workforce Development the slight decline in the number of working Iowans and the labor participation rate “is reflective of seasonal paring of temporary leisure and hospitality help.” The U.S. unemployment rate is 5.2%.
Special Session
The Governor has called for a special session of the legislature for October 5 to consider the first proposal for redistricting Iowa’s congressional and legislative districts. We must vote yes or no on the proposal we cannot amend this first proposal. I do not have a prediction on whether this proposal will be adopted.
Mask Mandate Appeal
Governor Reynolds has asked the judge in the mask mandate case to put his restraining order on hold while the case proceeds. Whether the judge agrees or not, this is still the early part of the case. It will continue on. The rulings now are preliminary rulings, not final rulings in the case. As I reported last week, she has said she will appeal the order to the circuit court.
For what it is worth, a state appeals court in Florida has reversed the lower court’s restraining order there and reinstated the governor’s order prohibiting mask mandates. The Florida case in in the state court while the Iowa case is in a federal court.
