State of Iowa's Department of Administrative Services continues to deny wrongdoing.
The original matter filed in district court, "Stromquist, et al v State of Iowa, et al," resulted in a Temporary Injunction to block removal of collections from the Centennial Building. Litigation is once again proceeding as the Defendant, State of Iowa, filed a Motion to Dissolve the Temporary Injunction, and require the plaintiffs to post a bond of $250,000.
The Court set a hearing date for Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 11AM, at the Johnson County Courthouse in Iowa City, Iowa. Please consider attending the hearing to show your support.
Prior to the hearing, attorneys representing the petitioners (the 17 plaintiffs and the private foundation, State Historical Society, Inc.) will submit filings to resist the Motion to Dissolve.
The Administrators of the State Historical Society of Iowa state a bond is necessary as the lawsuits brought by the plaintiffs delayed their closure plans. Despite their mandate to operate the facility, they now claim the plaintiffs cost the state $25,000 for operational expenses between January 1 and June 30, 2026 - a period of time prior to the planned closure the Centennial Building. Furthermore, the plaintiffs would be required to cover $175,000 in operational costs during Fiscal Year 2027, beginning July 1, 2026. They are trying to place financial responsibility on the plaintiffs for "probable liability" due to a pending lawsuit, forcing us to pay 125% of the expenses
Why should citizens challenging the DAS/SHSI decision pay for the consequences of an illegal action or the administrative costs between January and June 2026? Thank you for staying informed and help spread the word about our court date.
If the District Court Judge agrees to dissolve the temporary injunction, collections could be removed by DAS/SHSI, potentially causing further harm and limited access. Requiring a quarter million dollar bond would be an impossible hurdle for the plaintiffs. However, plaintiffs hope to remain on track to return to court later in the summer. Attorneys are preparing briefs for submission on June 17, when we can articulate more of the specifics surrounding our concerns about the collections and public access to these time-honored treasures.
The Iowa Legislature will convene in a few weeks as the last scheduled day for the session is April 21. We continue to watch for any last minute developments that might emerge in the final days.
We appreciate you bearing with us these past ten months. Our coalition remains strong as the challenges continue. In solidarity with 8,275 others, we hope for the best.