Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:20 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa House panel has approved a minimum wage bill that could result in pay cuts for tens of thousands of workers. The Local Government Committee approved the bill Thursday. It would ban Iowa’s counties and cities from increasing their local minimum wages and cancel higher wages already implemented in Polk, Linn, Johnson and Wapello counties. All Republicans on the committee supported the bill while all Democrats were opposed.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Federal officials say a former eastern Iowa police chief has pleaded guilty to charges of stealing a police gun and lying to a federal agent. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa says 47-year-old Jeffrey Filloon, of Toledo, Iowa, pleaded guilty to the counts Thursday in Cedar Rapids’ federal courthouse. In exchange, other counts were dropped.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans on a legislative committee have approved a bill that would make big changes to Iowa’s collective bargaining law for public employees. The Senate panel approved the bill Thursday after hearing strong opposition from Democratic lawmakers. Iowa’s current collective bargaining law allows public sector employees like teachers, nurses and correctional officers to negotiate job benefits, including health insurance, extra pay and seniority. The bill would prohibit those discussions.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — Iowa election officials say nearly 6,000 Dallas County absentee ballots went uncounted from the Nov. 8 election because of several mistakes by local election officials. A letter from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office says a total of 5,842 ballots went uncounted, but the office acknowledges the missed votes did not change the outcome of any election on the ballot in the central Iowa county.