(Radio Iowa) – U-S Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids is calling for congressional term limits and pledging to serve just two terms if she’s elected in November. She is one of four candidates running in the Democrat primary in hopes to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. Finkenauer is calling for a 12-year term limit for each chamber of Congress.  “You look at somebody like Senator Grassley who has been harping on term limits for almost the entire time he’s been in office but refuses to term limit himself, this is what is wrong with Washington D-C,” Finkenauer says.

Finkenauer served one term as Iowa’s First District U-S House representative after losing a bid for re-election. Finkenauer says she’s in support of two voting rights bills before the U-S Senate this week — and says Grassley should as well.  “If he really cared about bipartisanship he’d be supporting this voting rights act and getting rid of gerrymandering in this country which has created these congressional districts that are so far left or so far right that you’ve got folks who are even afraid to talk to each other because they might get primaried on one side or the other,” Finkenauer says.

Grassley says the voting rights proposals by Democrats are an attempt to federalize elections. Grassley is running for an eighth term to represent Iowa and faces a primary challenge from state senator Jim Carlin from Sioux City.

(By Clay Masters, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – The federal government plans to distribute 400-million free face masks, in addition to millions more COVID-19 test kits, ideas Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says are good but may be too little, too late. The N-95 masks are said to offer better protection than cloth coverings and they’ll be passed out, three per adult, at pharmacies and health centers. Grassley says that will likely take a few weeks. “Presumably, unless there’s a new variant of the virus,” Grassley says, “I would say those masks are going to get out at a point where it’s not going to do much good.”

The government website to order the free COVID test kits crashed on Tuesday after being overloaded by heavy demand. “And then there’s a whole bunch of problems with getting the tests out,” Grassley says, “because people that live in apartments have the same address and things of that nature.” The test kits will be sent out in packages of four tests each, one package per household. Grassley says the logistics of labeling, mailing out and delivering millions of test kits over the next few weeks presents its own set of problems. “So, I hope that they’re able to overcome them so the tests can get out,” Grassley says, “even though we may be beyond this Omicron phase that we’re in now.”

To request a test kit, sign up at the website covidtests.gov. The N-95 masks are coming from the Strategic National Stockpile and the White House says this will be the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in the nation’s history.

(Radio Iowa) – The chairman of an Iowa House committee says after careful consideration, he’s decided now is not the time to change state law governing when property may be seized for pipelines. Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann said last week that he was trying to craft a bill to require that a large percentage of landowners agree to a carbon pipeline before state regulators could approve seizure of the remaining property through eminent domain.

Yesterday (Wednesday), in a written statement, Kaufmann said rushing eminent domain changes through the legislature this year would send the wrong message to businesses AND to the landowners who’ve already signed easements for carbon pipelines and landowners still considering contracts.

Kaufmann says he’s passionate about private property rights, but he says it’s also important to send the message that Iowa’s legal, regulatory and tax structure is stable for new and existing business ventures.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill in the state senate would establish a 50-thousand dollar fine for any Iowa city and law enforcement agency where an officer enforces FEDERAL gun regulations that are stricter than the STATE’S. The bill is part of a campaign that has prompted county supervisors to designate 33 Iowa counties as “second amendment sanctuaries” where federal gun laws wouldn’t be enforced by local officials if the Biden Administration or congress were to enact tougher regulations.

Senator Zach Nunn of Bondurant, a Republican congressional candidate in Iowa’s third district, is the sponsor of the so-called Second Amendment Preservation Act. “We want to protect our law enforcement officers on the front line who are serving the community, but not deputize them as agents of a department or agency to go in and infringe upon an Iowan’s Second Amendment constitutional rights,” Nunn says.

Nunn says the bill needs some changes before it’s considered by a Senate committee. Sydney Gangestad is a lobbyist for “Everytown for Gun Safety” — a national group that supports gun control measures. She says the bill may penalize local police and sheriffs departments that work with federal authorities on gun-related investigations. “We believe this would have a chilling effect and that is a grave concern to us,” Gangestad says.

A lobbyist for the Iowa County Attorneys Association says the proposal could make it difficult for state and local agencies to enforce federal laws that forbid convicted domestic abusers from having guns. A similar bill has been passed in Missouri and nearly 60 Missouri police chiefs filed a lawsuit last week, seeking changes to clarify what is and isn’t permitted. One chief says Missouri’s law appears to prevent police from checking serial numbers to see if a gun is stolen.

(Radio Iowa) – An eastern Iowa man has been sentenced to 140 years in prison on child pornography charges. Thirty-year-old Nathan Nosley, of Cedar Rapids, was sentenced after a jury found him guilty of sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, three counts of possession of child pornography, and accessing child pornography.

Evidence at his trial showed that, between 2018 and 2020, Nosley persuaded two girls to produce and send him pornographic images of themselves — and also distributed child pornography to others, The evidence at trial and sentencing also showed that Nosley had previously abused a seven-year-old-girl. He was ordered to make 12-thousand dollars in restitution to four victims.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council,Wednesday evening passed the Second Reading of an Ordinance (#1012) “Amending the City Code…by dividing the City into five Wards and five Precincts, and outlining and describing each Ward and Precinct,” and repealing Ordinance 934, but then failed to waive the rules for the Third Reading, by a vote of 4-to-2.

Since at least three-fourths of the Council did not approve the matter, the Third and Final Reading of the Ordinance will take place during the Council’s meeting on February 2^nd. City Clerk Barb Barrick explained to the Council their action Wednesday evening will not affect the City’s dealing with the Secretary of State’s Office, at least for now, but if it’s not passed after the third and final reading, would have a financial impact.

City Administrator John Lund had said previously, that the readings became necessary when an error occurred two weeks ago with the rules for waiving the second and third readings of the Ordinance to adopt the redistricting maps for the City. That means the Ordinance was not passed by the presumed deadline. In other business, the Atlantic City Council approved an Order to share the services of Atlantic Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Tim Snyder, with the City of Massena, at least for now. The City of Massena was informed by the Iowa DNR that the City must delegate the Operator-In-Charge authority necessary to operate and maintain their wastewater facilities, and have an operator with a Grade II license. Massena’s employee only has a Grade I license, but is working on their Grade II license. Tim Snyder said he has no problem with helping Massena out.

The City of Atlantic will charge Massena $500 per month. The Atlantic City Council approved a Resolution adopting the Cass County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), and a Resolution repealing a Resolution and “Establishing the use of the ARPA Special Fund (for COVID relief).” Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett reminded citizen property owners about the need to shovel your sidewalks and move your vehicles, following a snow event, such as that which occurred last Friday and Saturday.

Garrett also shared some information from Atlantic Animal Control Officer Kris Erickson, with regard to the “Betty White Challenge.” The challenge was in honor of what would have been her 100^th birthday, on Monday. On Tuesday, Erickson told KJAN News  that the Atlantic Animal Shelter had received $1,000 in donations in honor of White, who was an animal advocate. Garret said that figure has increased since then.

Erickson said she is in awe of how many people gave in Betty White’s name, and says “Thank you for being a friend” (of the shelter/animals). In addition to the donations, Nishnanet owner Scott Bennett provided a TV system and all new lines for internet and phone.

On a separate note, the City Council will meet 5:15-p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20th, to conduct a budget workshop. No action will take place, only discussion.

MONROE COUNTY, IOWA — A woman from Albia died this (Wednesday) morning when her SUV she was driving was hit by an Amtrak passenger train. The woman, 58-year-old Melinda Sue Stewart, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened around 10:30 a.m. on 695th Avenue, near the town of Avery. The Iowa State Patrol says Amtrak train number 142 was eastbound when it hit Stewart’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, as the vehicle crossed the tracks. The SUV was traveling south on 695th Avenue  when it was struck on the passenger side.

The Engineer/Operator of the train was identified as 49-year-old Jennifer Harvey, of Lincoln, NE.  No one on board the train was injured. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The League of Women Voters of Iowa says removing the media from the press benches on the Iowa Senate floor prevent the public from having first-hand knowledge of what’s happening in the Senate. Terese Grant, the organization’s president, led a rally inside the state Capitol today (Wednesday).

“The League of Women Voters wants the press to be able to have direct access to legislators so that all Iowans have the most accurate information about the actions and decisions that are made on a daily basis in the Iowa Senate,” Grant said. Linda Serra Hagedorn, past president of the League of Women Voters of Ames and Story County, says the decision by Senate Republicans to restrict the media’s access to the legislative process could escalate into larger attacks on the First Amendment.

“Open and transparent is the only way for the government to proceed to be legitimate,” she said. “…The journalists are our ears and our eyes to know what is taking place in this beautiful building. We must know, we deserve to know and we demand to know. We ask for a system where access to our lawmakers is restored.” Representatives of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and the Iowa Capitol Press Association also spoke at the rally. House G-O-P leaders allow reporters and photographers who cover the legislature daily into areas called “press benches” on the House floor.

A spokesman for Senate Republicans says the proliferation of non-traditional media and First Amendment concerns make it difficult for the Senate to define media access, so journalists are no longer allowed in workspaces on the Senate floor. One speaker at today’s (Wednesday’s) rally says reporters are being sequestered in the rafters of the Senate — in the upper level of a third floor seating gallery.

(Radio Iowa) – Advocates in Iowa are stunned over the decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or C-M-S, to deny coverage for an entire class of drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says the blanket decision has tremendous implications beyond the initial drug, Aduhelm (AD-jew-helm).

“They will require people who want to try out these treatments in the future to have to go through a clinical trial in order to receive the treatment,” Livingston says, “and the main problem is, this really restricts access to the majority of people.” The draft decision says all future F-D-A-approved treatments in this class of drugs, regardless of clinical trial results and what the F-D-A recommends, will -not- be covered except in another clinical trial.

“They’ve never made a decision to cover an entire class of drugs based on just one drug,” Livingston says, “and many people aren’t even near an institution that does clinical trials, so it makes it really hard for people to get access to these treatments.” Aduhelm is showing promise in the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s and for others with mild cognitive impairment. For C-M-S to deny coverage, Livingston says, is putting concerns about money over the lives of patients.

“Biogen, the drug maker, originally had it priced at $56,000,” Livingston says. “They did get a lot of pushback from the Alzheimer’s Association and many others and they did cut the price to $28,000 a year, but that’s still far too expensive for the majority of people to be able to afford out-of-pocket without coverage.” Many other drugs used in treating other afflictions are quite expensive and -are- covered by C-M-S, she notes.

A statement from the national association’s CEO says: “People living with Alzheimer’s disease deserve the same access to therapies given to those living with other conditions like cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS. For those in the Administration to treat those with Alzheimer’s disease differently than those with other diseases is simply unacceptable.” About six-million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, including some 66-thousand Iowans.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest data from the Iowa Department of Public Health shows 61 percent of the patients in Iowa hospitals were admitted for treatment of Covid. All Iowa hospital patients are screened for Covid and about a thousand patients have tested positive for the virus. Governor Kim Reynolds says a New York Times map shows the entire state of Iowa — like the rest of the country — is a Covid hot spot. “No matter what you do, no matter what’s happening, omicron is very contagious and it is spreading,” Reynolds says. “…We continue to talk about the importance of getting the vaccine and the booster. You know, it’s not as effective with omicron, but it prevents serious illness and it’s keeping them out of the hospital.”

Reynolds stayed home because she was sick last Thursday and Friday and had no public events Monday either. The governor says it appears she’s recovering from a bad cold that she probably picked up from the nursing home where her mother is being cared for.  “It’s not Covid,” Reynolds says. “I tested again this morning, so we’ll continue to monitor that.” Reynolds took a Covid test last Thursday that came back negative as well.  “You can tell in my voice that I still have a little bit of the cold,” Reynolds says. “…I talk to people that it lasts for three weeks. I talk to people that it lasts for a month and then the next day they wake up and it’s gone.”

Reynolds says a lot of her symptoms have been similar to Covid, so that’s why she’s taking the tests. “We want to make sure that we’re safe and it’s not that,” Reynolds says, “and so I have a lot of grandkids and I have a mom that has the flu at the nursing home where I was helping, so I think that’s probably the source of where I got what I got.” A spokesman for Reynolds says no one else in the governor’s office has caught whatever bug Reynolds got. Reynolds says as a public figure, it’s hard to cancel events like she did last Thursday and Friday. “I spend a lot of time telling people when they’re sick, stay home, and so I decided I’d maybe better take my own advice and just stay home,” Reynolds says. “So that’s probably the best thing you can do is, if you’re sick, stay home.”

Reynolds spoke with reporters after attending an hour-long event in the statehouse rotunda this (Wednesday) morning.