DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources annual spring auction is being held online until April 24. To view the firearms for sale and to register to bid, go to https://auctionsolutionsinc.com/auctions.

Items up for auction include firearms, bows, gun cases and scopes. The items are sold “as is” with no guarantee or warranty. The list of items for sale and the terms of service is available at https://www.proxibid.com/Auction-Solutions-Inc/Iowa-State-Firearm-Auction-2024/event-catalog/259840.

Iowans who are winning bidders are required to pick up their firearms on April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the northwest corner parking lot/loading dock of the Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.

The Iowa DNR reserves the right to reject any bids and withdraw any item from the sale at any time.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa agriculture officials are closely monitoring new developments with highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country. The U-S-D-A reported dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas tested positive for the virus last month. Earlier, avian flu was confined to domestic poultry and other bird species. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says other confirmed cases have been reported in Idaho, MIchigan and Ohio.

“What happens is, you’ve got cows that start to go off feed,” Naig says. “They might run a fever, their milk production drops, and that’s how folks started to realize and pick up that they had a problem. So, that certainly affects the health of dairy herds and the profitability of dairy, but, the good news is, those dairy cattle recover, just like you and I get over the flu.”

Last weekend, the Centers for Disease Control issued a health alert to inform clinicians, state health departments and the public of a case of avian influenza in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus. Though the case was confirmed in a farm worker in Texas, Naig says the public should not be alarmed.

“There’s only ever been two confirmed cases of high path avian influenza in humans,” he says. “One was in Colorado a few years ago, related to a poultry site. And, the second one now is a dairy worker, a worker at one of these positive sites who had a lot of contact with those cattle and milk. So you can understand why that might have happened, but there is no indication that it moves from person to person.” Naig adds, the avian flu doesn’t constitute a food safety issue.

“As long as you are drinking pasteurized milk,” Naig says, “the milk that you and I buy at the grocery store, or that kids are drinking at school during a lunch hour, that is pasteurized. That kills any viruses and bacteria that are of concern, that’s where I can say this is not a food safety issue, but one that we are watching very closely, trying to anticipate how we can stay ahead of it here in the state of Iowa.”

More information regarding avian influenza is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder has done a phenomenal job and her pay should reflect that.

Reynolds, though, is not suggesting what Bluder’s salary should be. Fran McCaffrey’s been coach of the men’s team at Iowa for 13 seasons and his annual salary this year is about three-point-two MILLION. Bluder, in her 24th season as the Iowa women’s coach, is earning 310-thousand dollars worth of bonuses due to her team’s run in this year’s N-C-Double-A tournament. That’s on top of her one-point-four MILLION dollar salary for this season.

Governor Reynolds spoke with reporters outside her Iowa Capitol office on April 9, 2024. (RI photo)

Iowa’s governor says the Hawkeye women have changed the landscape of women’s sports, capped by a championship game that was the most-watched basketball game since 2019 — surpassing college men’s basketball and N-B-A games over the past five seasons.

While speaking with reporters earlier today (Tuesday), Reynolds praised National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark and her Hawkeye teammates.

Reynolds played six-on-six girl’s basketball for Interstate 35 and graduated from the high school in Truro in 1977. Bluder graduated from high school two years later after playing six-on-six basketball at Linn-Mar. Bluder went on to be a three-year starter for the University of Northern Iowa women’s basketball team.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A rural Montgomery County woman, today (Tuesday), provided an update for the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, with regard to efforts by Summit Carbon Solutions to obtain a route for a carbon capture pipeline through the County. Jan Norris from West township read the following statement to the Board:

“Summit has filed 14 new Phase II dockets routes using a different LLC name, SCS Carbon Transport.The new 30 mile Adams/Montgomery county docket number is HLP-2024-0006. A couple years ago, the county filed an objection to eminent domain on the original Summit docket. If you are still opposed to eminent domain, please file an objection to this new docket number.

“This afternoon (Tuesday), the Senate Ways & Means subcommittee will be holding a hearing on a bill that would create a declaratory order and also, importantly, help for appeal bonds. I certainly hope our senator, who appears to have land in the new corridor, will support the bill. PHMSA’s new draft regulations are now open to public comments. Anyone wanting to participate can sign up to share their concerns. On May 7, the IUB will be holding a public hearing on Restoration of Agricultural Lands During & After Pipeline Construction. I would assume our inspector Snyder & Associates will be in attendance.

“In an April 1 article about CO2 pipelines, North Dakota Dept of Mineral Resources Director, said, “We’ve got to overcome this (Not in my backyard) attitude. We are going to need everything we can get, from… any place that will send it, if we want that extra 10 billion barrels of oil,” Does that sound like sequestration to you?

“Summit will be required to hold public information meetings for the new routes. If they follow the spring schedule, that the IUB denied, we might expect our local meeting to be as early as the first week of June. But some of you might know better. I found it notable that on March 28 Bremer County filed a letter giving notice to Summit of their hazardous liquid pipeline ordinance. THEY are not backing down.

“Once again, I urge you hold discussion on the pipeline issue. All 5 members of this body should be allowed to participate, and including public input would be even better. I apologize for having to be here so often, but there are potentially 154 homes in Montgomery Co who don’t get to pass. We deserve better.”

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Danish Windmill,a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations, is continuing its “It Takes A Village” fundraiser, on Sunday April 14. All tour admissions generated on Sunday will be donated to local daycare facility, Kids in the Village. General admission is $5.00 / person ages 13 and up. Tour the windmill for a good cause. View our new exhibits and see the windmill in action.

Windmill Manager Shaun Sayres says “We’ve partnered with local businesses to ensure food options for each Sunday. This Sunday will feature Norse Horse Tavern, open 11-2 serving breakfast sandwiches and Danish hotdogs. Come enjoy a Spring day in the Danish Villages and help support a vital organization.

We will have additional fundraising days on Sunday April 21, and Sunday April 28.” Additional details are forthcoming.

DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) introduced bipartisan legislation to incentivize the adoption of siblings. The Fight for Siblings Act, which is co-led by U.S. Representative Don Davis (NC-01), will double the federal adoption tax credit for families that adopt siblings.

“Family is everything to Iowans, and I want to make sure that I’m doing everything in my power to help Iowans who are willing to open their home to disadvantaged children,” said Rep. Nunn. “When we began fostering and ultimately adopted Jayna and Aliya, we knew it was incredibly important to keep them together as sisters. Now, I’m fighting to ensure every sibling in the foster system or awaiting adoption can stay together forever.”

Nothing is more important than providing children with a safe, loving environment to grow and learn. In April 2023, Rep. Nunn and his wife adopted two sisters into their family. His firsthand experience with the shortcomings of the foster and adoption process is the foundation for his passion to help other children find their forever homes. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, there are 4,144 Iowa children in foster care and 1,004 Iowa children awaiting adoption.

“It’s important to ensure that low- and middle-income parents have the same opportunities as others when it comes to adopting children,” said Rep. Davis. “Our legislation aims to level the playing field and guarantee equal access to adoption for all families willing to provide caring and loving homes to children.”

Under federal law, foster care agencies are required to strive to find temporary placements in the same home for foster siblings. When placed together, siblings are ultimately provided with a sense of stability that positively impacts their transition and long-term well-being. “A family should not be discouraged to foster and adopt because of cost,” said Mary Beth O’Neill, President and CEO of Four Oaks. “This legislation will allow more siblings to stay together through the adoption process. This, in turn, will provide consistency and stability for not just the children and families supported by Four Oaks in Iowa, but foster and adoptive families all across the country. We are grateful for Representative Nunn’s Fight for Siblings Act. His advocacy efforts will drive positive outcomes for children throughout the nation.”

Adoption fees and related expenses are high which makes it difficult to adopt more than one child at a time. According to the HHS, independent adoptions as of June, 2023 range from $25,000 to $45,000. Adoptions from a private agency range from $30,000 to $60,000. These costs can be prohibitive to families seeking to adopt siblings, unintentionally forcing the separation of siblings.

“When most people think about adoption from foster care, they often envision heartwarming pictures of families proudly standing outside a courthouse with a sign that reads, ‘After X days in foster care, I’ve joined my forever family.’ While these moments are certainly worth celebrating, it’s important to acknowledge that adoption from foster care can also be a bittersweet experience, marked by the loss and trauma that these children have experienced,” said Traci Schermerhorn, President and CEO of Foster Squad. “The Foster SQUAD is committed to supporting foster families as they navigate the next phase of their journey, and we’re excited to get behind the Fight for Siblings Act, which aims to alleviate some of the financial burden on these families so they can focus on providing the love and care that these children need.”

The bipartisan Fight for Siblings Act would double the federal adoption tax credit for families who adopt two or more siblings within the same fiscal year.

Rep. Nunn introduced the bipartisan bill at a press conference in Ankeny on Tuesday with representatives from Four Oaks and the Foster Squad. Text of the bill can be found here.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that gives Iowa’s attorney general subpoena power to investigate agland purchases and ensure foreigners and foreign governments are not investing in Iowa farmland. “Important legislation to secure Iowa farmland from adversaries of the United States,” Reynolds said this morning.

For decades it has been illegal for a foreign citizen for own more than 320 acres of Iowa farm ground, but Reynolds says foreigners could be using a loophole by investing in limited liability companies that buy agland. The new law requires agland purchase reports filed with the state to include more information about ownership structures. “When Iowa speaks, the country listens and with this bill our message is unmistakable: American soil belongs in American hands,” Reynolds said.

Under current law, foreign entities caught owning more than 320 acres of Iowa farmland can be fined $2000. The new law raises that fine to 25% of the assessed value of the land. “Together, these policies ensure that Iowa can continue to deter hostile nations from attempting to undermine or co-opt the agricultural dominance that Iowa farm families have worked so
hard to build,” Reynolds said.

Governor Kim Reynolds signed SF2204 into law in ceremony in Iowa Capitol rotunda on April 9, 2024. (RI photo)

A huge crowd of legislators and ag group leaders gathered in the Iowa Capitol rotunda for today’s bill signing ceremony. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said Iowa has had a good law since 1979 to ban foreign ownership of large tracts of Iowa farmland and this update makes it better.

“We know how important it is to protect our farm ground here in Iowa and I really appreciate the governor and the legislature for giving our office the tools that we need to get to the bottom of a situation if we think a foreign government might own some farm ground,” Bird said. “Call our office. We’ll investigate it and we appreciate the tools that we need to make sure that everybody is following the law.”

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said it’s landmark legislation to keep farm ground in the hands of Iowans. “With strengthened enforcement, deterrence and disclosure tools being implemented with this legislation, Iowa’s prohibition on foreign ownership of farm ground will continue to be the gold standard for this type of legislation in other states,” Naig said.

National estimates indicate foreigners own millions of acres of farmland, roughly equal to the size of Ohio.

(Radio Iowa) – A House panel has voted to set aside a quarter of a million dollars for projects that make Iowa’s state  parks more accessible to visitors with disabilities. Republican Representative Norlin Mommsen of  DeWitt says it’s a first installment for needed improvements.) “The DNR’s been running a survey, evaluating their parks and stuff,” Mommsen says. “I’m hoping they have a list and I would think they’d prioritize most important and start there.”

The proposed funding boost is included in a budget plan for the Department of Natural Resources that is supported by Republicans and Democrats on a House subcommittee. Representative Sami Scheetz is a Democrat from Cedar Rapids. “State parks need to be accessible to everybody in our state, so this is a good start,” Scheetz said.

Most historic structures in Iowa’s 69 state parks are not required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, however any park facility built or updated in the past 12 years must comply with the A-D-A’s accessibility standards.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Pottawattamie County, today (Tuesday), approved a funding request from Main Street Avoca, in the amount of $3,000. The funds will be used for general operations of the non-profit, volunteer-driven organization, which is focused on community engagement, historic preservation and economic development.

Avoca Main Street spokesperson Amber Mohr was asked about the organization’s economic impact on the community. She said their efforts to date have produced over $4.2-million dollars worth of investment in downtown projects and acquisitions.

Avoca Main Street has been in operation for 10-years. In other business, the Pott. County Supervisors held public hearings on, and passed resolutions for:

Pottawattamie County BOS meeting, 4-9-2024

• The reallocation of certain unspent proceeds of the General Obligation Capital Loan Notes, Series 2020A, in the amount of $4.610-million.
• The reallocation of certain unspent proceeds of the General Obligation Capital Loan Notes, Series 2021A, in the amount of $1.905-million.
• And, a resolution for the reallocation of certain unspent proceeds of the General Obligation Capital Loan Notes, Series 2022, in the amount of $1.745-million.

They also approved an amendment to the FY 2023/24 Pott. County Budget, and the appropriation of funds from the amendment for FY 2023/24.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is accusing seven key federal agencies of “dragging their feet” on upgrading their systems against cyber attacks. Grassley, a Republican, says it may be putting our national security at risk, along with the personal data of an untold number of Iowans. “We’ve had studies made on what agencies ought to be doing,” Grassley says, “and then we find out after years, they haven’t followed up and protected the American people the way they should.”

Keeping Americans safe is “job one” for the federal government, and Grassley says Congress needs to know how those agencies are working to bolster critical infrastructure defense, or “whether they’re asleep at the switch.” “It’s a matter of accountability,” Grassley says, “the extent to which cyber attacks might affect our national security, steal our military secrets, even stealing our most advanced war materiel.”

Grassley is singling out the E-P-A as well as the U-S Departments of: Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Treasury and Transportation. On a related matter, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called Monday for action on legislation that would restrict TikTok. Grassley says it’s clear that social media platform needs to be more closely regulated. Grassley says, “I’m committed to making sure that the privacy of our teenagers, well, there may be people older than teenagers, but I think most of the people I hear from are teenagers about this issue, that it’d be protected and not this privacy information being sold to some company in China.”

Sen. Grassley

Grassley says he would support the House bill that passed last month which would force ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the app or face being banned across the U.S. He says changes to that legislation may be pending in another Senate version of the bill.