DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is expressing frustration with Iowa  Congressman Steve King’s comments about immigration and white supremacy. Ernst told Iowa reporters Thursday that she shouldn’t have to be “spending precious time talking about white supremacy and comments by a member of our delegation.”

Ernst says “we really do need to start focusing on our speech and watching our tone.” She says everyone would be better off focusing on the issues and not on religious or ethnic differences.

King, a nine-term House member, caused an uproar after he was quoted in the New York Times stating, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

King, a Republican, claims his comments were taken out of context. The House rebuked him and Republicans stripped him of committee assignments.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to restore voting rights to felons after they’ve served their sentences has passed its first legislative hurdle with unusual bipartisan support and rare endorsement from a broad spectrum of victim rights, civil rights and religious groups.
The two Republicans and one Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance the governor’s bill to a full committee.

The bill calls for a constitutional amendment and must pass the House and Senate in consecutive, separately elected legislative sessions before going for a public vote. Among groups favoring the bill were the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Family Leader Foundation.

The Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance wants to add the requirement of repayment of restitution before a felon gets voting rights restored, a sentiment also expressed by some senators.
Some supporters of the measure say that could delay restoration of voting rights for the poorest of felons by years.

MERCURY, Nev. (AP) — A person fatally shot by law enforcement officers during a confrontation at a U.S. nuclear security site in Nevada has been identified as an Iowa man. Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly said Thursday that the man killed Monday was 27-year old Nekiylo Dawayne Graves, from Waterloo. Wehrly said in a video news release that a sheriff’s deputy and a security officer shot Graves when he refused commands and continued to approach them following a pursuit after Graves’ vehicle failed to stop at the security gate at the Nevada National Security Site.

The site is located 70 miles north of Las Vegas. Wehrly said the FBI and the Nevada Department of Public Safety are investigating the incident and that her agency is conducting an internal affairs investigation.

Three people died and two others were injured during an accident this (Thursday) morning south of Denison, in Crawford County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 1997 Ford Windstar van driven by 52-year old Penny Hulsebus, of Defiance, was traveling north on Highway 59 at around 5:10-a.m., at the same time a 2008 Nissan Rogue driven by 46-year old Saul Armando Guzman Orellana, of Denison, was traveling southbound. The van crossed the center line of the highway and struck the SUV head-on. Hulsebus, and two rear seat passengers in the SUV died at the scene. They were identified as 48-year old Maria Petra Garcia Hernandez, and 42-year old Ericka Leticia Dionicio, both of Denison.

Orellana and a third passenger in his SUV, 50-year old Herme Yaneth Guzman Hernandez, of Denison, were injured in the crash. They were transported by Crawford County Ambulance to the Crawford County Memorial Hospital, and later transferred to The UNMC in Omaha, by LifeNet and Midwest Air ambulance, respectively. All of the crash victims were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

The State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Dept., Crawford County Rescue & Ambulance, Manilla Rescue, and the Denison Police Dept.

WASHINGTON – On January 31, 2016, the night of her graduation, Sarah Root, a twenty-one year-old Iowan from Council Bluffs, was struck and killed in Omaha, Neb., by Edwin Mejia, who entered the country illegally and was driving drunk – three times over the legal limit.  Today (Thursday), on the third anniversary of her death, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), along with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and 11 of their colleagues, re-introduced legislation in honor of Sarah, to allow federal law enforcement to detain illegal immigrants criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person.

Ernst said “It is wholly unacceptable that someone who is here illegally and is responsible for the death of another human being is not considered an enforcement priority nor is detained by ICE. We have an obligation to the Root family, and to the American people, to ensure that no person falls victim to this injustice again.  Sarah’s Law brings us one step closer to restoring justice in our broken immigration system by allowing ICE to detain and hold these criminals accountable.” Grassley said “The tragic death of Sarah Root three years ago and the ongoing search for her killer underscore the serious attention border security and immigration enforcement require in America. Sarah’s life was cut short by an undocumented immigrant who disregarded the rule of law and decided to get behind the wheel after drinking.  The Obama Administration refused to take custody of Sarah’s killer because it didn’t consider him a priority, allowing him to disappear into the shadows. The Roots have been robbed of their daughter, and at least for now, they have been robbed of justice.  Our legislation, named in Sarah’s memory, will ensure that those who harm or kill Americans will be taken into custody and removed while also ensuring that victims and their families get the information they deserve from the government as they pursue justice.”

Sen. Sasse said “Edwin Mejia’s mugshot shouldn’t be on a most wanted poster — Edwin Mejia should be in jail, serving hard time for the life he took and the pain he left behind. Sarah’s Law is common-sense legislation that Sarah and her family deserve to have signed into law. Congress should waste no time sending this legislation to the President’s desk for his signature.” And, Sen. Fischer said “No family should have to endure the tragedy and pain the Root family has experienced. Sarah’s Law would end the flawed policies that allowed her killer to evade justice. Let’s honor Sarah’s memory by enacting this important solution to make our communities safer.”

Sarah’s mom, Michelle Root said Thursday, “Our family is very grateful for Senator Ernst and her willingness to continue to push for Sarah’s Law.  It means a lot to us that she is reintroducing this bill on the third anniversary of Sarah’s death.  This law is to make sure no other family has to go through what our family has.  Sarah’s killer is still on the run and if this law was in place when she was killed we wouldn’t be looking for her killer today – he would be in custody and serving his time.” Following state criminal charges of motor vehicle homicide and outreach by local law enforcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) used its discretion to decline to issue a detainer on Edwin Mejia, Sarah’s killer. Subsequently, Mejia posted bond, disappeared and now, three years later, still remains at-large.

About Sarah’s Law:

Sarah’s Law would amend the mandatory detention provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the federal government to take custody of anyone who entered the country illegally, violated the terms of their immigration status or had their visa revoked and is thereafter charged with a crime resulting in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. The legislation also requires ICE to make reasonable efforts to identify and provide relevant information to the crime victims or their families. Under this law, Mejia would have been detained by law enforcement and not allowed to flee from justice. The Root family would have been kept up-to-date on Mejia’s status and federal immigration authorities’ efforts to remove him from the United States.

In January 2017, President Trump implemented major parts of Sarah’s Law via Executive Order, which included prioritized detention of criminal illegal immigrants and the creation of the Office of Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement. Passage of Sarah’s Law would codify the order into law, to prevent future administrations from withdrawing President Trump’s executive order, or deprioritizing the detention of illegal immigrants who commit crimes involving death or serious bodily injury, and restricting information to victims of such crimes.

Read the text of the bill here: https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/21e944d0-2303-4b6b-9e49-29d27d2cb3ca/7BF5E49D64C2DD140F05CA3C8495BCA3.sarah-s-law.pdf