(Des Moines, Iowa) – State Representative Thomas Moore, a Republican from Griswold, Friday, released his weekly report on activities in the Iowa Legislature. Moore said it “was a busy week as we prepare for funnel week.” He says the Health and Human Services Committee met and passed six bills that will now move to the House floor. Among them:

The HHS Committee also passed bill that requires the DHHS to create a website with information on perinatal hospice services available in Iowa and nationally. Moore says HF2070 requires DHHS to establish an indoor mold public information and awareness program. House Study Bill (HSB) 596 comes from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, it allows regulatory violations by licensees to be reported to other regulatory agencies, and makes technical corrects to the dependent adult abuse code chapter.

Moore said also, the Education Committee passed several bills, including the previously reported-on Governor’s Women’s Bill, which defines the terms sex, female, male, woman, girl, man, boy, mother, father, and that equal does not mean the same or identical.

HF2197 provides for education on the holocaust for students and teachers in school districts. HF2081 modifies provisions related to the curriculum provided to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve by allowing instruction related to agriculture to meet a portion of the unit requirements related to science. HSB568 relates to mandatory reporting to the BOEE of licensed school employees who engage in grooming behavior toward students or the abuse of students.

And, Representative Moore says the Labor and Workforce Committee passed SF319 which is the Private Sector Employee Drug Testing bill. It allows the employer to designate what a “safety-sensitive” position is and allows the employer to offer and the employee to choose to receive electronic communication. It also changes the burden of proof from the employer to the employee to prove by a preponderance of evidence that the employer acted improperly.

Constituents with questions or comments can contact Representative Moore, at tom.moore@legis.iowa.gov and (712) 789-9954.

At the end of his report, Moore extended his congratulations to area students whose names were on the college Dean’s and other academic achievement Lists at the end of the Fall, 2023:

Central College Dean’s List

• Angelica Anderson of Marne
• Jenna Stephens of Stanton

Simpson College Dean’s List

• Caroline Pellett of Atlantic
• Grant Sturm of Atlantic
• Joe Weaver of Griswold
• Makenna Askeland of Griswold
• Landon Couse of Red Oak

Simpson College President’s List

• Haley Rasmussen of Atlantic

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dean’s List

• Say Wah of Atlantic
• Ty Lantz of Shenandoah
• Elijah Schuster of Shenandoah
• Aubrey Herzberg of Villisca
• Sam Fields of Red Oak
• Colton Leece of Shenandoah

University of Delaware Dean’s List

• Taylor Wagoner of Clarinda

Moore says “Congratulations to all of these students on their hard earned academic success!”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The School Board in Atlantic, this week, heard a presentation from iJAG instructor Guy Somers. IJAG stands for “Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates.” The Atlantic School Board approved participation in iJAG in April, 2021. The program for High School Juniors and Seniors connects businesses and education, to provide the most cost-effective dropout prevention and school career solutions.

Somers introduced Brianna “Bree” Atkins to the School Board. He said she’s the district’s longest-tenured iJAG student. She spoke from a student’s perspective about the program. Somers said he didn’t have to ask her to talk about iJAG, she volunteered. Bree said the program has helped her to become a better person and taken her out of her “comfort zone,” with regard to public speaking and in other areas. She credited Somers with taking her through that phase of her personal development, in the iJAG program.

She said Mr. Somers helped her to get a job following an apprenticeship. She spoke also about an iJAG community service project to reorganize the Clothing Closet, which provides students in school with appropriate clothing if what they are wearing is deemed inappropriate for the classroom environment.

She said also, she attended a leadership conference last year.

She said iJAG is a really fun class, and had high praise for Guy Somers.

Guy Somers said he had 19 students in iJAG last semester, which he said, is low compared to the previously registered number. The program helped to increase most student’s grades in other classes, but not all. He says he’s working to turn those numbers around.

He said 12.5-percent of iJAG graduates went-on to further their education at college.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests:

Taken into custody on January 30th, was: 45-year-old  Anthony Karns, of Wiota, for Burglary in the 3rd Degree.  Karns was booked into the Cass County Jail and later released on bond.

There were two arrests January 29th, in Cass County: Deputies arrested 22-year-old Haley Helinksi, of Harlan, for Theft in the 2nd Degree.  Helinski turned herself in to the Cass County Jail where she was booked, held and later released on her own recognizance; 19-year-old Dakota Allmer, of Lewis, was also arrested Jan 19th for Theft in the 2nd Degree.  Allmer was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked, held and later released on his own recognizance.

All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – The idea of naming the tiny Iowa Darter as the official state fish has sailed through a House subcommittee. Representative Elinor Levin of Iowa City said it’s a great way to raise awareness about the only fish that has “Iowa” in its name. “It’s a pretty fish,” Levin said during a brief subcommittee meeting on the idea. “I think it’s going to be a nice symbol for our state.”

Representative Shannon Latham of Sheffield agreed. “I was surprised to find out we didn’t already have a state fish,” Latham said.

Darter Fish (IA DNR photo)

Every state that surrounds Iowa has a state fish. The walleye is the state fish of both Minnesota and South Dakota. Wisconsin’s state fish is the musky. The bluegill was named the state fish of Illinois in 1986. And, in 1997, the channel catfish became the state fish of both Nebraska and Missouri.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa Senate committee has approved a bill to remove the requirement that state and local government boards and commissions have an equal number of men and women. A federal judge recently ruled that Iowa’s gender balance requirement for the State Judicial Nominating Commission violates the U-S Constitution’s equal protection clause. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, says a woman who’s a former constituent wanted to serve on the commission, but couldn’t because a man had to be appointed to meet the gender balance requirement.”We’ve just reached the point where this is just getting silly,” Schultz says. “We’re seeing just mathematical gymnastics  trying to match an outdated, possibly wrong-headed law in the first place.”

Senator Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig) is chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, which passed the bill earlier this week. (Official Photo)

Senator Claire Celsi, a Democrat from Des Moines, says women have not yet reached gender parity in Iowa. “Especially in our smaller cities and towns and counties, we have a long way to go ’til we get to that gender balance that this law was supposed to help us achieve,” Celsi says. Senator Carrie Koelker, a Republican from Dyersville, says the gender balance requirement muffles input on boards and commissions. “This is appalling to me that we’re even sitting here and even having this conversation,” Koelker said. “…Therdfe’s a lot of men out there’s a lot of women out there that have expertise and voices that need to be heard.”

Senator Janet Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the gender balance requirement has given women the confidence to seek leadership roles in state and local government. “Having this sitting here in law gave them the ability to say: ‘You know what? I’m as qualified as someone else. I can apply for this,'” Weiner said.

The bill cleared the Senate State Government Committee and a House subcommittee this week. Last year, Governor Reynolds said she favors getting rid of Iowa’s gender balance requirement for all state and local government boards and commissions.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report a Nebraska woman was arrested Thursday, on drug charges. 43-year-old Lydia Robinowitz, of Omaha, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $1,300.

AMES, Iowa (WHO-TV) — Researchers at Iowa State University have found a possible way to create blood stem cells, which could potentially eliminate the need for bone marrow transplants. Blood stem cells are only produced once in our lifetime during the embryonic stage, according to Raquel Espin-Palazon, PhD., who led this research at ISU. She said that these blood stem cells stay in our bone marrow for life.

Her team discovered that a microbial sensor that helps identify and block bacterial infections also plays a role in creating blood stem cells. Meaning, their discovery can allow for a way to create human-derived blood stem cells inside the lab. Their research was published in Nature Communications.This discovery is important, particularly for people with blood disorders, like leukemia. Typically, these patients receive bone marrow transplants as a treatment to get blood stem cells.

However, there are complications to this procedure. First, it can be difficult to find a match. Recipients of the transplant can also develop graft-versus-host disease, a condition where the donor’s bone marrow or stem cells attack the recipient. Espin-Palazon said this disease results in 50 to 60% of bone marrow transplants. Therefore, her research brings experts one step closer to having human-derived blood stem cells, which can help in treating blood disorders.

Espin-Palazon told WHO-TV, “We are not there yet, and that’s why we are working towards having that knowledge, how nature makes our blood stem cells. Okay, now we know what to activate, let’s do it in the dish, and let’s make our own blood stem cells for those people who need those.” The research team has another paper currently under review, and it helps further their research. Espin-Palazon said she’s hoping to see a cure for blood disorders by using a patient’s own blood stem cells within her lifetime.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston arrested a woman on a trio of drug charges, Thursday afternoon. 45-year-old Starr Gayle Cure, of Creston, was arrested the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center at around 3:30-p.m. She faces charges that include: Failure to Affix Drug Stamp – 7 or more grams; Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana 1st Offense, and Intent Manufacture Deliver Methamphetamine/more than 5 grams but under 5 kilograms.

Cure was taken to Union County Jail and later posted a $31,000 cash or approved surety bond before being released.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – After a bill advanced out of sub-committee on Wednesday, Iowa Teamsters 238 is calling for members to demonstrate their opposition to the bill. SSB 3158 would look to change the certification requirements for collective bargaining units. Under the bill, a union could be decertified if the union employer failed to submit a list of employees to the Public Employment Relations Board.

In his statement, Teamsters 238 Principal Officer Jesse Case argues it will effectively end all public sector unions in the state.

“The bill says that employers would have to submit a list of employees to the State of Iowa, and if they don’t the union would have to sue those employers in district court. And if we don’t people would lose their unions. That means every year our union alone, just local 238, would have to sue between 50 and 100 school districts, cities, and counties…that’s a bad law,” said Case.

In a video posted on Teamsters 238 YouTube page, Case promised to “fight back” saying they plan to organize protests, rolling strikes, and concerted activity in businesses across the state.