(Radio Iowa) – The governor’s bill that would reduce the maximum time Iowans can receive unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 16 has cleared its first hurdle in the Iowa House. People getting unemployment checks would have to accept a lower-paying job more quickly or lose their benefits if the bill becomes law. J.D. Davis, a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, says the focus is on re-employment.

“Unemployment benefits are something that takes a person from work to work,” Davis says. “…Getting people back to work sooner that are in the workforce already is a goal worth pursuing.” Molly Severn, the governor’s legislative liaison, says the bill is a priority for Reynolds. “Our state cannot afford to have employable Iowans on the sidelines of our economy for an extended amount of time,” she says.

Labor unions oppose the bill. Felicia Hinton, the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, says it’s offensive for Governor Reynolds to suggest the safety net has become a hammock and propose a 40 percent reduction in unemployment benefits. “In no way is this a hammock that people are laying back, barely getting any of the money that they were making on a weekly basis,” Hinton says. The bill also calls for delaying payment of the first week of unemployment benefits.

Mike Gronstal, a lobbyist for the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Union, says that’s a serious attack on the industry. “The vast majority of building trade workers are laid off once a year,” Gronstal says. “This bill reaches into the pockets of tens of thousands of Iowans and takes $300-$400 out of their pockets.”

Two issues unrelated to unemployment are attached to the bill, and would provide additional liability protection to doctors and trucking companies.

(Radio Iowa) – Two forums at the Iowa Capitol have given business groups and advocates for outdoor recreation the opportunity to lobby for their preferred tax changes, but the hearings also highlighted the differences in the three plans Governor Kim Reynolds and her fellow Republicans in the House and Senate have unveiled. Americans for Prosperity state director Drew Klein was among the first to address SENATORS at a public hearing late yesterday (Tuesday).

“No secret there are some competing interests. There are some competing bills,” Klein says. “We do know and have confidence that what you guys are going to come up with working across the rotunda and with the governor’s office is going to put us in a competitive position.” Lobbyists from several business groups cheered the corporate income tax break in the Senate G-O-P’s plan. House Republicans didn’t include that in their plan. Dustin Miller of the Iowa Chamber Alliance urged Republicans working on the HOUSE bill to keep an open mind.

“We’re one of the highest states from the top line rate on the corporate side. That impacts our attraction for investment,” Miller says. “When we’re trying to attract business and investment from other states, we’re not even on the playing field and we don’t know it with some site selectors.”Among the three plans, Senate Republicans are the only ones to propose a sales tax maneuver that will finally put money in the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. Anna Gray of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation hailed the move.

“We believe that the trust is an immense opportunity to immediately invest in water quality, agricultural conservation, outdoor recreation, trails and the quality of life assets that make Iowa an attractive place to live and work.” Some people spoke at both hearings. Victoria Sinclair, a lobbyist for Iowans for Tax Relief, noted the House G-O-P’s plan largely mirrors the governor’s proposal.

“We applaud the governor’s leadership in rolling out a bold plan that significantly reduces income taxes for all Iowans,” Sinclair said. “And we commend House leadership for including her individual income tax reduction proposal within this legislation.” Sinclair told SENATE Republicans their plan was bold, yet thoughtful. “This bill proposes the largest tax cut in Iowa history and it doesn’t stop there,” Sinclair said. “…It also provides the first mechanism, to our knowledge, for eliminating the individual income tax in Iowa.”

A few speakers questioned the tax-cutting goals Republicans are advancing. Mike Owen, deputy director of Common Good Iowa, says public services will be slashed if the tax cuts go into effect. “These are the services that make Iowa a good place to live, work and run a business,” Owen said. “If we invest in things that restore opportunity and quality of life in this state, if we build on our strengths and stop tearing them down, we have a chance.” Tom Chapman of the Iowa Catholic Conference asked lawmakers to consider raising the earned income tax credit, to ease the tax burden for low income workers and he quoted remarks Pope Francis made Monday to Italian tax officials.

“The pope said taxation should always safeguard the dignity of the poor and the least who also risk being trodden underfoot by the powerful,” Chapman said. Peter Hird of the Iowa Federation of Labor says union members are concerned about tax fairness. “We want to make sure that working class Iowans are getting these tax breaks and not wealthy corporations and we just want to make sure that we’re helping people out along the way.”

(Radio Iowa) – Half of the Republicans in the Iowa House are co-sponsoring a bill that would prevent schools and child care centers from requiring children be vaccinated against COVID-19. The prohibition would end in 2029, but Representative Henry Stone of Forest City says the bill may be changed, so the policy would be permanent. “This is about parents’ choice of what they give their children,” Stone says, “and that no child should be subject to getting an education based on this immunization itself.”

Stone and Representative Skyler Wheeler of Orange City are members of the House subcommittee that advanced the bill today (Tuesday). “I believe we should empower parents to make the decision that they believe is best for their children,” Wheeler says, “and the decision should come ultimately from them, not anybody else.” During a House subcommittee hearing, members of Informed Choice Iowa raised questions about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and suggested it was unethical to vaccine children to protect adults from contracting the virus.

Chaney Yeast, a lobbyist for Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, says 50 percent of kids admitted to the E-R last week tested positive for COVID. “This is no longer an issue of ‘kids don’t get it’ and ‘kids don’t get it as bad as others,'” she said. “They are sick. They are on ventilators.” Iowa’s largest hospital, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, has admitted 66 pediatric patients with COVID so far this year.

Under current Iowa law, students must be immunized against nine contagious diseases, including polio and measles, before they can be enrolled in elementary school and older kids have to get a shot to prevent meningitis before they can start 7th grade.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill advancing in the Iowa Senate would get rid of the requirement that “no smoking” signs be prominently placed at the entrances of Iowa businesses. Senator Jason Schultz recently noticed a fresh, brand new “no smoking” sticker in Denison and it struck him as unnecessary.  “Everybody now understands that you cannot smoke in public buildings and the culture has moved,” Schultz says. Iowa’s Smokefree Air Act is nearly 14 years old. Schultz says the “no smoking” signs seem to be a burdensome and unnecessary regulation that can be eliminated.

“I understood why you would want to have signs and stickers in the beginning, even though I wasn’t really thrilled with the Smokefree Air Act, but I get that you need to have a consistent public notice system, ” Schultz says. “We are so far beyond that point now.” Schultz says this is not a back door way to chip away at the law that bans smoking in public areas and in vehicles, like semis, that are owned by an employer.

“Just would like to see the sticker mandate removed from Code,” Schultz says. “Nothing beyond this.” Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, and two other senators have signed off on the bill, making it eligible for debate in a Senate committee. The Iowa Department of Public Health provides “no smoking” signs and stickers to businesses, free of charge.

A spokesperson for the agency says the signs also list a website and phone number for people to lodge complaints about illegal smoking in public places.

(Radio Iowa) – The prolonged pandemic is dragging down vital sectors of the economies in Iowa and the Midwest, according to the latest survey from Creighton University. Creighton economist Ernie Goss says business leaders in Iowa and eight other states were questioned about supply chain bottlenecks and other difficulties they’re experiencing as we approach the two-year mark of COVID-19’s influence.

“Approximately 87% of the supply managers indicated that they were sustaining transportation delays and that those delays were slowing production,” Goss says. “More than one-third of the supply managers expect supply chain delays to worsen in 2022, so the economy’s definitely slowing down a bit.” The survey found only 12-percent of respondents anticipate improvements ahead. The January survey showed the overall numbers tumbling from December for Iowa and the eight other states.

Ernie Goss

For the first time since the spring of 2020, the Midwest region lost manufacturing jobs in January. “The national and the regional numbers indicate that the manufacturing sector is slowing down,” Goss says, “and the overall economy, regional and U.S., will likely slow in the first half of 2022.” Since the start of the pandemic, the survey shows Iowa has gained only 500 manufacturing jobs, for an increase of a meager zero-point-two percent. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the region has lost 16-thousand manufacturing jobs, Goss says, or a little over one-percent.

With inflation rates continuing to rise, Goss predicts interest rates will soon follow. “I expect it and most economists expect it — the Federal Reserve is going to have to raise rates and they’ll have to raise them quickly,” Goss says. “I expect at least one percentage point increase in the short-term interest rates by the end of the year and even long-term interest rates are going to be rising. That will, of course, affect mortgage rates.”

What’s known as the Business Confidence Index also spiraled downward during January to its lowest reading since the beginning of the pandemic.

DES MOINES – From Sioux City to Muscatine, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (IDCA) is investing in projects to preserve the state’s historical assets. The department announced today (Tuesday), that it has awarded $118,626 in grants for 14 historic preservation projects through the IDCA’s State Historic Preservation Office Certified Local Government program. Through this program, the State Historic Preservation Office collaborates with local governments on preserving historic properties, establishing historic preservation commissions, and enacting supportive local codes and ordinances.

Among the 14 projects that received Certified Local Government grants, is:

• Adams County Historic Preservation Commission: $12,760; The commission will use ground-penetrating radar to conduct a survey of seven cemeteries and five burial sites to assess their integrity for pioneer status.
• Dallas County Historic Preservation Commission: $5,169; The commission will nominate the Grand Army of the Republic Building in Redfield to the National Register of Historic Places.
• Ringgold County Historic Preservation Commission, $9,413; The commission will hire a consultant to provide training in survey techniques and other preservation tools. The consultant also will identify and develop historic contexts for the county’s development and help identify future preservation projects.
• Ringgold County Historic Preservation Commission $8,850; The commission will do pre-development work to prepare for the preservation of the first Hy-Vee store, historically known as the Beaconsfield Supply Store.
• Sioux City Historic Preservation Commission (Woodbury County): $9,000; The commission proposes to host the 2023 Preserve Iowa Summit and to nominate the city’s Hubbard Park to the National Register of Historic Places.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report there were eight persons arrested from Jan. 22nd through the 30th. From latest to earliest:

There were two arrests on January 30th – 36-year-old Colin Joseph Clark, of Harlan, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault, and, 27-year-old Austin Joel Lewis, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Driving While Suspended.

There were also two arrests Jan. 29th, in Harlan – 25-year-old Danaka Rae Frieling-Taylor, of Des Moines, was arrested for Driving While Revoked and having No proof of Insurance. And, 22-year-old Blaine Michael Barber, of Harlan, was arrested for Public Intoxication.

On Jan. 28th, Harlan Police arrested 41-year-old Anthony Sherman Davis, of Harlan, for Driving While Barred, no proof of insurance, and no seat belt. H-PD arrested two people on the 27th: 41-year-old Daniel Harvey Pash, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. He was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with 5th Degree Theft. Also arrested on the 27th, was 30-year-old Taniya Annika Burnett, of Harlan. She was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault.

And on Jan. 22nd, 43-year-old Lisa Marie Fox, of Avoca, was arrested for OWI. Two, property damage-only accidents occurred in Harlan on Jan. 25th and 30th, and involved vehicles driven by Marian Buman, and Tracey Norton, both of Harlan. In the second, more notable crash, a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer driven by Norton was traveling north through an alley beteween 7th & 8th Street, just north of Court Street, in Harlan, when the SUV went out of control and struck a concrete pole, a utility box and a building, causing significant damage to the building, and major damage to the vehicle.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests. At around 2-a.m. Monday, (1/31), 26-year-old Ruben Toledo, Jr., of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Mills County Jail for 11 counts of Violation of a No Contact Order. He remains in the jail without bond. At around 1:30-a.m. Saturday, 44-year-old Michael Raymond Carver, of Glenwood, was arrested on I-29. for Driving While Barred (Bond $2,000).

At around 4:30-a.m., Saturday, Mills County Deputies arrested 72-year-old Gregory Arthur Sherwood, of Percival, for Open Container (Bond $300). And, At around 10:06-a.m. on Thursday, 29-year-old Nicolas Jason Sengraff, of Omaha, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Bond $1,000).

The sheriff’s office said also, a woman was transported to the UNMC by Silver City rescue, Friday afternoon, following an accident at 370 Street and Highway 34. A 2009 Peterbilt semi driven by 44-year-old Matthew Brotherton, of Riverside, was traveling east on Highway 34 and slowing down to turn onto northbound 370th.

As he began to turn, 47-year-old Emily Rohner, of Red Oak, who was driving a 2005 Kia eastbound on Highway 34, failed to slow down. Her car rear-ended the semi, and was totaled in the collision.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – A public hearing is set to take place 9:15-a.m. Wednesday in Greenfield, on a proposed FY 2022 Budget Amendment. The hearing, followed by action on approving a Resolution and appropriations for the amendment, will occur during a regular weekly meeting of the Adair County Board of Supervisors, at the courthouse in Greenfield. The regular meeting begins at 9-a.m., and includes: A report from officials with the Southern Iowa Trolley, and COVID-19 updates & discussion – which includes ARPA proposal requests.

Auditor Mandy Berg will present/discuss the FY23 Proposed Maximum Tax Levy in Adair County, and set the date for a Public Hearing on the Proposal. And, County Engineer Nick Kaufmann will bring before the Board a 2022 Bridge Ratings Revised Resolution before he makes his regular report on department maintenance and activities.

The Adair County Supervisors will conclude with a FY ’23 Budget Work Session.

(Radio Iowa) – Democrats in the Iowa House and Senate are calling for a five percent increase in general state spending on Iowa’s K-through-12 public schools for the next academic year. House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst says the extra money is needed to reduce class sizes and raise salaries to keep teachers from leaving the profession.

“If Governor Reynolds has $300 million to put toward another corporate tax cut,” Konfrst says, “then there is room in our budget to invest $300 million for Iowa’s kids.” Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has proposed a corporate tax cut that would reduce corporate income taxes by 300-million dollars over the next five years. Republicans in the Iowa Senate have introduced a bill today (Tuesday), calling for a two-and-a-quarter percent increase in general state spending on public schools. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls says Democrats also oppose the governor’s proposal to give state tax dollars to parents who move their child from a public to a private school.

“We believe that public education makes Iowa great, but Republicans want to give up on Iowa public schools and we believe that we cannot afford that,” Wahls says. Wahls and Konfrst made their comments during a virtual news conference. Iowa currently ranks 39th among the states in per pupil funding for K-through-12 schools, according to Wahls.