(Radio Iowa) – The House Public Safety Committee has approved a Republican-backed bill that would get rid of the required state permits for buying guns AND for carrying a concealed weapon. The plan has cleared initial review in the Iowa Senate as well. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, says 18 states have taken this step already.

“Re-introducing freedom is not a dangerous concept,” Schultz said. “It’s our American birthright.” While F-B-I background checks will be conducted for gun sales at licensed dealers, Jackie Stellish of Sioux City says getting rid of the state permit to purchase ends background checks for private sales.  “Why would we want to race to the bottom with this legislation?” she asked. “…This bill and the way it is being presented is creating problems.”

Scott Jones, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, says requiring permits means gun ownership is structured as a privilege, not a right. “The Second Amendment is clear and concise. It guarantees the freedom and right to bear arms,” he said. “It’s time we get back to trusting the citizens of this state with the rights guaranteed to them through the Second Amendment.” Temple Hiatt of Iowa City, an Army veteran, says the bill creates more loopholes for illegal gun purchases.

“Missouri followed this very same path and now Missouri ranks fifth in the country for gun violence,” Hiatt said. “That’s not what Iowans want.” When Governor Kim Reynolds was a member of the state senate back in 2010, she voted for the current state law which says county sheriffs shall issue permits to anyone who meets the legal requirements of gun ownership.

Two years ago, Reynolds called the current law “good policy” — but said she’d keep an open mind if legislators chose to pass a bill getting rid of gun permits altogether. In 2018, a senate committee tabled a similar bill after the committee’s chairman said the governor opposed it.

(*Corrected Cass County totals, 8-a.m. 3/3) Patrons of the CAM and Nodaway Valley School Districts, Tuesday, approved a measure calling for the districts to approve a new Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS), which specifies how the Districts may use revenues they receive from the State of Iowa’s Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) Fund. A 60% majority was needed for passage. With approval, the RPS will remain in effect until it is replaced or amended, in the future.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman says the measure passed by a vote of *170 yes to 12 no. Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg reports the same measure for the Nodaway Valley School District passed by a vote of 107 yes to 9 no. Voter turnout in Adair County was 4%.

(*Dale Sunderman says “There were nine (9) absentee ballots tallied on the March 2. All those were YES votes.  There are two absentee ballots that were mailed but not yet received back.“)

The measure read as follows:

To provide funds to acquire or install information technology infrastructure (including improving buildings or sites for the purpose of accessing broadband digital telecommunications) and school safety and security infrastructure.

To provide funds to build and furnish a new school building or buildings; to build and furnish addition(s) to school buildings in the District; to remodel, reconstruct, repair, expand, and improve the school buildings in the District; to purchase and improve grounds; for demolition work; to furnish and equip district facilities.

To provide funds for the purchase, lease or lease-purchase of buildings, equipment (including transportation and recreation equipment), or technology and to repair transportation equipment for transporting students as authorized by law, to implement energy conservation measures, sharing or rental of facilities including a joint infrastructure project for the purposes of offering classes under district-to-community college programs as authorized in Iowa Code Section 423F.3(3)(c), procuring or acquisition of libraries, or opening roads to schoolhouses or buildings.

To provide funds to purchase land as part of start-up costs for new student construction program or if the sale of the previous student construction was insufficient to purchase land, and to purchase construction materials and supplies for a student-constructed building or shed intended to be retained by and used by the District.

To provide funds to make payments to a municipality or other entity as required under Iowa Code Section 403.19(2).

To provide funds for demolition, cleanup, and other costs if such costs are necessitated by, and incurred within two years of, a disaster.

To provide funds to establish and maintain public recreation places and playgrounds; provide for supervision and instruction for recreational activities; or for community education purposes.

To provide funds for the payment of principal and interest or retirement of general obligation bonds issued for school infrastructure purposes, energy improvement loans, loan agreements authorized by Iowa Code Section 297.36, sales, service and use tax revenue bonds issued under Iowa Code Section 423E.5 or Iowa Code Section 423F.4.

To provide funds for property tax relief; and

To provide funds for other authorized expenditures and purposes as now or hereafter permitted by law and designated by the CAM Community School District.

It being understood that if this proposition should fail to be approved by the voters, such failure shall not be construed to terminate or restrict authority previously granted by the voters to expend receipts from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:25 a.m. CST

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Police say a suspicious device found at an Ankeny polling station Tuesday morning, forced an evacuation for about two hours. Police say the device – which was confirmed to be a pipe bomb – was found at the Lakeside Center in Ankeny, where residents were voting on an Ankeny school district special election. The building was evacuated. The State Fire Marshal, the agents with the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called in. After the device was “made safe” the center was reopened about two hours after it was closed. No one was injured. The investigation into the origins of the device is continuing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police have charged five people with attempted murder in a brazen Des Moines shooting that critically injured a 2-year-old child. Police say the shooting happened Monday night when more than a dozen shots were fired into a house. Officers called to the home found that one of the shots had hit a toddler inside. The child was rushed to a hospital and remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon. Police later arrested five people ranging in age from 18 to 20 believed to have been involved in the shooting. All were initially charged with attempted murder and weapons counts. Police say the group intentionally targeted the house, but say the toddler and a 17-year-old girl who were in the home at the time were not the intended targets.

LONG GROVE, Iowa (AP) — Two people were killed and three were injured in a three-vehicle crash north of Davenport. The crash happened Tuesday morning on Highway 61 near Long Grove when the driver of a van traveling north lost control, crossing over the median and colliding with a pickup truck and a car. Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane told the Quad-City Times that two people in the car were killed and another was flown to a hospital in Iowa City. The driver of the van was taken to a Davenport hospital with serious injuries, and the pickup driver had minor injuries. The sheriff’s office will release the name of those involved later after their relatives have been contacted.

(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa woman accused of stealing more than one-hundred-thousand dollars worth of state money has turned herself into authorities after warrants were issued for her arrest. Thirty-six-year-old Nicole Foelske of rural Jesup is charged with first-degree theft, felonious misconduct in office and ongoing criminal conduct in connection with a State Auditor’s investigation involving the alleged misappropriation of money during Foelske’s employment with the Iowa Department of Juvenile Services.

A report released by State Auditor Rob Sand today (Tuesday) claims that Foelske purchased unauthorized food, beverages and gift cards totaling $107,745.46 between July 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019. Foelske allegedly bought 438 gift cards totaling nearly $87,000, of which she allegedly deposited more than $84,000 into her personal bank account. According to the report, Foelske also made unauthorized purchases from Amazon and had the products delivered to her home.

The investigation looked at the Juvenile Services’ finances during the calendar years of 2016 through 2019. The state probe was connected to an earlier investigation completed by the Black Hawk County Attorney’s Office and local sheriff’s officials.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa House subcommittees are advancing two of the governor’s education priorities. One bill would make it easier for groups to create charter schools. The other creates state-funded private school scholarships for students in struggling public schools. Trish Wilger of the Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education testified at a House subcommittee hearing today (Tuesday).

“We’re happy to see the Iowa legislature entertaining so many ways to offer parents option this year,” she said. “This bill gives choice to a handful of parents at a handful of schools.” The “Students First” Scholarships would be for students transferring out of 34 public school BUILDINGS where test scores rank in the bottom five percent of Iowa schools. Shanda Carstens of Panora says state scholarships for private schools will be an incentive for families to leave rural towns like hers and move closer to cities with private schools.

“At the center of our community is our school: Friday Night lights, cheering on the basketball teams, watching the amazing dance team…I’m worried that this bill could put all of this in jeopardy,” Carstens says. “As we’ve seen in other states like Arizona, the voucher expense went from $1.5 million to over $100 million in just eight years.” Republican Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake says over the past six years he’s supported spending more on public schools and he’s willing to try something different.

“People who are talking in opposition to this bill it so often doesn’t even reflect to the kids, (saying): ‘I’m opposed because public taxpayer dollars shouldn’t got to private schools.’ Well, who cares?” Wills asked. “If we don’t do something different, we’re going to keep getting what we got.” Both bills now go to the House Education Committee, which is set to meet tomorrow (Wednesday). The Iowa Senate has already passed a single bill that includes these proposals and others that were part of the school choice agenda Governor Kim Reynolds unveiled in January.