(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Joni Ernst is suggesting those who warn President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee will help overturn Roe v Wade are overlooking a case Amy Coney Barrett has already ruled upon. Barrett was part of a three-judge panel that cited the precedent set by another ruling and upheld a Chicago ordinance banning abortion protesters from approaching people entering an abortion clinic. Ernst mentioned the case yesterday (Tuesday) during Barrett’s Senate confirmation hearing.

“In that case, using precedent, it did favor that abortion clinic — is that correct?” Ernst asked and Barrett replied: “That is correct.” Ernst read part of a letter from the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that opposes abortion. “Now I know this is going to make a number of members on the committee just very squeamish,” Ernst said before quoting from the letter. “…’Judge Barrett has proven herself to handle disputes impartially…She is a jurist who rightly leaves politics to politicians and legislating to legislators.'”

Ernst also used her time during yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) hearing to review her own complaints about how the Environmental Protection Agency has handled ethanol-related policies and to criticize Democrats over pandemic relief negotiations.

(Radio Iowa) – President Trump is scheduled to rally with supporters at the Des Moines Airport this (Wednesday) evening. Eric Branstad is a senior advisor to the president’s Iowa campaign:  “He wants to be record breaking and record setting for Iowa and Iowa farmers,” Branstad says, “and that’s exactly what he’s going to come and share and show us.” Branstad’s father, former Governor Terry Branstad, just resigned from his post as Trump’s Ambassador to China. The elder Branstad says with 19 days left, it’s important to finish the campaign strong.

“President Trump is coming back to Iowa,” Branstad said, “and Joe Biden isn’t.” Trump opponents have bought a billboard with the words, “Trump Covid Superspreader Event” above a giant arrow pointing at the entrance to the Des Moines airport, where the rally will be held.

The Rural America coalition that paid for the billboard says it’s irresponsible for Trump to hold a gathering for thousands in a state where Covid cases are rising.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

UNDATED (AP) — Hospitalizations, virus spread and deaths continue at high levels in Iowa on the eve of a campaign rally by President Donald Trump, where Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and thousands of other Trump supporters are expected to gather in defiance of the governor’s own emergency proclamation. The event also is expected to contradict guidance given by the White House Coronavirus Task Force to limit crowd sizes. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Megan Srinivas says the rally is “one of the riskiest things we can do in the setting of the pandemic.” Officials at Des Moines International Airport, where the event will be held inside a cargo hangar, have been told to plan for up to 10,000 people.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst has enthusiastically supported Donald Trump throughout his presidency. As Trump visits Iowa Wednesday, Ernst is finding her reelection bid tied directly to his in a state where the president’s support has eroded significantly as voters have harshly assessed his handling of the pandemic. Ernst is locked in a close race against Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield. She is now balancing her support for Trump with a more moderate tone as Iowa voters show strong signs of returning to their decades-long swing-state form.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State budget experts say they expect state revenues to be about $1.9 million less than last year, revising their estimate to $7.91 billion. The forecasters also estimated Tuesday that the state will bring in about $319 million more for next year despite economic challenges from the coronavirus pandemic and a sagging farm economy. The estimate by the Revenue Estimating Conference for the upcoming year would equate to 4% revenue growth, giving the state about $8.23 billion to spend. The group by law must meet again in December and provide an estimate that Gov. Kim Reynolds must use to draft a budget.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is being forced to play Electoral College defense with a trip to Iowa, a state he won handily in 2016 but where Democrat Joe Biden is making a late push. Trump’s heavy travel this week, including his rally Wednesday in Des Moines, reflects his uphill climb three weeks before the election. He has already visited Pennsylvania and Florida and will head to another battleground state, North Carolina, that he likely can’t win without. Also on his schedule besides Iowa is Georgia, another state he once thought was in his grasp but where recent polling shows Biden improving.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State budget experts say they expect state revenues to be about $1.9 million less than last year, revising their estimate to $7.91 billion. The forecasters also estimated Tuesday that the state will bring in about $319 million more for next year despite economic challenges from the coronavirus pandemic and a sagging farm economy.

The estimate by the Revenue Estimating Conference for the upcoming year would equate to 4% revenue growth, giving the state about $8.23 billion to spend. The group by law must meet again in December and provide an estimate that Gov. Kim Reynolds must use to draft a budget.