(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds will deliver the annual “Condition of the State” message to the Iowa General Assembly later this (Tuesday) morning (at 10-a.m.) — the third year she’s done so. Reynolds offered a bit of a preview a week ago at a statehouse forum organized by The Associated Press. “We have a diverse and growing economy, even with some significant challenges, but I’m proud to say that Iowa is in growth mode,” Reynolds said. “We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, more Iowans working today than at any time in our state history.”

This past summer, Reynolds indicated finding new ways to improve access to quality child care, particularly in rural Iowa, would be a priority issue for the 2020 legislative session. She’s been non-committal about what plans she may have when it comes to tax policy. “Stay tuned,” Reynolds said last week, laughing. “…We’re looking at all of it.” Reynolds has met privately with groups to discuss revamping the way the state might allocate new revenue if the state sales tax was raised — and a constitutional amendment requires a portion of that money be spent on water quality and outdoor recreation projects. “We’ve worked very hard to incorporate or hear from anybody who has ideas or interest in addressing that,” Reynolds told reporters last week.

Reynolds and Republican leaders in the legislature have repeatedly said if the sales tax goes up, it must be part of a package that winds up lowering the total amount of taxes the state collects.

(Radio Iowa) — On the first day of the 2020 Iowa legislative session, Republican leaders in the Iowa Senate called for more income tax cuts. Two years ago, the Republican-led legislature passed the largest state income tax cut in state history. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says it’s time to cut more. “We can continue to do more to simplify and make taxes lower, fairer and more efficient,” Whitver said, “but the ultimate goal is to ensure that people who work hard for their money are going to keep more of it.”

Senate President Charles Schneider, a Republican from West Des Moines, says state income taxes ARE gradually being reduced through the legislature’s 2018 action, but they’re still too high.  “The more we can lower income taxes the sooner Iowans will be able to pay off student loans, buy a home, start a family, save for their children’s education or put aside money for retirement,” Schneider says. The top Democrat in the Senate called for guaranteeing paid family leave for Iowa workers. Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines says the state’s unemployment rate may be low, but too many Iowans who ARE working are paid too little. “Let’s raise the minimum wage and end welfare practices that prop up low-wage employers who trap Iowans in chronic poverty,” Petersen said.

House Minority Leader Todd Prichard of Charles City suggested he and other Democrats in the House will call for a significant increase in state spending on Iowa’s public schools. “Democrats understand that to build a better future and grow our workforce, we must educate the children and students of today to work and lead the state tomorrow,” Prichard said. In addition, Prichard says House Democrats will offer proposals to address Iowa’s housing shortage.

(Update 8:25-a.m.) The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a rollover accident south/southwest of Marne, this (Tuesday) morning. Marne Rescue and Medivac Ambulance were called to the scene at 590th and Fairview, at 5:53-a.m. According to dispatch reports, a vehicle rolled into a field and through a fence. The driver, who was said to be 25-year old Matthew Allen Cook, person was said to have been out of the vehicle, walking around, when authorities arrived. The accident was reported at 5:52-a.m.  Dispatch advised at 6:04-a.m., that there were in fact NO injuries, and Marne Rescue was told to disregard.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A Central City woman accused of running over and killing a bicyclist has taken a plea deal. Melinda Lawrence took the deal before jury selection was to begin Monday in Cedar Rapids. She pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while intoxicated and other crimes. Her murder charge was dropped. The agreement calls for her sentences to run consecutively, for a total of 40 years. Authorities say Lawrence drove over Jeffrey Scott on his bicycle on Aug. 30, 2018, in a Central City parking lot. A court document says a friend of Scott told investigators Lawrence had been stalking Scott.

(Radio Iowa) — Six Democratic presidential candidates will debate tonight (Tuesday) in Des Moines. The debate will be broadcast on C-N-N, in partnership with The Des Moines Register. It’ll begin at 8 p.m. and last for two hours. In the hours leading up to the event, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren quibbled publicly about a C-N-N report of a private conversation they had more than a year ago.

Actress and singer Mandy Moore joined Pete Buttigieg in Ames last night to make her pitch for his candidacy. The black mayor of Iowa’s most racially diverse city in endorsing Pete Buttigieg for president. The endorsement by Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart gives the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor a boost as he struggles to attract voters of color. Hart told The Associated Press he was supporting Buttigieg in part for what he called the Democrat’s effort to address racial economic disparity in South Bend. The Buttigieg campaign hopes Hart’s endorsement will help not only inoculate Buttigieg from the stubborn notion he cannot win black support but also potentially resonate beyond majority-white Iowa, as Buttigieg winds his way through the Democratic primary campaign.

Andrew Yang, who did not qualify for tonight’s debate, celebrated his 45th birthday last night after speaking to a crowd of 700 at Drake University. Joe Biden and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller visited with campaign volunteers in Des Moines last night. Miller endorsed Biden Monday morning. And late Monday afternoon President Trump’s campaign announced there will be a Trump re-election rally in Des Moines on January 30th.

Iowa Republicans AND Democrats will hold their precinct caucuses in 20 days.