(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne is pushing for a lifetime ban on members of congress becoming lobbyists after they leave the U.S. House or Senate. Axne says over the last several years there’s been a “massive” increase in the number of former elected officials who stay in Washington to become a lobbyist. “Over 60% of the representatives who were defeated in this last election have now taken positions as lobbyists,” Axne says.

Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says the lobbying ban is part of what’s being called the “Clean Up Congress” Act. The bill also would prohibit members of congress from getting taxpayer reimbursement for first class travel. It calls for prohibiting pay increases for congress until the deficit is reduced. “I believe that we’ve got enough support on on both sides of the aisle from people who want to do the right thing and who understand that we have to first and foremost have to hold congress accountable to our taxpayers on how we’re spending their money.”

Last Thursday, Republican Senator Ted Cruz and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez created a sensation on Twitter when they tweeted about their support of a lifetime ban on members of congress becoming lobbyists. Axne says “those two voices” seem to get more media attention than others, but the lobbying ban is something she tried to tack onto another bill earlier this year — and something Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack of Iowa City has championed for years. “So this has been in the process from folks like me who are solutions oriented for a long time,” Axne says. “And I think it’s just coming to the point where more people are understanding that it’s so important.”

Current rules prohibit former U.S. Senators from taking lobbying jobs for two years after leaving office. The ban is only one year for former members of the U.S. House. Some lawmakers do work for lobbying firms, but are not technically registered lobbyists and, therefore, avoid the time-out period.

Police in Red Oak report 30-year old Travis Lynn Sickels, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5:20-p.m. Wednesday, in the 400 block of E.. Washington Street. Sickels was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. He was being held in the jail without bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The trial over allegations that former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad pressured an official to quit because he was gay has begun in state court and will center on whether the jury believes the Republican governor was influenced by anti-gay attitudes. Branstad’s attorney Frank Harty says he simply wanted Chris Godfrey out as Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner so he could hire his own team. Godfrey claims Branstad violated his rights and he deserves to be compensated for the unlawful treatment.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Montana man dubbed the AK-47 bandit has been sentenced in a Nebraska federal court to 35 years in prison. Richard Gathercole, of Roundup, Montana, received the maximum sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty in March to bank robbery. The 41-year-old Gathercole admitted during that plea hearing to using an AK-47 while robbing a Nebraska City bank in 2014. He was accused of carrying the weapon during multiple bank robberies in California, Idaho, Iowa and Washington state from 2012 to 2017.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s state auditor says the pending sale of the University of Iowa’s AIB Campus for less than half its $20 million assessed value is fair. State Auditor Rob Sand issued a report Wednesday. It says Iowa’s acceptance in May of a $7.5 million bid on the property was fair, because the $20 million assessed value was too high.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a Sioux City food pantry that serves more than 5,000 people a month is being evicted because the building has been sold. The Midtown Family Community Center houses the food pantry and a 4-H program and it provides a free Saturday meal for neighborhood residents. Boys and Girls Home Inc. owns the building and had allowed the community center to use the building rent-free. But the building was sold last month. Officials hope to move the center to another neighborhood space.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The trial over allegations that former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad pressured an official to quit because he was gay has begun in state court and will center on whether the jury believes the Republican governor was influenced by his party’s anti-gay attitudes.

Branstad’s attorney Frank Harty told jurors Wednesday that after winning election the former governor wanted to replace Chris Godfrey as Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner to surround himself with people with shared political goals.

Harty told jurors, “elections have consequences” and that Godfrey was part of a Democratic team that didn’t want to accept defeat.

Godfrey’s attorney Roxanne Conlin will attempt to convince eight jurors that Branstad was the leader of an anti-gay Republican Party and unlawfully cut Godfrey’s pay by $39,000, then ostracized and sidelined him.

Branstad, now U.S. Ambassador in China, will testify June 14.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Montana man dubbed the AK-47 bandit and accused of holding up banks in several states over a five-year period has been sentenced in a Nebraska federal court to 35 years in prison.

FILE – This undated file booking photo provided by the FBI shows Richard Gathercole of Roundup, Mont. Gathercole, dubbed the AK-47 bandit and accused of holding up banks in several states over a five-year period has been sentenced in a Nebraska federal court to 35 years in prison.(FBI via AP, File)

Richard Gathercole, 41, of Roundup, Montana, received the maximum sentence Wednesday in a federal courthouse in Lincoln, Nebraska, after pleading guilty in March to bank robbery. Gathercole admitted during that plea hearing to using an AK-47 to rob a Nebraska City bank of more than $90,000 in 2014.

Gathercole also pleaded guilty to the June 2017 carjacking of a farmer in Kansas that led to his arrest the same day in Lexington, Nebraska. Gathercole was one of the most wanted bank robbers in the nation at the time of his arrest, accused of a string of bank robberies in California, Idaho, Iowa and Washington state from 2012 to 2017.

Before his arrest, the FBI had been looking for years for the man they called the “AK-47 Bandit,” who typically wore a balaclava and carried an assault rifle with a drum magazine during the robberies. Investigators believe Gathercole robbed a string of California banks early in his string of crimes, the first being the robbery on Feb. 29, 2012, of a bank in Chino, California. During the robbery, investigators say Gathercole shot a Chino police officer. The bullet struck the officer’s femoral artery and shattered his femur, ending his law enforcement career.

Prosecutors say that aside from the assault weapon he carried during the robberies, Gathercole showed a pattern of threatening violence during the robberies. He usually threatened to kill bank employees and sometimes would place what appeared to be a bomb near bank employees, warning that it could go off inside the bank. Authorities say Gathercole would sometimes wear a bullet proof vest that was marked “Sheriff” or “Police” during the robberies.

After his arrest, federal agents found homemade bombs, guns and ammunition, sheriff’s badges and patches and a sheriff’s vest in Gathercole’s home. As part of his plea deal, Gathercole won’t be prosecuted by other jurisdictions for other violent crimes, including shooting at a Kansas state trooper in 2017. Some of the crimes had passed the five-year federal statute of limitations.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, as expected, approved the appointment of Pat McCurdy to the vacant Third Ward City Council seat. After Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones administered the Oath of Office, McCurdy took his seat on Council that formally belonged to Ashley Hayes until her resignation last month.

Pat McCurdy sworn-in as Atlantic 3rd Ward Councilman.

The public may file a petition to hold a Special Election to fill the seat, within 14 days of the Council’s decision. If there are no objections, McCurdy would hold the seat until at least the November General Election.

The Council also approved an updated City Attorney Retainer Agreement with David Wiederstein, and Audubon County Attorney Sarah Jennings as the Assistant City Attorney.  Jennings will serve in an individual attorney capacity, not as the Audubon County Attorney, in any civil matters that involves the City. The move would add about $6,000 per year to the city’s legal budget.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, by a vote of 6-to 1, approved a bid of $55,445 from the Atlantic Elks Lodge for the purchase of the Atlantic Senior Center. The bid was nearly $10,200 more than a bid received from Valley Mutual Insurance. Both bids met the $40,000 minimum threshold the Council sought. Councilman Gerald Brink was opposed to the sale because he was of the opinion the City should have footed the bill for the repair of the building roof instead of selling the building. The arrangement allows Senior Citizens to use the Center for their purposes, and the Elks to hold their business and events there as well, by mutual agreement.

And, the Council passed the first reading of an Amended Ordinance with regard to the individual use of fireworks, with some changes to the original proposal from the Community Protection Committee. They had originally proposed fireworks only be discharged on July 3rd and 4th, from Noon until 11-p.m., both days. The current ordinance allows fireworks to be discharged July 2nd and 3rd from Noon until 10-p.m., and from Noon until 11-p.m. July 4th.

The Council heard from Cass Supervisor Mark O’Brien, who also runs a fireworks stand. He asked the Council not to reduce the days, and instead allow fireworks within the City Limits July 3rd, 4th and 5th. The permitted hours would be from Noon until 11-p.m. those days. Any violations would be subject to a fine. After lengthy discussion, the Council decided to pass the first reading of the amended ordinance as mentioned, and the remaining second and third readings during their June 19th regular meeting.

The City of Atlantic’s official fireworks display will be held near the AMU well fields/Little League Ball Park on JULY 5th, because of work being done at the Atlantic Municipal Airport this year.

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Darren Rebelez, IHOP® President, as Casey’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 24, 2019.

Rebelez will also join Casey’s Board of Directors. He will succeed Casey’s President and CEO Terry Handley, who will retire from the Company and Board, after a 38-year career with Casey’s.