Two separate proposals to expand gun owners’ rights in Iowa advanced through initial review in the Iowa Senate on Thursday. One calls for adding an amendment to the state’s constitution that calls on courts to “strictly scrutinize” any future gun regulations. The other calls for doing away with the requirement that Iowans get a government permit to carry a concealed weapon. Supporters call it “constitutional carry.” Richard Rogers is with the Iowa Firearms Coalition. “Certainly all human beings have the desire, the need and the right to defend themselves, their families and their communities. Their ability to do so effectively is often dependent on having tools — arms — available for that purpose,” Rogers said. “In the past, those tools may have been a stick, a blade or a bow. In the modern era the most effective tool for this purpose is typically a defensive firearm.”

Supporters of the move say if the government has the power to issue gun permits, it might some day use that power to take those guns away. Reverend Wendy Abrahamson, the rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Grinnell, says Second Amendment rights are assured by the constitution. “As a law-abiding citizen of the United States, I don’t fear my government…and I trust that my right to own a weapon is not under attack.” And Abrahamson described the gun permit process as a “minimal” step. “The right to own a gun is not something that comes simply from being alive or simply from being an Iowan,” she said. “Like other rights, it has responsibilities.”

Last year, the Republican-led legislature passed a sweeping gun rights package. This year’s gun-related proposals have the backing of key lawmakers who worked on last year’s bill.

(Radio Iowa)

ALL the Republicans in the legislature agree on giving a one percent boost in general state support to Iowa’s public schools. However, action on that is held up as Republicans in the House and Senate debate how to address another issue — excessive transportation costs in geographically large school districts. HOUSE Republicans like Representative Cecil Dolecheck, of Mount Ayr, promise to revisit that school transportation issue next week. “The average is around $370 per student,” Dolecheck said. “We have some school districts that have transportation costs as high as $1000 per student. What the House proposal does, rather than give a blanket amount to school districts for every student, our proposal starts to address those with the highest transportation costs and buy them down.”

HOUSE Republicans are offering about 10 million dollars to cover busing costs for one year. SENATE Republicans have been pushing for a permanent fix, one that would go equally to all schools. Most Democrats in the HOUSE voted yesterday (Thursday) to support THAT plan. Representative Sharon Steckman is a Democrat from Mason City. “When someone tells me they’re going to do something over and over, pretty soon I just quit believing them,” Steckman said. “For eight years we’ve been working on the transportation inequity and the per pupil funding inequity — eight years — and now that we actually have something, we’re hearing, ‘Oh, reject this. We’ve got something better.'”

This busing issue along with a final vote on how much state money to give public schools next year are still on the legislature’s “to do” list for next week.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police, Thursday afternoon, arrested 31-year old Erin Jean Larson, of Red Oak. Larson was taken into custody in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street at around 3:15-p.m., for Violation of a No Contact/Protection Order. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Republican-led legislative panel has approved a bill that would ban most abortions in Iowa once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill would make it a felony for doctors to perform abortions after detecting a fetal heartbeat, which occurs as early as at six weeks of pregnancy. If the measure becomes law, it likely would be appealed by opponents who would argue it violates U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has pleaded guilty after being arrested last fall when officer found her young children were being left unsupervised in a filthy, feces-covered home. The Des Moines Register reports 26-year-old Destinee Kristine Miller pleaded guilty Thursday to neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. Prosecutors dropped child endangerment charges in exchange for the guilty plea. Police arrested Miller in October after her children aged 4, 2 and 1 were found outside their home.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — A dog handler accused of leaving four dogs inside a hot vehicle last year, killing three, has pleaded guilty to three counts of confining animals. The Ottumwa Courier reports that in exchange for Craig Eugene’s recent plea, a fourth count was dismissed. Eugene was fined $300. Police say the dogs were found in Eugene’s car July 8 outside the American Kennel Club All Breeds Dog Show in Ottumwa when the high temperature outside was 89 degrees.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors say a central Iowa man charged in the death of his 2-month-old daughter killed the baby by placing pillows on her face. The Des Moines Register reports that 29-year-old Calvin Curtis White, of Nevada, has been charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death after his daughter was found not breathing Jan. 29 and later died. White remains in the Story County Jail on a $1 million bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man charged in a fatal stabbing has pleaded not guilty and been released after posting a bond. The Sioux City Journal reports 44-year-old Jeremy Lillich pleaded not guilty and posted a $2,000 bond late Wednesday. He’s scheduled to appear at a court hearing March 16.

Lillich was arrested earlier Wednesday after being paroled from prison following a drug conviction. A Woodbury County grand jury in November indicted Lillich on one count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 3 stabbing death of 21-year-old James R.D. Purcell, of Sioux City.

Although Lillich was serving a prison sentence on the drug conviction, Corrections Department records show he would have been either on work release or parole when the stabbing occurred.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to sell health insurance policies compliant with the federal Affordable Care Act in Iowa next year. The company announced Thursday plans to offer polices as long as there aren’t any significant changes to the 2010 law also known as Obamacare.

Wellmark, the state’s largest health insurer, announced last April it would stop selling ACA plans because of high costs, an uncertain future and the loss of $90 million over three years. It insured 21,400 individuals.

On Thursday the company said it believes the individual market can be functional again. Minnesota-based Medica is the only company selling ACA-compliant polices statewide this year. About 72,000 Iowans buy health insurance on the individual market.

Riverside School District Superintendent Tim Mitchell, Thursday afternoon, responded to a Des Moines Register report picked up by media outlets, including KJAN, that stated investigators found mechanical repair records for the bus involved in the fire that killed a student and the bus driver, were changed a week after a fatal bus fire in December.

In his statement released on the District’s website, Mitchell said “The Riverside Community School District rejects any characterization that inspection or maintenance records for bus #4 were altered.  Following the December 6 inspection of the bus, the District immediately completed all repairs noted for bus #4.  The District documented that these repairs were made, and this documentation is unchanged.

“The on-site inspector from the Iowa Department of Education instructed the District to additionally note the repairs in the Department’s online system, once the inspection report was available there.  The report did not become available until December 15, three days after the accident occurred.  In the ensuing weeks, the District noted repairs for all buses that had been repaired, including bus #4, in the online system as instructed by the Department.

There is no dispute that the necessary repairs for bus #4 were completed before the accident on December 12.  Our focus has always been, and remains, on the student and employee we lost that day and ensuring the safety of our students and staff.”

The National Weather Service has updated its list of counties in Iowa that under a Winter Weather Advisory. In the KJAN listening area, Carroll County (Which was under a Winter Weather Advisory), was upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning. The warning is in effect from 3-p.m. today until 9-a.m. Friday. Persons in the warned area can expect heavy snow, with accumulations for 4-to 7-inches, along with northerly winds of 15-to 25-miles per hour, which will create difficult driving conditions, including during the commute Friday morning.

Counties in purple are under a Winter Weather Advisory; Counties in Pink are in a Winter Storm Warning.

Counties that remain under a Winter Weather Advisory from 9-p.m. tonight until 9-a.m. Friday, include Audubon-Crawford-Guthrie and Dallas, in our listening area. Snow of 2-to 4-inches can be expected, along with northwest winds of 15-to 25-miles per hour, which can create blowing and drifting of snow. Plan on slippery road conditions and reduced visibilities at times.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — A dog handler accused of leaving four dogs inside a hot vehicle last year, killing three, has pleaded guilty to three counts of confining animals. The Ottumwa Courier reports that in exchange for Craig Eugene’s recent plea, a fourth count was dismissed. Eugene was fined $300.

Police say the dogs were found in Eugene’s car July 8 outside the American Kennel Club All Breeds Dog Show in Ottumwa. Two of the dogs were found dead in the car and a third died at a veterinary clinic. Police say Eugene, of Marengo, Illinois, told officers his vehicle was running when he put the dogs inside, but it wasn’t running when he returned. The National Weather Service says the Ottumwa temperature peaked at 89 degrees that day.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), reports a man already in the Pott. County jail, was served Wednesday, with a Felony warrant for Conspiracy to Deliver Methamphetamine. The warrant was served on 49-year old Dennis Earl Page, of Council Bluffs. Page was remanded to the custody of jail staff and returned to his cell, once the charge was read.

A report of marijuana found Wednesday afternoon on the Jack Links property on Magnolia Road, in Pott. County, resulted in a citation for 26-year old Jose J. Sandoval, of Omaha. Sandoval was cited for Possession of a Controlled Substance (7 grams of marijuana), after a green leafy substance was found in a plastic baggie.

A Deputy working to serve civil papers Wednesday afternoon in Council Bluffs arrested a man on a Felony warrant for Theft in the 2nd degree. Authorities say a deputy was following a pickup into Bluffs Acres ran the vehicles’ license plate, which came back showing the owner of the truck, 44-year old Stacey Lynn Hollingsworth, of Council Bluffs, was wanted on the warrant.

And, 26-year old Dalton Joel Behrens, of Treynor, was arrested at around 2:20-a.m. today (Thursday), for OWI/2nd offense. Behrens was taken into custody after a Deputy was called to investigate an unknown injury accident at Highway 6 and Eagle Lane, where a 1998 Dodge Ram pickup had gone into the ditch.  No injuries were reported.