The Iowa House and Senate are starting what is likely to be the final week of the 2016 legislative session today (Monday). Final decisions must be made on the next state budget, while advocates continue to lobby for expanded state investment in water quality measures and an expanded medical marijuana law.

House Republicans and Senate Democrats must resolve their dispute over the G-O-P aim to “defund” Planned Parenthood. Republican Representative Dave Heaton of Mount Pleasant says this has been a fight in the legislature in each of the past five years. “I am not going to predict the outcome,” Heaton says. “I can’t.” Republican House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake sees a clear path to resolving the final “sticking points” in the budget.

“We’ll continue to work our way through that and get those issues resolved, but we will resolve them,” Upmeyer says. “We always do.” Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says farmers need “significantly” more state grant money to install conservation measures in their fields, but Northey doesn’t expect major action from this year’s legislature. “It will be a lost opportunity,” Northey says. According to Northey, the threat of federal regulation and a Des Moines Water Works lawsuit challenging the way three northwest Iowa counties manage farm chemical run-off has “gotten people’s attention.”

“We’ve seen so much engagement by farmers and groups and cities and other organizations out there that are engaging in water quality,” Northey says, “sense there’s a momentum to make these kinds of improvements that the legislature is sensing that some dollars could do some good.” More than 20-million dollars is already set aside in the legislature’s current budget plan for water quality measures. House Republicans voted last week to redirect currently-collected state taxes on water usage and casinos to water improvement projects. Northey, who is a Republican, favors that plan because it doesn’t raise new taxes. Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs says the House G-O-P plan “isn’t much of a solution.”

“The House plan pits water quality against every other priority in state government because it produces no new revenue and, in fact, steals existing revenue that comes to the state,” Gronstal says, “which makes it hard to fund education.” There are a handful of other issues that may be resolved before lawmakers adjourn for the year. Gronstal says that includes legislation to establish new state oversight of private boarding schools.

“I think it would be horrible to leave a situation where people can establish facilities to allegedly take care of kinds and where really bad things go on,” Gronstal says. The Midwest Academy in Keokuk and Montrose was closed in January after allegations of sex abuse surfaced. A group of advocates continue to press lawmakers to set up a state-sanctioned production and distribution network for medical marijuana. They want Iowans with a variety of illnesses and conditions to be able to use it.

Republican House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake says there are “many ideas” but no consensus on the issue. “There are people with interests in that and there have been discussions, so we’ll see how it goes,” Upmeyer says. Upmeyer believes the state should wait for the federal government to act and set a uniform national policy for medical marijuana.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 2:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An English bulldog named Vincent has claimed top dog status at the 37th annual Beautiful Bulldog contest at Drake University. The tongue-in-cheek contest on Sunday featured 45 English bulldogs dressed up in costumes. It’s the opening event of the Drake Relays, a prestigious track and field meet to be held next week at Drake Stadium. Vincent will serve as the meet’s mascot.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bill pending in the Iowa House would allow specially trained psychologists to prescribe medication to mentally ill people in hopes of alleviating a shortage of treatment options, but the proposal has run into opposition from some of the state’s psychiatrists. Supporters of the bill hope to ease treatment delays, especially among rural patients, that can stretch on for a month or longer and require long drives to larger cities. Some Iowa psychiatrists in the change could be risky.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Officials say residents in a northwest Cedar Rapids neighborhood no longer need to boil their water as a safety precaution. Last week, there was a water main break in the area that led to an isolated outage for about 60 homes.

(Updated 3:37-a.m.) – At least seven fire departments responded to a large fire in Stuart Sunday evening. The blaze at the Stuart Sale Barn (523 Front Street) was reported at around 6:40-p.m.  The building is used for auctions, and often to sell livestock and farming equipment.

Firefighters from Stuart, Menlo, Casey, Adair, Dexter, Redfield and Earlham fought the wooden structure’s flames, but the empty and unoccupied building was nearly completely engulfed by the time the first crews arrived.

Authorities closed Highway 6 leading into Stuart and re-routed traffic while firefighters were on the scene and during the mop-up. A cause of the blaze had not been determined as of late Sunday evening.

A separate fire Sunday evening in Walnut was suspected to have been caused by a lightning strike. The owners told officials they heard a pop at around 6:15-p.m., and soon after smelled smoke. An investigation found wiring had burned through in an attic at 907 North Street caused some minor flame and smoke damage to the home. No injuries were reported. Earlier in the day, Sunday, a lightning strike is suspected of causing a fire at a motel in Council Bluffs.

The Audubon Police Department reports four arrests. On April 6th, 55-year old Joyce Hueton of Audubon, was arrested on an active warrant from Carroll County. Hueton was transferred to the Carroll County Sheriffs Office. On April 10th, 34-year old John C, Ruon of Omaha, was arrested for OWI – 2nd offense, Open Container, and Driving Without a License. Ruon was transported to the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office.

On April 13th, 36-year old Spencer Reigh Lile, of Manilla, was arrested for Violation of No Contact Order. Lile was transported to the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office. And, on April 21st, 26-year old Andrew Roland Petersen of Audubon, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. Petersen was cited and released.

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — A program that offers new dentists help paying off their students loans is helping attract dentists to small towns in Iowa. Since the program started in 2002, 28 of the 31 dentists who received grants through the program have remained in Iowa.

Police in Red Oak arrested a woman Sunday morning (4/24)  for making a false report to law enforcement. 57-year old Martha Lorene Freeman, of Villisca, was taken into custody for reporting on April 19th, that her vehicle had been stolen. After a brief investigation, it was determined the vehicle was in fact, NOT stolen.

Freeman was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a Villisca man was arrested on an assault charge, Sunday afternoon. 44-year old Christopher D. Vannausdle, was taken into custody at around 1:45-p.m. for Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury. The charge is the result of an investigation into an incident that took place at around 10:45-a.m. Sunday, where an alleged victim in Villisca contacted authorities and reported an assault had occurred. The victim was said have had a minor injury that did not require medical treatment.

Vannausdle was located at his residence and arrested without incident. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail pending an initial court appearance.

225 PM CDT SUN APR 24 2016

THE SEVERE STORMS PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN, OK., HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 101 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT

IOWA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ADAIR ADAMS AUDUBON BUENA VISTA CALHOUN CARROLL CASS CHEROKEE CLAY CRAWFORD DICKINSON EMMET FREMONT GREENE GUTHRIE HARRISON IDA LYON MILLS MONONA MONTGOMERY O’BRIEN OSCEOLA PAGE PALO ALTO PLYMOUTH POCAHONTAS POTTAWATTAMIE SAC SHELBY SIOUX TAYLOR WOODBURY.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10-p.m (Counties in mauve)

PROBABILITY TABLE:

PROB OF 2 OR MORE TORNADOES : 20%

PROB OF 1 OR MORE STRONG /F2-F5/ TORNADOES : <02%

PROB OF 10 OR MORE SEVERE WIND EVENTS : 60%

PROB OF 1 OR MORE WIND EVENTS > 75 MPH : 30%

PROB OF 10 OR MORE SEVERE HAIL EVENTS : 90%

PROB OF 1 OR MORE HAIL EVENTS > 2 INCHES : 30%

PROB OF 6 OR MORE COMBINED SEVERE HAIL/WIND EVENTS : >95%

MAX HAIL /INCHES/ : 2.5

MAX WIND GUSTS SURFACE /MPH/ : 75

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.

An accident Saturday evening in Montgomery County resulted in the arrest of a Cass County man. Sheriff’s officials say a 1986 Ford Econoline van owned by Ann Luther and driven by 51-year old Douglas Dean Erickson, of Massena, was traveling east on 190th Street northeast of Red Oak at around 5:50-p.m., when Erickson looked back into the driver’s side mirror, and failed to notice the van had crossed the center line of the road. The mirror hit a stop sign at M Avenue. The impact knocked the mirror off the van.

The vehicle continued into a ditch and then drove out, heading east to O Avenue. Deputies stopped the vehicle at 201st and O Avenue, and took Erickson into custody for Driving While Revoked. He was also cited for No Proof of Insurance and Failure to Maintain Control. Erickson was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Damage to the van was estimated at $100. The stop sign and post sustained $500 damage. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A bill pending in the Iowa House would allow specially trained psychologists to prescribe medication to mentally ill people in hopes of alleviating a shortage of treatment options, but the proposal has run into opposition from some of the state’s psychiatrists.

Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, has been the leading supporter of the bill, which would allow licensed psychologists who complete additional coursework and training to prescribe about 100 medications. Supporters of the bill hope to ease treatment delays, especially among rural patients, that can stretch on for a month or longer and require long drives to larger cities.

Some psychiatrists in the state say it would be risky for someone without medical training to prescribe medication, especially without direct oversight from the Iowa Board of Medicine.