DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa House has approved an education funding measure that provides a 2 percent increase in state per-pupil funding for the budget year beginning in July. The bill approved Monday night would boost per-pupil support from the state general fund to nearly $3.3 billion, but education advocates say at least a 3 percent increase is needed to keep up with inflation. Democrats proposed an amendment to the Republican-led bill that would have provided the 3 percent with some of the money going to increasing teacher pay. The proposal was rejected.

State enrollment, on which the figures are based, is expected to increase by 1,387 students this year to 487,652. The school funding package includes teacher salary supplements, professional development and teacher leadership compensation. The Senate hasn’t yet approved an education funding bill. Lawmakers approved a separate bill to provide schools $21.3 million, including funding for transportation in districts where the cost of busing students is higher.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has repaid $1,900 to the Office of Tax and Revenue after a newspaper questioned her about a tax break she had been claiming on her condo in Washington for years. The Des Moines Register , which brought the issue to Ernst’s attention, reports that she wrote a check to the agency’s Washington, D.C. office last week. A spokesman for the first-term Republican says the homestead tax credit claim was made in error and immediately returned when it was brought to the senator’s attention.

The credit only applies to a homeowner’s primary residence, and Washington’s homestead tax application instructions specify that Congressional members are generally ineligible. Public records show Ernst had claimed the exemption in Washington and Iowa since 2016. It’s unclear if Ernst will face any penalty for the claim.

(Radio Iowa) — A new study that details how poorly electric cars perform during extremely cold weather likely isn’t a surprise for anyone who already drives one of the plug-in vehicles. Nick Jarmusz, spokesman for Triple-A-Iowa, says this season of sleet, snow and super-low wind chills has a drastic impact on an electric car’s performance. Jarmusz says, “Our study found that electric vehicles can lose up to 41% of their driving range when temperatures dip below 20-degrees Fahrenheit.” That means the colder the weather, the shorter distance the car will go on a charge. “On average, it’s about 100 miles that’s typical for right now,” Jarmusz says. “You’re talking about a 41% reduction so you could be getting as few as 60 miles on a single charge when temperatures are dipping into the sub-freezing range.”

The report finds the decrease in an electric vehicle’s range is compounded by switching on the heater, something you’d likely want to do when it’s 20-degrees or colder.  “On a standard gas-powered engine, you’re going to be actually drawing the heat from the engine as the air passes through into the cabin,” Jarmusz says, “whereas in an electric vehicle, it has to artificially generate more heat than what the engine is creating in order to push it into the cabin.”  The motor club is not against electric vehicles, Jarmusz says, but believes Iowans who might be car-shopping likely would want to know how the cold weather effects them. Jarmusz says, “We do think it’s important for consumers who might be considering EVs to know the limitations so they can factor that into their calculations of whether an EV would be a right fit for their lifestyle and their needs.”

Coincidentally, the report also found extreme heat can hurt an electric vehicle’s range, too. He says if temperatures are heating up to 95-degrees and air-conditioning is used, the driving range decreases by 17-percent.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following an accident this (Tuesday) morning, between Hastings and Emerson. Authorities say a 2015 Chevy driven by 26-year old Katie Johnson, of Shenandoah, was traveling west on Highway 34 at around 6:20-a.m., at the same time a 2005 Chevy driven by Rick Neuman, of Omaha, was traveling eastbound. When the wheels on Neuman’s vehicle dropped off the shoulder of road, he over-corrected and crossed the center line of the road. His vehicle then spun-out due to snow on the road, and was struck in the rear of by Johnson’s vehicle. No injuries were reported. Both vehicles were a total loss.

The Sheriff’s Office reports also, 31-year old Jack Ray Winchel, of Hastings, was arrested Monday evening for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

(Radio Iowa) — With a Friday deadline looming to avoid another partial federal government shutdown, Congressional Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement, at least in principle, over border security. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, says he’s hopeful all parties, including President Trump, will be able to agree to the compromise. “Funding the government and securing our border should not be mutually exclusive,” Grassley says. “Shutting down the government is no way to govern. It costs money to shut government down and it costs money to open it back up.”

The partial shutdown that started in late December ran a record 35 days and furloughed 800-thousand federal workers, or forced some to work without pay. Grassley is putting his trust in the conference committee that the compromise they’ve created will be acceptable and bipartisan. “I’m optimistic that Congress can still get this done,” Grassley says. “It’s in nobody’s interest to shirk the fundamental responsibilities of Congress. I’m also supporting legislation to put an end to government shutdowns once and for all.”

Grassley says no details are being released about the compromise, though reports indicate it includes one-point-three billion dollars to put up 55 miles of fencing at the border, a long way from the five-point-seven billion dollars and two-thousand miles of wall the president wanted. With seven months remaining in the fiscal year, Grassley says one-point-three billion dollars is likely all the government can afford to spend on a fence. “Building and putting it in strategic places where it’s really needed to make more efficient use of border patrol where you don’t have fence is a compromise that the president ought to be able to live with,” Grassley says.

Reports say the agreement would pay for a fence made of metal slats, not the concrete wall the president was pushing. It would also cut the number of beds in border detention centers from around 50-thousand to around 40-thousand. Grassley says firm details about the proposal will be out soon.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved a claim with the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP), with regard to a wrongful termination suit. While not naming the individual who sued the County, KJAN has learned it was brought by a former employee of the County Assessor’s Office. Specific details of the settlement were also not released, but Board Chair Steve Baier said the County’s gross responsibility for payroll wages was $2,500. The net amount was $1,972.95. Supervisor Steve Green said afterward, “Thank God for insurance.”

In other business, the Board approved the appointment of Ryan Woodward, from the Lewis area, to fill a vacancy term as Cass Township Trustee through Dec. 31^st, 2022. He succeeds David Denne, who passed away Jan. 23^rd. And, the Board approved a plan to resurface Olive Street (620^th St./Cass County Road N-16) from the Atlantic City Limits to the Audubon County line. The work involves a Hot Melt Asphalt (HMA) resurfacing of the road. The project will go out for bids from this point forward.