(Radio Iowa) – The 2022 Iowa legislative session ended a few hours ago. The final votes were cast in the Iowa Senate at 12:10 this (Wednesday) morning.

House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl  and Speaker Pat Grassley wrapped things up in the House six minutes later

That phrase — sine die (SIGN-eh-DYE) — is Latin. Some people pronounce it as seen-ah-DEE-yah. It basically means the legislature is adjourning without setting a date for meeting again. So, unless the governor calls lawmakers back into a SPECIAL session, the two-year run of the 89th Iowa General Assembly is over. The 90th Iowa General Assembly is scheduled to convene January 9th of 2023.

(Radio Iowa) – Lawmakers took a flurry of votes over the past two days and early this (Wednesday) morning the 2022 Iowa Legislature adjourned for the year. Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver cite something that happened three months ago as the high point of the year. Republicans hold a majority of seats in the Iowa House and Senate and, along with Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, they agreed to shrink the state’s income tax down to one rate of just under four percent by 2026.

Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley says that tax plan is the crown jewel of 2022. The Republican-led legislature adopted a nearly eight-point-three BILLION dollar state budget this week. Democrats like House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst say it missed the mark in addressing the state’s child care shortage and the shortage of affordable housing.

The Senate adjourned at 12:10 this morning and the House completed its work six minutes later.

(Radio Iowa) – The 2022 Iowa legislative session ended early this (Wednesday) morning — just after midnight — with Republicans adopting a new proposal to let parents transfer their children from one public school to another, at any time.

Under current law, open enrollment applications must be made by March 1st and students may only transfer to a school in an adjacent district. Republican Representative Gary Mohr of Bettendorf says the new plan will let parents start transferring their children immediately to any public school, without citing a reason. Representative Mary Mascher, a Democrat from Iowa City, suggests the changes will lead to closures.

Republican Governor Kim Reynolds wanted to spend 55 million dollars on private school scholarships. As parents complained about some school materials, a couple of Republicans proposed new criminal penalties for teachers and school librarians, but all those proposals were scrapped. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says she’s not surprised.

Despite the focus on these in the closing weeks, Republican legislators say the tax cuts Governor Reynolds signed into law back on March 1st are the crown jewel of the 2022 legislative session.

(Radio Iowa) – A temporary moratorium on the use of eminent domain to seize property along carbon pipeline routes passed the House in March, but it was never considered in the Iowa Senate. The plan would have prevented pipeline developers from filing an application with the Iowa Utilities Board before February 1st, in order to acquire land where property owners are refusing to grant access. Representative Bruce Hunter, a Democrat from Des Moines, says lawmakers have played a shell game with Iowans who wanted some assurances their land won’t be seized against their wishes.

“We didn’t do anything for the farmers on this pipeline issue,” Hunter says. “Look what we’ve done: beat our chest and then con ’em.” Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton says the threat of a moratorium got pipeline developers to assure him they won’t seek eminent domain authority until next March.

“We sent a message that we’re willing to act if property rights are attempted to be infringed on,” Kaufmann says. Kaufmann says state utility regulators have also told him their review of any eminent domain requests for carbon pipelines won’t start until after the 2023 legislature convenes.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Democrats have refused to confirm the four Iowans Republican Governor Kim Reynolds selected to serve on the commission that nominates people to openings on the Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines who’s an attorney, says according to state law, political affiliation isn’t to be considered, but all of the governor’s nominees to the commission have been either Republicans and independents.

“This is the new level of partisan politics in our state,” Boulton says. “Controlling two legislative chambers and the governor’s office is not enough. Republicans now are insisting on controlling the judicial branch and Senate Democrats cannot stand for that.” Reynolds says she nominates highly qualified commissioners who share her judicial philosophy and she says it’s shameful for Senate Democrats to play these political games. It takes the “yes” votes of 34 senators to confirm the governor’s nominees to the commission.

Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale is one of thirty-TWO Republicans and Zaun says he’s looking forward to the day when Democrats don’t have the power to make these decisions. “And I look forward to our side being in the super majority because what’s being done with these great Iowans is disgusting,” Zaun said. A super majority would be 34 senators — enough to confirm ALL of the governor’s picks for position in state government.

The 17 member Judicial Nominating Commission has already begun the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Brent Appel (like “apple”) who will retire this summer. Every other justice on the court was nominating by Governor Reynolds or Republican Governor Terry Branstad. It appears state law allows the four people Reynolds had nominating for the commission to serve for two months. That means they’d complete the process of sending Reynolds a slate of three candidates for Appel’s seat on the Iowa Supreme Court before rotating off the nominating commission.

(Radio Iowa) – An off-duty Cherokee police officer has been charged with a serious misdemeanor following a hit and run accident that injured a six-year-old girl last Friday. The Iowa State Patrol says 52-year-old Michael McGee of Cherokee was driving a pickup truck on North Roosevelt Street in Cherokee, when he allegedly struck a six year old female in the crosswalk.

The patrol says McGee fled the scene and failed to return after the vehicle and driver had been identified. The girl was taken to Cherokee Regional Medical Center with injuries, including a concussion. Mcgee is charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Sorensen studios spokesperson Maria Sorensen says the 24th Annual Freedom Rock® painting will be completed in time for Memorial Day. In honor of Memorial Day, Ray Sorensen repaints this 12-foot tall, approximately 60–90-ton boulder to pay tribute to our military men and women. He began painting the original Freedom Rock® the second week of May and plans to be finished by Memorial Day 2022.

**view the timelapse of the front side here: https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomRock/videos/514203873730117

“This year’s front road-facing side is an illustration depicting a flag-draped coffin, lifted by a member of every branch of the military, and a soldier handing us (America) a folded flag, symbolizing that we are receiving the responsibility of upholding America for all those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. It is accompanied by a partial quote from President Reagan “…stand in silence and remember those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die from them.”

2022_FreedomRock

On the south side of The Freedom Rock® is a depiction of the USS Ranger aircraft carrier with a Tomcat taking off. The Ranger was known as the “Top Gun of the Pacific” since some of the first Top Gun movie was filmed aboard that carrier. Next to that on the east side, is in honor of the 35th Anniversary of the attack on the USS Stark. Continuing around to the
Northeast is Medal of Honor recipient John Baker and an illustration of a Tunnel Rat and their patch (Baker was a Tunnel Rat).

Above this is the Huey helicopter that contains the ashes of over 125 Vietnam Veterans in the paint. Beside that is David Elsbernd who was killed in Vietnam and a recipient of the Purple Heart. He was vetoed off the North Dakota Freedom
Rock® but thought he deserved to be recognized, as do all who are on the wall in DC. Of course, the American flag meets the POW/MIA flag on top.”

Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock® in Menlo, Iowa but works as an independent mural artist having completed the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour last September. Sorensen is working on the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour. “I always say I have three goals with ‘The Freedom Rock® Tour’ and that is to honor America’s Veterans, promote tourism and provide for my family.”

Sorensen’s oldest two children, Independence and Michael, enjoy helping him in the early stages of many Freedom Rocks® including the original, filling in sketched areas at his discretion. 100th Iowa Freedom Rock® looks to be completed this year in front of Adventureland. The auction for the 100th raised money for the T.A.P.S. Foundation and the Puppy Jake Foundation.

For a list of the Tour and, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com. Sorensen plans to be at The Freedom Rock® over Memorial Day weekend, including Memorial Day to meet with visitors. Calendars as well as other merchandise are also available to help offset costs for the project.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – When the 2021-2022 school year ends, it will also bring an end to the federally funded free lunch program for all students. The federal government funded a program that allowed all students access to free meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Congress recently declined to continue funding this program. Officials with the Atlantic Community School District say this means all families will need to carry a positive balance in their children’s school meal accounts when school begins next fall.

It is likely to see a circulation within different news outlets that certain districts, most recently the Des Moines Public
School District, is still offering free lunch to all students. This is in conjunction with a grant awarded to them from the
USDA. This grant allows low-income districts to apply for and be awarded funds that allow for the continuation of
school lunch for all students. 

This grant is available to all districts in Iowa, but a certain threshold of free and reduced lunch participants must be
met in order to qualify as a low income district. ACSD highly encourages all families to fill out an application for free
and reduced lunch and take advantage of those benefits. In doing so, there is potential for our overall need to meet
the threshold that would then qualify all or many for free school lunch.

Officials say “We recognize the change in the federal government’s decision to fund a free lunch program will be difficult for many families. ACSD encourages the following options as you prepare for the 2022 – 2023 school year:
1. Complete an application for Free and Reduced Meals NOW. This can be completed in the JMC Parent Portal. If
you have any questions or need assistance completing this application, please contact Natalie Ritter,
nritter@atlanticiaschools.org or 712.243.5369
2. Begin offsetting your school lunch money needs by depositing money into your students lunch account now.
Money can be deposited any time throughout the year, including over the summer. This will start to build a
reserve of funds that can be used at the start of the 2022 – 2023 school year. Information on meal prices for
the 2022-2023 school year will be available in the near future. If you have questions about adding money to
your student’s account or if you need assistance accessing the Parent Portal, please reach out to your building
Secretaries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REACH OUT TO ACSD FOOD AND NUTRITION DIRECTOR, NATALIE RITTER:
NRITTER@ATLANTICIASCHOOLS.ORG

(Radio Iowa) – Republican legislators have sent the governor a budget plan for the Iowa’s justice system and it includes a seven million dollar spending increase for the state’s prisons. Democrats like Representative Todd Prichard of Charles City say the murders of two Anamosa prison employees by two inmates attempting an escape last year should have prompted a higher amount, to address on-going staff shortages.”You’re playing with people’s lives, the lives of our correctional officers, the lives of inmates — who are people, too — and the lives of Iowans,” Prichard says.

Republican Representative Gary Worthan of Storm Lake says lawmakers immediately provided the prison system 20 million dollars last year, “They couldn’t hire enough people to use up that $20 million. That’s the nature of the labor market at this point in time,” Worthan says. “This budget will support staff, it will support adding staff. While maybe it’s not optimal, it probably represents as many people as the Department of Corrections can hire and train at this point in time.”

The director of the Department of Corrections recently hired a recruiting director and plans to set up a booth at the State Fair as a way to spread the word in person about job openings. At the end of April, there were more than 200 job openings for correctional officers.

(Iowa DNR News) – Water levels in oxbow lakes adjacent to the Missouri River are lower than normal going into the summer due to consecutive years of abnormally dry conditions in western Iowa and historic low flows in the Missouri River this past winter. Access to these lakes may be compromised.

Carter Lake (Pottawattamie County), a popular recreational boating lake in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro area, is three feet below crest. Lake Manawa is in better condition because it can divert water from nearby Mosquito Creek. Its water level has been down between one and two feet all spring. Affected lakes include Blue Lake (Monona County), DeSoto Bend (Harrison County), Snyder Bend (Woodbury County), Browns Lake (Woodbury County), and a host of smaller borrow lakes along the Interstate 29 corridor.

“These oxbow lakes have a hydrologic connection with the Missouri River,” explains Bryan Hayes, Iowa DNR fisheries biologist. “There is a lag time between when river levels are restored and water levels in these oxbow lakes. Trying to predict when water levels will return to normal is difficult.”