(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has confirmed former State Auditor Mary Mosiman as the state’s top tax official. Governor Kim Reynolds appointed her to be director of the Iowa Department of Revenue on March 29th. Mosiman, who is a C-P-A, has been the deputy director of the department for the past three years. Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says as the chief deputy, Mosiman has had oversight of the agency’s tax division.

“That includes compliance, the call center and other important consumer related issues,” Jochum says, “and I can say that all of those things have seemed to improve immensely over the last couple of years.” Jochum and other Democrats in the Senate say they have concerns about staffing levels in the agency in its expanded role under the governor’s state government reorganization plan — but all Democrats and all Republicans in the Senate Wednesday, voted to confirm Mosiman as the Iowa Department of Reenue director.

Mosiman was a top administrator in the Iowa Secretary of State’s office when Governor Terry Branstad appointed her to be state auditor in 2013. Mosiman lost her bid for a second full term as state auditor in 2018. She was in charge of elections in Story County as that county’s auditor from 2001 through the end of 2010.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate and House have approved competing property tax relief plans. The Senate approach is focused on eliminating some property tax levies, consolidating others and converting property tax credits for veterans and seniors to more lucrative exemptions. Senate Republicans say it would amount to a roughly 100 million dollars reduction in property taxes. Senator Dan Dawson, a Republican from Council Bluffs, is chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee that drafts tax policy.

“Ultimately I think we’ve probably got the best dog that can hunt here in the Capitol than we’ve had in some time to start to tackle this system,” Dawson says. The House approach would provide 200 million dollars in state money each year to replace local property taxes that go to public schools. Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann, of Wilton, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He says lawmakers are listening to Iowans. “Property taxes are easily the most unpopular tax that exists,” Kaufmann says. The House bill would also limit increases in property tax BILLS to three percent.

“We are delivering significant, real, substantial property tax relief to Iowans,” Kaufmann says. Dawson calls the Senate bill phrase one of a long term effort to reform an unchecked property tax system. “Our system is broken. Taxpayers are scared and that is why we are here today,” Dawson says. Both bills passed with nearly unanimous support from Republians and Democrats. Just one Republican in the House and one Democrat in the Senate voted no. Democrats like Senator Pam Jochum say so far it’s been a bipartisan effort to find ways to simplify and streamline property taxes.

“Every one of us cares about this tax system and want to make it work better,” Jochum says. Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville, says injecting certainty into the system is a priority.  “This, I believe, helps everyday Iowans,” Jacoby said, “and Democrats are happy to see that our ideals are being met in this bill.”

Governor Reynolds has said her focus is on eventually eliminating the state INCOME tax and she’s leaving it up to legislators to craft a property tax reduction plan.

(Radio Iowa) – A Spencer man faces drug trafficking charges after police found a large amount of methamphetamine in an apartment in downtown Spencer. According to the Clay County Attorney’s Office several law enforcement agencies, including an Iowa State Patrol tactical unit, participated in the investigation, finding more than 33 pounds of methamphetamine in the apartment. That’s more than half a million dollars worth of meth, according to the county attorney’s office, and several thousand dollars in cash was in the apartment, too.

Oscar Navarro-Zepeda was taken into custody at the scene and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. Navarro-Zepeda made his initial court appearance on Wednesday and is being held in the Clay County Jail on 750-thousand dollars bond.

If convicted, he faces up to fifty years behind bars and a one million dollar fine.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – An Audubon County man was sentenced on April 18, 2023, to 60 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

On September 15, 2022, Audubon County Sheriff’s Department, Atlantic Police Department, Audubon Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Department, and Iowa State Patrol, responded to a call of shots fired. Deputies found Adam Lee Karstens, 41, standing outside the residence by a locked pickup truck. A search of the vehicle revealed a nine-millimeter Taurus handgun with an obliterated serial number underneath the driver’s seat. Karstens was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction. Karstens must serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – April 19, 2023 – Drivers who travel on Interstate 29 and Pottawattamie County Road G-12 near Loveland need to be aware of an upcoming concrete paving project that may slow down their trip beginning on Wednesday, April 26 until Friday, June 2, weather permitting.

During this bridge closure, drivers on southbound I-29 wanting to access eastbound Pottawattamie County Road G-12 (exit 72) will travel south to the Honey Creek interchange (exit 66), turn north onto northbound I-29, and exit at Pottawattamie County Road G-12 (exit 72) where they can travel east.

Drivers on northbound I-29 who wish to travel west on Pottawattamie County Road G-12 (exit 72) will travel north to the Missouri Valley interchange (exit 71), turn onto southbound I-29, and exit at Pottawattamie County Road G-12 (exit 72) where they can travel west.