(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa legislature has approved the governor’s recommendation that sentences be hiked for fentanyl-related crimes. The bill passed the House four weeks ago on a 91-to-three and Tuesday night the Senate approved it — 41-to-nine. Those convicted of a crime with 50 or more grams of fentanyl or a related substance could be sentenced to up to 50 years in prison. Senator Jeff Reichman, a Republican from Montrose, says fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times stronger than morphine.

“In 2022, the (Drug Enforcement Agency) seized enough fentanyl to kill every single American,” Reichman says. Fentanyl is now the leading cause of overdoses in America and opioid-involved deaths in Iowa have increase by 45 percent since 2019. “Sadly the majority of these deaths are accidental because of counterfeit prescription pills that are being laced with lethal overdoses,” Reichman says. Senator Janice Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, voted against the bill.

“Increasing penalties feels great,” Weiner said. “We do it a lot, but it doesn’t really help Iowans who are struggling with opioid use disorder.” Weiner says fentanyl is a scourge and there’s already another synthetic opioid showing up in American cities. The bill significantly increases the penalty for making or supplying a drug that leads to a fatal overdose. Weiner questions the effectiveness of that, too.

“I really would love for us to focus on helping people with the disorder because putting someone behind bars after someone’s already dead isn’t really going to help them.” The bill also would let more Iowans distribute doses of naloxone, the drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. State data indicates at least 235 Iowans died of opioid-related causes last year.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday evening and held a public hearing on the proposed & published FY 2023-24 Budget. There were no written comments, but Pastor Ray Simmons from the Ascension Reformed Church, in Red Oak, appeared before the Board.

He explained the “Philosophy and the Theology of Taxation,” without which, he said “We’re simply trying to match budget requests and available dollars.” The combined taxation for roads, etc., “Should not exceed 10%, because that’s all that God asks.” He said also, “We don’t want  to keep taxes low just to be greedy, so we can keep more of our own money. We want to keep taxes low so that we can have freedom, and so that we can help those in need.” He concluded by saying property tax is ‘Unbiblical.” He also prayed the the divine spirit give the Board “Wisdom.”

The budget — in effect from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 – calls for a tax rate of $8.14979/$1,000 taxable valuation for Urban Areas, and $12.72979/$1,000 taxable valuation, for Rural Areas. It was unanimously approved a following the hearing.

Montgomery County BOS mtg, 4/18/2023

The Board also acted on Compensation Board recommendations calling for 12-percent salary increases for the Auditor, Attorney, Recorder, Treasurer and Supervisors. They recommended a 15-percent increase for the Sheriff. The Supervisors reduced by half, most of the recommendations, leaving increases amounting to 6-percent for the Auditor, Attorney, Recorder,  and Treasurer, 7.5% for the Sheriff, and 4.8 % for the Supervisors.

Approved salaries effective July 1, 2023 are as follows:

Auditor- $67,478

Attorney- $66,842

Recorder- $66,842

Sheriff- $93,435

Supervisors- $28,236

Treasurer- $66,842

Board Vice-Chair Donna Robinson said during their budget discussions, they looked at many different options, “to the point of, it was brought up, the possibility this Board taking NO increase, and the next day we came back and we said ‘we felt like that was making a statement. It’s not that much of a cost savings, and we keep this as low as it is, as time goes on, there’s going to be very few people who want to run for this office.” Therefore they determined 4.8% was appropriate because of the amount of time they spend in service to the County.

County Engineer Karen Albert reported Jerico Services will not be providing dust control this year, but they hope to be back next year.

In other business, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors: set the mileage reimbursement rate for County Employees at 60.5-cents per mile; They passed Resolutions for the Opiod Settlement Assignment, with a Memorandum of Understanding the settlement funds be directed to Zion Recovery Services, Inc.; and they passed a Resolution with regard to the Destruction of Noxious Weeds. In addition, the Board approved additional heavy gauge Cato’ cable that’s needed for the approved ARPA funding network, in the amount of $1,500.

Fairfield, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports that on the afternoon of Sunday, April 9, 2023, at approximately 1:42 p.m., officers with the Fairfield Police Department responded to the 23rd Street crossing of the local East/West railroad track in response to a call of a person lying near the tracks. Upon arrival at the area in question, officers located the body of 30-year-old Cortney Heather Haynes, of Fairfield. Haynes was declared dead at the scene. The injuries observed on Haynes’ remains appeared consistent with having been struck by a moving train.

Shortly after the discovery Haynes’ remains, the Fairfield Police Department contacted the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, requesting assistance in investigating the circumstances leading to Haynes’ death. Also assisting with the investigation into the death of Haynes is the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office.

For those who feel they may have information to provide relative to the death of Haynes, please contact the Fairfield Police Department – (641) 472-4146.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a Council Bluffs man was sentenced today (Tuesday), April 18, 2023, to 48 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

Authorities say that on February 27, 2022, 38-year-old Jake Campbell was stopped driving a vehicle that was reported stolen. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a loaded Smith and Wesson firearm under the driver’s seat, along with other items belonging to Campbell. The firearm was reported stolen. Campbell was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction, and he was a methamphetamine user. Campbell 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 Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 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.

(Radio Iowa) – Forty groups that are part of the Iowa Hunger Coalition are urging Governor Reynolds to veto a bill that establishes an asset test for the food stamp program. The state would do more frequent income checks to see if Iowans remain eligible for government assistance.

E.J. Wallace, the regional advisor for the Save the Children Action Network, is among those who spoke at a news conference today in the Iowa Capitol. “We need legislation that gives families a hand up instead of knocking the chair out from under them,” he says.

Iowa Farmers Union president Aaron Lehman said SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, are important in rural Iowa. “Rural Iowa needs a strong SNAP program for us to have thriving rural communities where we can take care of all in need in times of food insecurity,” Lehman said. “In addition, farmers in rural communities receive positive economic lift from a strong SNAP program. For every dollar spent in SNAP, we estimate that there’s $1.50-$1.80 in economic activity up and down the food chain.”

Hunger Coalition event. (RI photo)

Matt Unger is CEO of the Des Moines Area Religious Council which operates 15 food pantries and a mobile pantry. Unger and the managers of other feeding programs say they’ll have to expand to feed more Iowans who are eligible for food stamps, but may lose benefits due to paperwork delays and mistakes.

“We provided assistance in March to a record 19,410 unique individuals, not to mention the first Monday and Tuesday in April were the fourth and second busiest single days in our network’s nearly 50 year history,” he said, “so you can probably understand why I’m here today to implore the governor to please veto Senate File 494.”

Governor Reynolds has not indicated whether she’ll sign the bill. The new asset test would make any household with more than $15,000 in assets that can quickly be turned into cash ineligible for food stamps. A home, a vehicle and a second vehicle worth less than $10,000 would not be included in that calculation.

(Radio Iowa) -Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is joining fellow Republicans in opposing an effort to temporarily replace Senator Diane Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee, as the California Democrat extends her leave of absence due to a bout with shingles.

Grassley denounces Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, who’s asking for a so-called “courtesy” move that would see Democrats appointing someone else to that powerful panel for a matter of several weeks. “I’m very, very skeptical that we should bow to Schumer using senatorial courtesy,” Grassley says, “when he wants to do it just for a short period of time to get very liberal judges on the bench.”

Grassley says Feinstein is being singled out because of her age. She’s 89, the same age as Grassley. “If it was a permanent replacement of Feinstein on that committee, plus all the other committees she’s on, I can understand that,” Grassley says, “but I’m not inclined to buy that argument today.” Grassley says it’s “just a cruel thing” to say Feinstein is incapable of performing her duties and he’s confident she’ll return soon. She’s already been out for six weeks and is recovering at home.

“When Democrats boast about being for women’s issues, and for older people, I don’t think they have a leg up on Republicans in regard to that, but we don’t brag about it as they do,” Grassley says. “And now they’re going after her because she’s 89 years old.”

Feinstein, the oldest current member of Congress, is about three months older than Grassley.