DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate sent a letter to U.S Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi today (Monday) asking her to respect Iowa’s bipartisan election and recount process, State of Iowa law, and the official state certification of Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ election as U.S. House representative for Iowa’s Second Congressional District.

In the letter, Pate said “Iowans take their voting very seriously and I firmly believe we are the best state in the nation for civic engagement. Despite the pandemic, the people of Iowa made their voices heard in record numbers in 2020, both in the June primary and November general election.”  Pate added, “I’m extremely proud of the way our voters, poll workers and county election officials stepped up”

He mentions also, “Our state had the closest U.S. House race in the country, with Mariannette Miller-Meeks defeating Rita Hart. Following a recount in all 24 counties in the Second Congressional District, Miller-Meeks won by six votes. The general election and recounts were conducted in a bipartisan manner. There are 12 Republican county auditors and 12 Democratic county auditors in the Second District. Bipartisan teams of precinct election officials staffed the polling places and processed the absentee ballots” Pate says the recount boards in all 24 counties were bipartisan, comprised of one representative from the Miller-Meeks campaign, one representative from the Hart campaign, and a third member who was agreed upon by the other two representatives or appointed by a district court judge. The Hart campaign signed off on the recount procedures and results in all 24 counties.”

Pate tells Pelosi, “Following the recount, the bipartisan State Canvassing Board unanimously accepted the results and officially certified the election. At the end of this bipartisan process, Mariannette Miller-Meeks won: 196,964-196,958. Iowa law provides for a nonpartisan process if a candidate for federal office wishes to contest the results of an election. A panel of Iowa District Court judges, presided over and appointed by the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, hears the contest and delivers a ruling. Both my office and the Supreme Court were ready, willing, and able to facilitate a fair and thorough contest process. Every step of the way, the administration of Iowa’s elections is either bipartisan or nonpartisan.”

“Unfortunately,” he said, “Rita Hart chose to bypass the nonpartisan Iowa process and take her challenge to the U.S. House of Representatives where her political party has the power to grant her a seat she did not win. Ms. Hart…” he said, “has stated that her reason for failing to give Iowans a voice in this process is that Iowa law does not allow for sufficient time to review her claims. That assertion is in stark contrast to the fact that Iowa’s Judicial Branch has always gone above and beyond to issue expeditious rulings in cases concerning election law.” Pate says The Hart campaign should have exhausted all state avenues before asking a federal chamber controlled by her party to make the final determination. Iowans should have the final say in all Iowa elections, not Washington, D.C. politicians.”

Secretary Pate concluded by saying to Speaker Pelosi, “Now, Rita Hart is asking you to “depart from Iowa law” and give her an election victory she did not earn. I strongly urge you to reject any attempts to overturn the will of Iowa voters. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is the official U.S. House Representative for Iowa’s Second District and is serving the district capably. Let her continue to do the job Iowans elected her to do.”

You can view the full letter by clicking here.

WASHINGTON—The Office of Senator Joni Ernst says “After Democrats tucked a little-known provision into their $1.9 trillion “COVID relief” bill that would ban states, like Iowa, from cutting state taxes, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is backing legislation to reverse the provision. According to Ernst, “The Democrats’ partisan, nearly $2 trillion ‘COVID relief’ package rewards states that have mismanaged their budgets while punishing those who have acted responsibly during this pandemic. It’s no surprise that this rushed bill also prevents states—like Iowa—from cutting taxes for its hardworking taxpayers. We shouldn’t punish states, and our working families, for prioritizing fiscal responsibility, and this commonsense legislation will repeal this ill-conceived provision that infringes on states’ rights.”

Governor Kim Reynolds said “Iowa’s fiscal health is strong and we are cutting taxes so that Iowans can keep more of their hard-earned money, but unfortunately our approach is in jeopardy because of what’s happening in Washington, D.C.” She added, “Biden’s stimulus plan is full of reckless spending with strings attached aimed at bailing out mismanaged states and cities. I appreciate Senator Ernst taking the lead on the State Fiscal Flexibility Act to help prevent the federal government from slowing down Iowa’s economic recovery.”

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment rate is again near where it was before the pandemic hit more than a year ago, but the state’s leisure and hospitality industry now employs 25-thousand fewer people than it did in February of 2020. Jessica Dunker, president of the Iowa Restaurant Association, says many businesses that scaled back to follow health precautions are now looking to bring workers back. Dunker says, “If April 5th offers everything it promises to, which is allowing any Iowan who wants to be able get vaccinated the opportunity to go find an appointment, we expect a summer that will be vibrant and busy and really help us on the path to recovery.”

Job numbers in the industry may not add up to what they were before because Dunker says many restaurants are doing more take-out, which requires fewer workers. She says public health restrictions were a critical blow, but there is growing optimism as businesses reopen their patios and more people become vaccinated.  “As vaccines get out there, people are coming back out, the weather is warming, carry-out and delivery is now an integral part of what we’re doing,” Dunker says, “and so for restaurants and bars that made it to the other side, the future looks bright.”

Employment in all industries was down by more than 80,000 in Iowa from February of 2020 to February of 2021. While the greatest decline in job numbers from a year ago is in leisure and hospitality, that’s followed by education and health services, and government.

(By Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)

The 8:05-a.m. News w/Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston report three arrests. On Sunday, 26-year-old Ashley Starlin, of Creston, was arrested at around 1:50-a.m. for OWI/1st offense. She was later released from the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond. And, 48-year-old Eric Shawler, of Creston, was arrested at his residence for Domestic Abuse Assault with the Intent to Inflict Serious Injury. He was later released from the Adams County Jail, on a $2,000 bond.

On Saturday, 66-year-old Vernon Loudon, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.

The News at 7:07-a.m. from News Director Ric Hanson.

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KCCI reports a recent Iowa Poll reports a majority of Iowans who would be in favor of legalizing marijuana. The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll was conducted between March 7 and March 10 and 775 Iowans participated. It reports 54% were in favor of legalizing marijuana, 39% were opposed and 6% were unsure. The results were similar to the March 2020 Iowa Poll.

The poll also asked participants about expanding the medical marijuana program in the state. Of the participants, 78% said the program should include more diseases and conditions, 14% opposed the expansion, and 7% were unsure. There was a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

(Updated 10:30-a.m., 3/29) – Police in Newton have released the name of a man who’s body was found Sunday morning, in a creek. The remains of 47-year-old Gregory Jayson Zwick, of Newton were discovered on the bank of a creek at around 10-a.m. in the 1400 block of South Fourth Avenue. An investigation is continues. Authorities say while there were no apparent indications of foul play, the cause of death was unknown, pending the results of an autopsy.

(Radio Iowa) – House Speaker Pat Grassley says a House committee is likely to debate a bill this week that’s designed to boost the use of ethanol in Iowa. Grassley says both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations have not always been the best friends of the ethanol industry. “We need to stand up and send a message to the country that we’re going to do what we have to do in the state of Iowa to also promote the product,” Grassley says.

Grassley describes the core of the bill as providing incentives to retailers to install new gas pumps that can dispense ethanol-blended fuels. “We’re not making those complete investments, but being a partner in that, to make sure that we can continue to promote it,” Grassley says.

Earlier this year, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds suggested a proposed renewable fuels standard for Iowa to require all retailers to offer at least a 10 percent ethanol blend — and require any new pumps installed be designed to dispense fuel that includes ethanol. Iowa’s convenience stores and gas stations have lobbied against that mandate.

(Radio Iowa/KCCI) – Iowa State University officials say a boat with five members of I-S-U’s Crew Club capsized Sunday morning on Little Wall Lake. Three students were rescued, transferred to the hospital in Ames and released. A dive team recovered one body from the water later on Sunday. The search for a fifth team member was suspended at 8 p.m. Sunday and will resume this (Monday) morning. Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Timmons credits nearby residents for being heroes in the initial response.

According to the Iowa State Crew Club’s website, the team regularly practices at Little Wall Lake, which is two miles south of Jewell. The Hamilton County sheriff says several state and county agencies responded after a 9-1-1 call came in from the scene at about 9:30 Sunday. “At the time that the call came in, there were pretty good northwest winds,” Timmons says, “we’re guessing anywhere from 20-25 mile and hour winds and the lake was pretty rough.”

Little Wall Lake covers 249 acres and is about a 20 minute drive from the I-S-U campus. In a written statement, Iowa State president Wendy Wintersteen said the campus community is heartbroken to learn of this tragic accident and the university is focused on providing support to club members, their families and friends.