DES MOINES, IA – Officials with AFSCME Council 61 members in Iowa, announced their endorsement on Saturday, of  Lanon Baccam for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. The announcement came at Principal Park, during an Iowa Cubs baseball game.

Todd Copley, President of AFSCME Council 61, stated, “Lanon Baccam embodies the values that AFSCME Council 61 stands for. His commitment to lowering everyday costs for families, protecting Social Security and Medicare, standing up for reproductive rights, and revitalizing our small towns makes him the ideal candidate for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District.”

Melissa Speed, Political Director of AFSCME Council 61, added, “Lanon Baccam not only understands the challenges facing Iowans, especially in rural communities, but he’s also a candidate who actually has solutions—unlike Zach Nunn, who seems more interested in playing political games than in tackling the real issues. Lanon’s dedication to creating good-paying jobs, ensuring healthcare access, and fighting for public employees’ rights makes him the leader we are proud to support.”

Lanon Baccam addressed the attendees, emphasizing his commitment to labor rights, public service, and the well-being of Iowa’s working families. He spoke of his work under former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack at the USDA and his recent efforts to expand high-speed internet access in rural areas—key to creating good-paying jobs and lowering costs for families.

Image from AFSCME Council 61 press release

Baccam outlined key points of his campaign:

• Supporting Public Employees: Baccam advocates for public employees’ rights and fair treatment, supporting broader protections under National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) standards over the restrictive Iowa Code Chapter 20.
• An Economy that Works for Iowans: Baccam stressed the need to lower the cost of living while creating good-paying jobs, particularly in small towns and rural communities.
• Fighting for Small Towns and Rural Communities: He is dedicated to revitalizing these areas, supporting family farms, and ensuring access to healthcare and jobs without extensive travel.
• Standing up for Reproductive Rights: Baccam is a strong advocate for women’s reproductive rights and has pledged to fight against a national abortion ban.
• Protecting Social Security and Medicare: Baccam emphasized the importance of protecting these programs to help seniors manage rising costs.
• Bringing Iowans Together: He called for unity in a time of deep polarization, stressing the need for leaders who will serve their communities and work across divides.

In closing, Todd Copley remarked, “Our union stands united behind Lanon Baccam because he stands for us. We need leaders who will fight for working families and strengthen our communities. Lanon Baccam is that leader, and together, we will build a brighter future for Iowa.”

DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn, a Republican from Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, Thursday, introduced a bipartisan bill to reduce excessive paperwork for small businesses. The Protect Small Business from Excessive Paperwork Act, which is co-led by U.S. Representatives Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), French Hill (AR-02), and Sharice Davids (KS-03), will make it easier for Main Street businesses to comply with federal law and reporting requirements.

“Iowa’s economy is driven by small businesses – more than half of Iowans are employed by Main Street,” said Rep. Nunn. “Bureaucrats in D.C. sit in their ivory towers, demanding businesses comply with onerous red tape, without considering the burden it puts on businesses. We must do everything we can to roll back unnecessary regulations and simplify requirements for job creators while still following the law.”

In 2020, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act to establish new beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements for businesses to root out nefarious shell companies operated by foreign adversaries. However, during implementation, the U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) failed to notify small businesses of the new reporting requirements. According to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), 80% of NFIB members had never heard of the new reporting requirements.Rep. Nunn hosted FinCEN Director Gacki in Des Moines on May 31, 2024 to host a small business roundtable to discuss the new BOI requirements. During the event, Director Gacki reported that only 2 million out of approximately 32.6 million small businesses had filed their reports.

Despite the lack of filings under the new requirements, FinCEN has refused to extend the deadline, leaving millions of small business owners at risk of a $591 daily fine and up to two years in jail. According to the National Small Business Association, the average small business owner will spend nearly $8,000 to comply with these new reporting requirements.

The bipartisan Protect Small Business from Excessive Paperwork Act extends the filing deadline until December 31, 2025 for small businesses while the Treasury Department educates businesses on the new reporting requirements and ensures small businesses are not overburdened with unclear and unnecessarily complicated new regulations.

Text of the bill can be found here. 

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) — The University of Northern Iowa will welcome its first group of nursing students in fall 2024. KCRG reports the college renovated its Innovative Teaching and Technology Center into nursing classrooms and labs. UNI said its new program comes as a response to the state of Iowa’s lack of nurses. All across the country, hospitals floors are closing, surgeries are delayed and people are waiting longer for care, due to a nursing shortage. UNI’s Executive Director of Nursing, Nancy Kertz, said there are about 8,000 positions for Registered Nurses [In Iowa] that are shown online.  UNI said it hopes to fill some of those positions when its students graduate the program.

The new space will provide students with hands-on experience. The new simulation labs feature simulator mannequins that are similar to real human patients. Their chests move when they breathe, blink, cough or even groan in pain. A camera in the labs will record a student’s performance as well, so they can review and improve their skills. The university hopes to not only teach the actual skills required for nursing but also help them develop their clinical judgement.

The construction of the nursing space has three phases. The first phase is complete, and the planning for the next phrase has started. UNI will rollout its nursing program gradually, bringing in about 25 students in fall 2024 and adding more each semester.

CRESTON, Iowa – Aug. 1, 2024 – If you travel on westbound Interstate 80 near the Jordan Creek Parkway interchange (exit 121) you need to be aware of upcoming overnight construction work that may slow down your trip. The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston Construction Office reports the DOT needs to close the roadway overnight from the Jordan Creek Parkway interchange (exit 121) to the Grand Prairie Parkway interchange (exit 118) to allow the contractor to work on bridge deck repair and concrete patching. Due to weather delays, this has been rescheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5, until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, weather permitting.

While the roadway is closed, you will follow a marked detour route that will use Jordan Creek Parkway, University Avenue, and Grand Prairie Parkway (see map).

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — Some Iowans will not see their local temperature and dew point weather reports because several weather tracking sensors across Iowa are disabled. In western Iowa, that includes the Denison and Carroll Airports.  The Federal Aviation Administration released new guidelines on July 2 that require malfunctioning Automated Weather Observing Systems, or AWOS, located at airports to be disabled.

There are 61 AWOSs at airports in Iowa. Seventeen are managed by the FAA, while 44 are operated by the Iowa Department of Transportation. These sites’ primary function is to track meteorological data such as wind speed, air pressure, temperature, and dew points to guide pilots; however, weather data is shared with the public and often used for local weather reports.

Currently, 12 weather tracking sites are not reporting temperature or dew point for the area. A full map of the weather tracking sites can be found here. Iowa DOT Aviation Director Tim McClung told KCCI, that prior to July 2, the DOT was only required to report if a site was producing inaccurate data. Now, if they must disable the sensor entirely along with issuing a report to pilots.

There is no danger to aircraft from the disabled sensors.  McClung said for aviation, they can map out general weather conditions, despite some sensors being down, that are sufficient for guiding aircraft. However, he said it is inconvenient for people who are looking at the sensors for weather reports. McClung said the technicians at the DOT are working hard to get the site back up as soon as possible but expects it will be a rolling cycle of sensors coming on and off over the next several months.

They are currently directing their focus on the offline sensors in Boone, Webster City, and Carroll because those locations are close together and all malfunctioning. The disabled sensors are expected to continue for several months as the DOT adapts to the policy change. McClung said the sensors they need to replace are currently backlogged, which has led to more delays.

He said the cooler weather in the fall and winter, combined with more time to get new sensors, should bring most of the sites back online. Below is a list of the sensors not currently reporting temperature or dew point:

• Denison
• Carroll
• Perry
• Webster City
• Fort Dodge
• Clarion
• Boone
• Fort Madison
• Keokuk
• Muscatine
• Vinton
• Grinnell

DES MOINES— Gov. Kim Reynolds, Friday, announced the approval of Monona County for Individual Assistance, and Harrison, Monona, Pocahontas, Winneshiek, and Wright Counties for Public Assistance for emergency protective measures and permanent work under the previously approved Major Disaster Declaration, FEMA DR-4796-IA, for Iowa counties where significant damage was sustained from severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes that occurred June 16, 2024, and continuing.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance Program is already activated for the following counties related to this incident: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Humboldt, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Sioux, and Woodbury Counties.

The following counties were previously activated for emergency protective measures under Public Assistance and have been approved for the addition of permanent work: Lyon, and Osceola. Monona County residents are now eligible for the Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program, along with Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Humboldt, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Sioux, and Woodbury counties.

This program is available to survivors whose homes were majorly damaged, destroyed, or deemed not habitable in counties currently under a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for both FEMA Individual and Public Assistance.

For more information on disaster-related programs and resources available to Iowans, visit DisasterRecovery.iowa.gov.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch/ Washington, D-C) – Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley penned letters this week to SafeSport and USA Gymnastics demanding answers to why the agencies have done so little to protect Olympic athletes. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports also, Iowa lawmakers also introduced bills aimed at increasing small-scale poultry processing, reducing paperwork for small businesses and preventing sexual assault on college campuses. Here’s what Iowa’s congressional delegation was doing in the last week before a month-long recess:

Grassley calls on SafeSport and USA Gymnastics to protect Olympic athletes from abusers

Grassley sent letters to the CEOs of SafeSport and USA Gymnastics demanding they take greater steps to protect Olympic athletes from abusers. His letters come amid the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles and Aly Raisman testified in September 2021 before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about failures that enabled the sexual abuse committed by the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar. SafeSport, a government agency designed to investigate Olympic athlete abuse, and USA Gymnastics can provide protective measures against individuals who are under investigation for the alleged physical or emotional abuse of athletes, according to Grassley. However, an internal SafeSport report revealed the agency only imposed protective measures on 5% of individuals under investigation.

To USA Gymnastics CEO Li Li Leung, Grassley is asking for data on the number of times they imposed restrictions due to SafeSport investigations, declined to impose restrictions from a SafeSport investigation, internal policies on when they will impose a restriction and policies for an athlete to request restrictions against an individual. Grassley brought up allegations of USA Gymnastics ignoring reports of children being slapped, dragged by the neck and kicked while the child was injured. To the SafeSport CEO, Grassley asked why the agency has decreased its use of protective measures, what efforts the agency has made to inform governing bodies what they can do amid a pending investigation as well as what metrics are used to assess the seriousness of an allegation and the risk posed by an individual.  Grassley said in the press release that SafeSport delaying or avoiding punishments of alleged abusers despite numerous warnings of their danger shows the agency needs change.

He also asked for data on the number of protective measures taken since June 2020, how long have the 120 cases opened for more than two years been pending investigation and how many times has the agency eased restrictions placed on individuals by national governing bodies.

Olympic gold medalist Simon Biles testifies Sept. 15, 2021, before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee with fellow gymnasts about sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, former USA Gymnastics doctor. (Screen shot from U.S. Senate livestream)

Feenstra seeks an increase in small-scale poultry processing

Rep. Randy Feenstra introduced a bill to allow poultry processing plants to perform regular slaughter and custom exempt slaughter at the same facility. Custom exempt slaughter allows livestock owners to operate without federal inspection if the slaughter is exclusively for the use of the livestock owner or the owner’s family, guests or employees. “Due to outdated laws, Iowa farmers oftentimes travel long distances to have their broilers and turkeys slaughtered and processed – this must change,” Feenstra said in a press release. “By encouraging local processing and slaughter of poultry, we can deliver fresher products more quickly to consumers, eliminate unnecessary headaches and additional expenses for our producers, and strengthen our agricultural economy in Iowa.” If passed, the bill would amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act which would allow poultry producers to increase the availability of local poultry processing options.

Nunn bill would exempt small businesses from new reporting law

A bill introduced by Rep. Zach Nunn would exempt small businesses from the reporting requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act. The Corporate Transparency Act is designed to root out shell companies operating outside of the country, however, Nunn said in a press release that the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) failed to adequately notify small businesses of the change. FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki said in a small business roundtable that only 2 million out of over 32 million small businesses had filed the new reports, according to Nunn’s press release. A survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Businesses revealed that 80% of members had never heard of new requirements. Nunn said in the press release that changes are needed to remove unnecessary red tape for small businesses and protect small businesses from fines and potential jail time for failing to adhere to the reporting requirements. Failure to complete the reporting requirements will result in a $591 fine daily and up to two years in jail, according to the press release.

Grassley, Gillibrand push for bill to combat campus sexual assault

Grassley and New York Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand reintroduced a bill aimed at ensuring access to sexual assault prevention and education resources on college campuses. The bill, known as the Campus Safety and Accountability Act (CASA), would require colleges on their website to post campus safety policies, an annual security report, instructions for filing a complaint and data on sexual misconduct allegations on campus. “Our bill is a coordinated approach to addressing incidents of sexual assault on college campuses. It would inform university protocols for handling reports, while also strengthening recovery resources for survivors and empowering them to know their rights,” Grassley said in a press release. CASA would also provide more protections from university punishments when students’ reports include uses of self-defense, drugs or alcohol.

The bill also requires universities to name specialists who would act as confidential aides for survivors and expand the Violence Against Women Act’s campus grant program to address sexual harassment on campus.

Officials with MidAmerican Energy, on Friday, said crews were able to restore service within 24 hours to 99.9% of the 90,000 customers impacted by this week’s string of severe thunderstorms. The severe weather produced storms with wind gusts of more than 60 miles per hour and significant lightning causing large pockets of substantial tree damage, downed wires and broken poles.

MidAmerican and contractor line crews, along with tree crews, began restoration immediately, making safe and efficient progress as each round of weather passed. Early in the week, when the forecast for potential weather impacts became clear, additional contractor crews were secured from Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. MidAmerican crews from nonimpacted areas also traveled to support the restoration efforts in the Sioux City, Council Bluffs and Des Moines areas.

“Despite an extremely active storm season this year, MidAmerican crews and contractors have worked tirelessly to quickly and safely restore power to our customers,” Nick Nation, senior vice president of delivery at MidAmerican, said. “We understand how much our customers count on us to get the job done, and we are prepared to do just that, even when there is a new storm every night.”

“While we were able to restore nearly every customer’s power in less than 24 hours, multiple storms throughout the week hitting the same areas takes its toll, and we are so grateful to our customers for their patience and support of our crews,” he continued.

According to National Weather Service data, this year Iowa has had the second-most tornadoes and severe thunderstorms recorded to date.

(CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa) – A Monona County, Iowa man was sentenced Friday (August 2, 2024), to 16 years in federal prison. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says 35-year-old Allen Jones, of Ute, received the prison term after a March 19, 2024, guilty plea to kidnapping.

Evidence in the case revealed on July 7, 2023, Jones called his employer and stated his car would not start and that he needed a ride to work. Jones supervisor instructed a co-worker to pick up Jones at his residence. When the co-worker pulled into the driveway, Jones lured the co-worker into the garage, pointed a loaded shotgun at him, and said we are “going for a ride.” Jones held his victim at gunpoint, forced him into his (Jones’s) car, and ordered him to drive to a near-by casino. Jones told his victim that he planned “to shoot up the casino” and use the victim as a human shield.

On the way to the casino, Jones instructed the victim to change course, because he wanted to confront a former girlfriend before he committed the mass-shooting. Near Mapleton, Iowa, Jones further directed his victim to stop at a gas station, go into the store, and buy him food and beer. Jones warned his victim not to try to escape. The victim entered the store, selected some items, held them up to the window for Jones to see, but then set the items down and fled out of the back of the store. The victim ran alongside a storage unit, across a field, struggled across the Maple River, crossed another field, and ran onto an airfield where the victim found help.

When law enforcement arrived, they learned Jones had left the gas station on foot. Jones was located and arrested. On his person Monona County Sherriff’s Deputies located methamphetamine and in the truck they located the loaded shotgun. A subsequent search of Jones’ home revealed additional firearms, ammunition, various prescription pills, methamphetamine, and other items of contraband.

Jones has a lengthy criminal history including a 2013 federal conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and a history of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine use.

Jones was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Jones was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Jones is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Iowa State Patrol, Monona County Sherriff’s Office, and the United States Department of Justice-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.