(Radio Iowa) – Two key Republican lawmakers say they may consider getting rid of Iowa’s Bottle Bill if the legislature can’t agree on how to fix it this year. Republican Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig led debate last week of a bill that makes changes in the system for redeeming nickel deposits on empty bottles and cans.

“It’s to the point where I think a whole lot of people agree that if we can’t get something done this year, next year we need to be looking at repeal,” Schultz says, “and just waiting for people to demand that we put something back in place and see what that looks like.” A bill eligible for House debate would make some of the same changes as the Senate-passed legislation. Both would let grocery stores to stop accepting empty bottles and cans, continue to let beverage distributors keep the money from unredeemed containers and increase funding for redemption centers.

Republican Representative Brian Lohse of Bondurant has been leading House negotiations on the future of the Bottle Bill.  “I’ll be honest, I’ve wanted to repeal this thing for four year but you know I think at some point we have to do something,” Lohse says. “I would like to try to fix it, but if we can’t fix it, this thing is going to implode on itself and it’s just time to repeal it.”

Lohse and Schultz made their comments today (Monday) on Iowa Public Radio’s “River to River” program.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports the graduation on Friday, April 1st, of the 46th Basic Academy. The event took place at the Stony Creek Hotel Northwoods Conference Center, in Johnston. The ceremony recognized a graduating class of 18 recruits who previously served as certified officers in law enforcement agencies across Iowa before entering the Academy on January 24, 2022. Lieutenant Matthew Struecker served as Camp Commander.

Conducted at Camp Dodge, the 10-week Academy training focused on completing law enforcement coursework on laws of arrest, search and seizure, defensive tactics, arrest techniques, precision driving, firearms, emergency management services, fair and impartial policing, criminal law, accident investigation, human relations, physical fitness, human trafficking, motor vehicle law, domestic violence, crisis intervention for mentally ill and several other courses in law enforcement.

The ceremony was streamed live on the Iowa State Patrol’s Facebook page. From southwest Iowa, 46th Basic Academy graduates are assigned the following badge numbers, and will serve Iowans in the following areas:

Dustin Gelner #105 – Iowa State Patrol District   3

Trooper Gelnar and Commissioner Bayens

Tyler Shiels #300 – Iowa State Patrol District   3

Trooper Sheils and Commissioner Bayens

Trooper Gelner formerly served with the Atlantic Police Department. Trooper Shiels previously served with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are extremely proud of these graduates and grateful to them for choosing to answer the call with the State of Iowa,” said Stephan K. Bayens, Commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety. “At this point in history, I believe it is the most important time to be a law enforcement officer. There’s divisiveness, brokenness, and crime is on the rise. I cannot think of a more significant time for men and women to step up and bridge that gap, and I thank them for it,” Bayens added.

Graduates of the 46th DPS Academy, 4-1-22

The Page County Sheriff’s Department reports on April 1st, deputies arrested 25-year-old Dean Anthoney Brooms, of Shenandoah. Brooms was taken into custody at the Sheriff’s Office, on a Page County Warrant for Probation Violation -sentencing charge of Child Endangerment.

He was booked into the Page County Jail on $2,000 Cash-only bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests from over the past week. On Sunday, deputies arrested 38-year-old Trent Suhr, of Walnut, for Driving While Revoked.  Suhr was later released after posting bond. Last Saturday, 23-year-old Phoenix Shadden, of Atlantic, was arrested in Cass County, for OWI 1^st Offense.  Shadden was later released on his own recognizance.

On March 31^st, 2022, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 40-year-old Jesse Noah, of Atlantic, for Public Intoxication.  He too, was later released on his own recognizance. And, on March 30th, 31-year-old Eric Vannausdle, of Red Oak, was arrested for Theft 2^nd Degree and Driving While Revoked. Vannausdle was being held in the Cass County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is a “no” on President Biden’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Grassley says he and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson have fundamentally different views on the role judges should play in our system of government. He says Jackson’s approach to criminal law and sentencing is too lenient. Grassley says the Senate’s Democraitc Leader opposed Republican President George W. Bush’s nominees to the high court on ideology alone, so Grassley says that means he and other Republicans in the Senate no longer need to defer to a Democratic president’s choices for the Supreme Court and vote yes if that person is qualified.

Grassley and the rest of the Senate Judiciary Committee are voting on Judge Jackson today (Monday). The full Senate will vote on the nomination this week.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report the arrest of a local man, last Saturday. Authorities say 49-year-old Allen Emert, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Emert was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa District 20 Republican Representative Ray Sorensen, from Greenfield, today (Monday), issued a report to his constituents summarizing last week’s – Week 12 – legislative activity and what’s ahead for this week. Soresensen they are promptly diving in on the 13th, and are “…whittling through the remaining budgets and bills and hope to finish up this General Assembly sometime this month.” He said “A couple of bill ideas are hanging around, including ESAs (Education Savings Accounts) and the Bottle Bill. They are ideas that have been around for a while and have taken many forms. The Senate has passed a version of both bills off their floor. This means we take them up as is, and amend if deemed necessary, or we pass our versions of those bills for them to take up, or we defer and pass neither.”

Ray Sorensen said he held legislative forums last Saturday, and commented on the lack of civil discourse. “Can I say (and I include myself in this) it would be great if we worked on having civil discussions about policies and politics with folks we disagree with.” He said that “Seems to be a lost art. We’ve locked ourselves in our echo chambers and become immediately offended and angered when presented with an opposing view.” His guess, he said, “Is that we’ve attached our identities to political parties and issues. Your recourse with politicians is your voice and your vote, but tell me what does yelling, losing your temper, and hurling insults do?”

Sorensen said he knew ESAs would continue to be a big issue and that he’s lobbied extensively on both sides of the issue from folks across the state. “I had one legis forum date left” he said, “and thought I’d shake it up and bring in someone to my forums in favor of the ESA bill to stir up some extended and deeper discussion on it. Walt Rogers, who was the former Education Committee Chairman, and who has been, and still is a proponent of the ESA proposal, gave a presentation as to the intent of the bill, who benefits, how the numbers shake out, etc. I think great points where made all around.” The “One thing that stuck with [him], is digging further to figure out the discrepancy in what the actual cost per pupil is, as neither side gave way on that point.”

“The current bottle deposit and redemption system in Iowa has developed problems since its inception. One primary issue is the lack of redemption centers and viable and convenient options for redeeming cans and bottles. Parties on all sides of the issue are ignoring the law without any consequences. The Senate has passed a version of the bottle bill, and currently we are waiting to pass the House version.” Representative Sorensen said he “will keep you up to date on where we end up.”

“This [past] week,” he said, “we passed our education budget proposal on the House floor that appropriates $1,004,141,874 in General Fund dollars. We proposed a new innovative funding approach for Iowa’s Regent Universities to help address Iowa’s workforce crisis. The bill provides $12 million for scholarships for students preparing to fill high-need jobs. The students in their junior and senior years of qualifying programs will receive scholarships of $5,000 per year. This money is on top of the Regent’s usual general fund appropriation.”

Sorensen said also, “The State and Regent Universities will be better partners in addressing the state’s workforce needs as this new funding will incentivize the regents to recruit more students to the jobs we need here in Iowa.” Representative Ray Sorensen can be reached at Ray.Sorensen@legis.Iowa.gov.