(Radio Iowa) – The “State of Tobacco Control” report issued by the Iowa American Lung Association shows the state’s grades have not changed from last year. Association advocacy director, Kristina Hamilton, says there has been one recent improvement in tobacco prevention. She says Iowa’s Medicaid program now provides a comprehensive quit smoking benefit. “This is something that the Lung Association is very excited about, because it provides new opportunities to help smokers on Medicaid quit,” she says.

The state received an F grade for providing access to services to help people quit tobacco prior to the recent change. The report also gives Iowa an F grade for ending the sale of flavored tobacco products, the level of state tobacco taxes, and the amount of funding of tobacco prevention programs. “Despite receiving over 265 million dollars from tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes in Iowa — the state only funds tobacco control efforts at 17-point-one percent of the level that the C-D-C recommends,” Hamilton says. “So, we really want to at a minimum protect the four million dollars in tobacco control funding at the state level.”

The one area where the state gets an A grade is the Smokefree Air Law. “Our smoke-free air law it is very strong, we just want to see the loophole closed for casinos,” Hamilton says. Currently, smoking is allowed in restricted areas within casinos and we would like to see that loophole closed to protect workers and patrons.” Hamilton says they would also like to see E-cigarettes defined and taxed as tobacco products. “We are very concerned about the use of electronic cigarettes among youth. Those rates have risen in past years and we are very concerned about that,” she says.

She says smoking rates have dropped from 25 percent 20 years ago when they first did the report to below 16 percent now. “Smoking rates are still high among men, indigenous people, L-G-B-T people, and people of lower socioeconomic status. So, we still have to remain vigilant and we definitely have made a huge dent in smoking rates in the state of Iowa,” Hamilton says.

She says tobacco use remains our leading cause of preventable death and disease.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report 31-year-old Benjamin Wyatt Barnes, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4:20-p.m. Wednsday, in the 100 block of W. Coolbaugh Street, on a Montgomery County warrant. Barnes was wanted for Violation of the Sex Offender Registry, 2nd or subsequent offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic High School Large Group Speech team competed at the District level at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln on Saturday, January 22nd. All ten groups (Varsity and Freshman teams) received a Division 1 rating and will advance to State contest on Saturday, February 5th at West Des Moines Valley High School.

Coaches Trisha Niceswanger and Brandon Baggett are very excited about last weekend’s results. Niceswanger says “It is a huge accomplishment for all ten of our entries to earn a 1 and advance to State! I am really looking forward to how we can improve on our pieces and compete again in two weeks.” (Photos courtesy Coach Niceswanger)

Baggett adds “I have really enjoyed working with this year’s group of students. Our experienced competitors have improved dramatically and our freshmen have some serious potential. It is an exciting time to be involved with the speech program.”

District Results are as follows:

Clarinda, Iowa – The Iowa Dept. of Corrections said Wednesday evening, that 59-year-old Kenneth Louis Howell Jr., who was serving a 35-year maximum sentence for the crimes of Prohibited Acts — Manufacture, Delivery, Possession from Lee County, died late Sunday night at the Clarinda Regional Health Center. Officials his death was likely due to complications related to COVID-19 and other preexisting medical conditions

An autopsy will be completed by the State Medical Examiner. Howell Jr. began his sentence on October 16, 2018.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senate Republicans have released a tax plan to lower the state income tax to three-point-six percent within five years. Governor Reynolds has proposed a four percent rate within four years. A mechanism in the bill could eventually eliminate personal income taxes altogether. Senate G-O-P Leader Jack Whitver.

“Really, we’re in a position where we can’t afford not to do tax cuts. This is important for the everyday Iowan,” Whitver says. “…Their bills are going up and we’re trying to put more money in their pockets.” The Senate GOP bill includes Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposal to eliminate taxes on retirement income and provides a tax break for retired farmers. Whitver of Ankeny says when fully implemented, the plan will reduce state income taxes by two BILLION dollars.

“We think this is really important to keep good on our promise to return an overcollection of tax dollars back to the people of Iowa,” Whitver says. The plan cuts the corporate income tax rate along with changes to reduce tax credits and exemptions for businesses by 140 million dollars. Whitver says it’s an attempt to reform how corporations are taxed.

“We want to have a real conversation in Iowa about what that rate should be and can we lower that rate if we get rid of all those special interest carve outs,” Whitver says. “Your rate shouldn’t depend on how many lobbyists you have here at the Capitol to get you those carve outs and we want to lower it for everybody.”The plan includes a maneuver that reclassifies local option sales taxes as a statewide tax. Whitver says the move would let lawmakers put other state funds in the voter-approved by long empty account voters approved in 2010 to pay for water quality and outdoor recreation projects.

“We’re not going to raise the sales tax. We’re going to work within the parameters that we already have in place,” Whitver says. “We wanted to start that conversation and we’ll see where that conversation goes.” House Republicans plan to release their own tax plan soon and promise it will not raise taxes for any Iowan. The Senate’s Democratic leader says the plan Republicans in the Senate have released will result in higher taxes overall and cuts to state services.