(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a wide ranging bill that would escalate penalties for protests that damage property and provide police with new liability from lawsuits. Fifty-five Republicans and eight Democrats voted for the package. Republican Representative Jarad Klein of Keota says the bill is a response to protests that created unsafe situations in Iowa and other parts of the country over the past year. “We know our law enforcement officers are some of the bravest men and women in our state,” Klein said. “They sign up to risk their lives to keep us safe. It is our job as Iowa legislators to minimize that risk as much as possible.”

Two Republicans and 28 Democrats opposed the bill, which does not include the anti-racial profiling proposal from Republican Governor Kim Reynolds. Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, a Democrat from Des Moines, suggests the bill is tone deaf to what is fueling racial justice protests. “When are we going to start talking instead of just putting bills out there? And I do support police officers,” Abdul-Samad said, “…but I also support the communities that are in pain and have suffered.”

Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, says the bill makes damage of any publicly-owned property a felony and jumps up the penalties for protests that blocking sidewalks or yelling rude and annoying things at police. “I can’t vote yes on a bill that targets a specific population of Iowans and in my opinion for no other reason than to teach them a lesson, send them a message,” Wolfe said, “which is basically sit down and shut up.”

Klein says his constituents were pretty unhappy graffiti was painted on the Children’s Hospital in Iowa City during protests last June. “Protests are fine. Protests are great as long as they’re peaceful,” Klein says. “But when they start going down destructive paths and they start assaulting and going after people and spitting on law enforcement and going after them the way I’ve seen, that is now a violent protest.”

Several other proposals were folded into the bill. It would make it a crime to use a lazer to try to blind police. Police, prosecutors and judges could enter a program that makes their home addresses confidential if the bill becomes law. The Senate has approved parts of the bill already, but must review and pass the entire package before it would go to the governor.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republicans are proposing a more than six million dollar increase in next year’s budget for the Iowa Department of Corrections, but that is 14 million dollars below the recommendation from Republicans in the House. Danny Homan, president of the union that represents employees in the state prison system, says the prisons are grossly understaffed and the brutal murders of two Anamosa prison employees are a direct result.

“Years of inadequate funding…have left staff in all of our facilities to work in extremely dangerous institutions,” Homan said. “…It’s time to fix this problem…How many more people have to die before we’re going to take this seriously?” During a subcommittee hearing on the prison system’s budget, Homan told senators there was only one serious assault on a prison employee a dozen years ago, but last year there were 13.

“There are not many folks inside these institutions that feel today after what happened on March 23, all right?” Homan said. “You guys may wish to ignore this reality, but you know who isn’t ignoring the reality? Inmates inside our systems…And don’t blame me for bringing this to your attention. The inmates have nothing better to do every day than sit and count how many officers are at work.”

Homan says six million dollars is a start, but it cannot be the end after what happened at the Anamosa prison three weeks ago. He asked senators to provide the funding for an independent investigation of the killings of correctional officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte and to buy a new radio communications system for the prison. “Some of the worst of the worst are at Anamosa,” Homan said. “…Our belief is enough is enough. We would like to see a budget passed to ensure what happened at Anamosa never happens again.”

Senator Julian Garrett, a Republican from Indianola, describes the six-point-three MILLION dollar increase in the prison system’s budget as an opening offer from Senate Republicans.  “I do want to say that we certainly appreciate the work of all the people who are working in our corrections system,” Garrett said. “…Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to the families of the two individuals that lost their lives in Anamosa.”

In addition to the criminal investigation of the murders, there are two other reviews of the incident. Garrett says there’s it’s too soon to say more staff would have prevented the attacks. “Before we jump to conclusions, we should at least hear the results of those investigations,” Garrett says. Garrett says six-point-three million dollars is a substantial increase, but he understands many would like more than that — and there may be more when the final budget decisions are made.

The Atlantic Community School District Board of Education met Wednesday evening and approved a list of nine resignations and contract recommendations (see the list below). Superintendent Steve Barber thanked those individuals who are retiring or leaving for other reasons, and mentioned those individuals will be recognized during a ceremony on June 3rd, beginning at 8-a.m.

Barber mentioned he read an article that mentioned that, nationwide, the effect of COVID and remote learning is likely to result in a 25% teacher attrition rate. Typically, that’s only around eight-percent. The Board learned from the Superintendent, Atlantic’s Graduation rate for the 2020 four-year cohort (last year’s graduates) and the 2019 graduates (the five-year cohort) is above the State average. Barber said the rate was 97.85 and 96.74, respectively, compared to the statewide average of 91.8 and 93.8.

Drop-out rate data was not available for grades 7-12 statewide, but for Atlantic, the rate was 2.32%, with the 9th thru 12th grades 3.69% and 2.2%. Elsewhere during the meeting, the Board received a Facilities Update from Superintendent Barber and Facilities Coordinator, Bob Sweeney. Barber said the main focus of late has been the baseball and softball fields. He said they expect the fields will be ready in-time for the first varsity games on May 27th.

The key factor, he said is the grass, which was over-seeded late last month. With warmer temps, he said the grass should grow and be ready for action. Bob Sweeney said progress is being made on those fields, despite what “the drive-by’s on Maple Street and the observations from the parking lot from the hill on the baseball softball diamonds,” are saying. He said also, the southernmost bleachers are installed, work on fencing continues, and other work is underway.

In other business the Atlantic School Board approved a sharing agreement with the Griswold CSD for the services of Transportation Director, with Griswold paying 20% of the costs. The also approved of the disposal of laptop computers by allowing the Senior class the opportunity to purchase their Apple computers they have used the past four-years, for $125. And, they set May 12th at 6-p.m. as the date/time for a Public Hearing on the 2020-21 Certified Budget.

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Resignations approved: 7th Grade Middle School Special Education Teacher Ashley Coffman; ESL Coordination/Teacher & TLC Facilitator Brielle Cerven; Special Ed. Teacher Hannah Ridder; Junior Varsity FB Coach/ MS Track Coach, Joe Brummer;
Special Ed. Paraeducators: Tesla Cleaver; Vanessa Proehl; Becky Kirchhoff, and Jordan Franken; and School Bus Route Driver Clair Acker.

Contract Recommendations that were approved include those for: Holly Esbeck, HS Social Studies Teacher; & Matthew Best, HS Physical Education & Weight Training Teacher/ JV Football Coach. And, the following Winter Sports Coaches were approved:

Tim Duff: Head HS Wrestling
Oran Perkins & Adam Smith: MS Wrestling
Head HS Girls Basketball Coach: Dan Vargason
JV Girls BB Coach: Shelby McCreedy
Freshman Girls BB Coach: Katy Christensen
MS Girls/Boys BB: Terry Hinzman & Trace Peterson
Head HS Boys BB Coach: Jeff Ebling
JV Boys BB: Jeremy Blake
Freshman Boys BB: Derek Hall
Boys/Girls Swimming: Dean Junker
F/BB/WR Cheerleading: Michella Bartholomew.

The Board also approved renewing sharing agreements for the 2021-22 school year, including: Girls Swimming – Audubon & Clarinda (Atlantic will act as the host school); Boys Swimming – Audubon, Clarinda & Red Oak (Atlantic will host); Wrestling – CAM (Atlantic hosts); Girls Soccer – CAM, Exira-EHK (Atlantic hosts).

DES MOINES – Today (Wednesday), Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) announced that Iowans who receive Veterans’ benefits could expect Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 hit their bank accounts beginning this week.  The latest round of payments applies specifically to veterans and their beneficiaries who receive Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefit payments and who don’t normally file a tax return.

Most payments will be automatically deposited into banks accounts or loaded onto the Direct Express cards where veterans receive their benefits. Those waiting on paper checks or debit cards through the mail should expect to receive their payments over the next several days.

An estimate from the White House found that more than 2 million adults and 800,000 children in Iowa are eligible to receive payments of up to $1,400 per person through the American Rescue Plan that Rep. Axne helped pass in March 2021, which included changes she fought for to make adult dependents eligible. In total, 91 percent of Iowa adults are expected to receive this round of Economic Impact Payments.

The American Rescue Plan included Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 per person. Individuals earning up to $75,000 annually, heads of household earning up to $112,500 annually, and couples earning up to $150,000 annually will receive the full $1,400 per person, for themselves and their dependents. After that, the checks begin to phase out, with payments stopping at individuals earning $80,000 in annual income, heads of household earning $120,000 in annual income and married couples earning $160,000 in annual income. 

Iowans can go online to check the status of their payment using the “Get My Payment” tool at: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.

(Radio Iowa) – The president of the Board of Regents says they will continue to try and get vaccinations for everyone at the three state universities — but Michael Richards says they won’t require them. “The Regents universities will not be mandating any vaccinations for any students employees now, or for the 2021-2022 academic year,” Richards says. He did encourage students at Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa to get a vaccination.

“I strongly believe in the effectiveness of the vaccines. We will continue to make them available, and we encourage people to get vaccinated — but they will not be required at our three universities,” according to Richards. Richards noted that some colleges in the U-S are requiring student vaccinations. He made his comments during the Board of Regents meeting today (Wednesday).

The Regents today (Wednesday) voted to approve the proposed room and board rates. The most popular double residence hall room and meal plan at the University of Iowa will go up two-point-six-nine percent. The rates at Iowa State University will drop on those plans by one-point-one-four percent — while the rates at U-N-I will stay the same.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Wednesday, arrested 40-year-old Phillip Jay McClish. The man was arrested on an active Page County Warrant for failure to appear on a violation of probation charge. McClish was booked into the Page County Jail, where his cash or surety bond was set at $5,000.

Two women face assault charges, following incidents Tuesday in Harlan. According to the Harlan Police Department, 30-year-old Ashley Elizabeth McWilliams, of Harlan, was arrested for Assault with Injury. And, 36-year-old Jeannie Kay Kleymann, of Portsmouth, was cited for Simple Assault.