Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa agency whose power to remove problem officers was recently expanded generally has taken years to ban those who commit serious crimes and rarely punishes officers for improper policing alone. Records show the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council has sought to decertify 17 officers in the last 2½ years after determining they had committed crimes or misconduct that warranted their removal from the profession. An Associated Press review found that most of those officers had been found guilty of felonies, domestic violence or other crimes that disqualify them from working in law enforcement. Only one officer since 2018 has been decertified for improper police work.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa public health data indicates the state has surpassed 700 deaths from the coronavirus and known additional positive cases have jumped by 493 in the last 24 hours. Data shows the state with 27,555 known positive cases of coronavirus on Friday, about 9.8% of those tested overall. Seven additional deaths reported in the last 24 hours put the state at 701 total known deaths since state officials began tracking the virus in March. Counties showing significant increases in known positive cases in recent days include Story and Johnson, where local health officials have attributed the increase to young adults in college communities with increasingly active bar scenes.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill that limits the secretary of state’s ability to send absentee ballot requests to all registered voters. The change signed into law Thursday followed a record turnout in this year’s primary election, largely because of a surge in absentee voting. Senate Republicans pushed the measure through the legislature barely a week after a huge primary turnout, as Secretary of State Paul Pate sent ballot requests to all voters because of concerns in-person voting could be dangerous during the coronavirus pandemic. If the coronavirus persists and Pate wants to mail ballot applications to voters before the November election, the measure that Reynolds signed would require approval of the Republican-run legislature.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds told President Donald Trump that his is “an administration of action” that is identifying barriers and gaps for U.S. workers and finding solutions. Reynolds is a member of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which Trump established by executive order last year. Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross chair the panel. Video provided by the White House includes Reynolds praising Trump during a Friday visit to the White House for creating the board. The panel’s goal is to develop strategies for improving the workforce.