(Des Moines, Iowa) – State Representative Thomas Moore, a Republican from Griswold, has released his weekly report on activities in the Iowa Legislature. He started off by saying an education related bill is dead. HSB 542 is an act relating to education, including modifying provisions related to the number of area education agencies in this state, the calculation of the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil, and minimum teacher salaries, and including transition, effective date, and applicability provisions.

Moore said also, he signed to Co-Sponsor Representative Steve Holt’s bill regarding illegal immigration and human smuggling. And, work he said, continues on HSB 589.

During the Health and Human Services Committee six bills were passed that now move to the House floor. Among them was…

Also…HF537 allows for live-streamed cameras in nursing homes and clearly outlines processes for residents or their legal representative to request a camera in their room. It includes protections for shared rooms and gives roommates the authority to determine whether a camera is in their room. HF2056 allows 16- and 17-year-olds to provide child care to children up to 5 years old, as long as there are two additional adults in the child care center.

(R) Rep. Tom Moore

HF2057 makes updates to the MOMS (More Options for Maternal Support) program. It allows DHHS to administer the program directly through pregnancy resource centers or through a 3rd party, strikes the requirement that the 3rd party have 3 years of experience managing pregnancy support service subcontractors, and allows for additional pregnancy support services to be provided to pregnant women beyond counseling.

Moore says the Education Committee passed five bills that move on to the House Floor:  HF134 strikes the requirement that districts must both agree before the receiving district school bus can enter into the resident district to pick up students.

It also strikes the provision that IPI enrolls not more than four unrelated students and does not charge fees or tuition. IPI is required to provide students with instruction appropriate to the student’s age, grade level, or achievement level. Students receiving IPI don’t need to be related to the primary instructor and establishes that IPI is not an accredited nonpublic school. HSB564 provides that a three-year limitation on being able to file a complaint does not apply if the conduct constitutes soliciting, encouraging, or consummating a romantic or otherwise inappropriate relationship with a student. HSB567 refers to BOEE reporting requirements. The BOEE shall report the investigative information to the proper law enforcement agency if the investigative information in the possession of the board indicates that the crime has been committed by either a licensed or non-licensed school employee.

Representative Moore can be reached at tom.moore@legis.iowa.gov and (712) 789-9954. If you would like to set up an in-person meeting or would like to visit the capitol, please let him know.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The driver of an SUV was cited Thursday night, following a non-injury accident at the intersection of Broadway Street (Highway 48) and W. Joy Street, in Red Oak. Authorities say a 1999 Chevy Tahoe driven by 63-year-old Jeffrey Wayne Halvin, of Red Oak, and a 2008 Ford Fusion driven by 18-year-old Hallie Straw, of Villisca, were both northbound on Broadway at around 7:20-p.m.  When Straw went to turn east onto W. Joy Street, the SUV struck the passenger side of the car. Halvin told Red Oak Police he was reaching for a falling soda pop and didn’t see the Ford begin to slow down and turn.

Damage from the collision amounted to $2,000. Police cited Halvin for Following too closely. Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs report a woman from Mills County faces a trio of charges, following an investigation into a fatal vehicle-pedestrian accident that occurred in December, 2023. 47-year-old Angela H. Thurman, of Pacific Junction, was charged with Homicide by Vehicle, OWI/3rd Offense, and Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd offense, along with Control of Vehicle, in connection with the death of 74-year-old Juan Avalos, of Council Bluffs. Police determined Thurman was allegedly “under the influence of multiple controlled substances” the morning of the crash.

Angela H. Thurman (Council Bluffs PD photo)

As previously reported, the accident happened near the intersection of Poplar Drive and Birch Street in Council Bluffs, at around 3:21-a.m. on Dec. 24th. Avalos was near a vehicle on the street when he was struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by Thurman. He died at the scene. Thurman was not injured. She was being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail on $150,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A coalition of nearly 20 area shelters and housing organizations in northern Iowa recently completed the biannual Point-in-Time homeless census. Numbers were generally up across the region, but at the Northern Lights Alliance of Shelters in Mason City, individuals counted outside shelters were down. Shelter executive director Jesse Germundson (JER-men-sen) attributes that to the work of his outreach network, and to more leniency during the wintertime.

During the cold months, Germundson says they lift some rules on sobriety, and as long as someone who’s under the influence of substances is stable, they’ll be let in. He says he counted nearly 50 individuals indoors during the six-hour census. The numbers are used by the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development to help determine how to distribute housing resources.