(Des Moines, Iowa (Audio courtesy O.Kay Henderson) – The CEO of Cass Health in Atlantic, representing the Iowa Hospital Association, spoke with Governor Kim Reynolds during her online hearing about the state budget, Wednesday. Brett Altman thanked Reynolds on behalf of the organization, for “championing the landmark tort reform bill, last year.” Altman said the bill is making a difference, with regard to a cap on non-economic damages, which he says has made Iowa more competitive, when it comes to recruitment of physicians and health care providers.

He also thanked the Governor for the health careers registered apprenticeship program, which, he says, Cass Health benefited from.

Brett Altman reminded the Governor Cass Health was one of the recipients of her Rural Hospitals Centers of Excellence program.

Altman said the Governor is “Obviously doing something right,” because the State ranks high in healthcare matters.

The Governor said the success of Iowa’s healthcare system and rank in the country, is also a reflection of what the medical community is “doing right.”

(Radio Iowa) – A Dubuque County landmark will get a significant overhaul this year as the rebuilding of the Centennial Cross is scheduled to start soon. Also known as the Blue Cross, it’s located in the town of Key West, about ten miles south of Dubuque. Tim McCaffery is president of the not-for-profit Centennial Cross Incorporated. McCaffery tells KCRG-TV that the cross has been part of the skyline in the Dubuque area since 1937.

“It was built to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the archdiocese,” McCaffery says. “In 1962 I believe it was, for the 150th year anniversary, we lit the cross, the Knights of Columbus of Dubuque lit the cross, and the plan is to keep it lit.” Construction is expected to start in the next few weeks and last four to six weeks. The group has raised about 150-thousand dollars toward of its goal of 350-thousand to pay for construction and for future maintenance of the cross.

“It’s served as a beacon for travelers coming back into Dubuque,” McCaffery says. “I remember as a kid, we’d travel to our cousin’s house or when we were out of town and coming home, we always knew we were close to home when we’d see that cross.” The current cross is 75 feet tall and has been blocked from sight for a number of years by trees. The new cross will stand 137-feet tall and will have L-E-D lighting on both sides.

“Over the years, the trees have grown up around the cross and that made it hard to see,” McCaffery says, “and then of course, neon lights were on the cross and the trees would blow against the cross and knock out the lights, or even wind storms would break the lights.” Donations can be made at the website: https://centennialcross.org/

(Radio Iowa) – Summit Carbon Solutions is suing Kossuth County in federal court over a new ordinance that restricts where carbon pipelines may be built.  Kossuth County Supervisors approved an ordinance last month that would require the carbon pipelines to be at least two and a half miles outside of city limits and at least one and a half miles from any home, hospital, nursing home, church, livestock confinement or public park in Kossuth County.The Iowa Capital Dispatch was first to report on Summit’s lawsuit.

The company argues state and federal officials have sole authority to approve its pipeline route and set safety standards. Summit has sued three other counties with similar ordinances. Kossuth County’s ordinance says a hazardous liquid pipeline would be a threat to public health.

The ordinance directly mentions pipeline plans from two companies — Summit and Navigator — but Navigator’s project has been cancelled due to what the company called regulatory hurdles.

(Radio Iowa) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says former President Trump should show up next week to a debate in Iowa. C-N-N announced Trump, DeSantis and Haley had met the polling requirements to be included in the network’s debate that’s scheduled for January 10th. “He was invited. He declined. I’m debating Nikki Haley. And what does he do? He schedules a town hall on Fox News to compete with the debate that we’re going to be doing,” DeSantis says. “Why would you not just show up to the debate at that point?”

Trump’s town hall on Fox and the DeSantis-Haley debate on C-N-N will air at exactly the same time next Wednesday night. Vivek Ramaswamy says he’ll tape a town hall with podcaster Tim Pool that will also air at 7 p.m. next Tuesday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic City Administrator John Lund was under the weather for this evening’s (Wednesday’s) City Council meeting, but he pushed through, donning a mask and gloves, saying he was “miserably sick,” but nevertheless optimistic for the start of the new year, budget-wise. He updated the Council on the City’s potential health insurance renewal costs.

Lund shared some positive news with regard to the Local Option Sales Tax revenue from November and December 2023 holiday shopping season.

Overall, he said, Atlantic is running “at pace or ahead of where we were last year. That will be reflected in the revised estimate. The rest is a good-news/bad news situation. The good news is, that the Assessed Property Valuations are in.

The bad news is while Iowa lawmakers have nearly unanimously approved a massive property tax bill on both sides of the aisle, which they claim will make Iowans’ tax payments more manageable, the bill consolidates 15 existing Iowa city levies into one General Fund system. For cities, the bill which was sent to Governor Reynolds’ desk, caps levies for cities at $8.10 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. For counties, it’s capped at $3.50/$1,000. Rural services levies are capped at $3.95/$1,000. The bill also requires local governments to put any surplus revenue from assessment value growth, toward lowering their levy. Lawmakers estimate the total tax cuts to Iowa property owners at upwards of $100-million. John Lund said “The legislature got what they wanted.”

He said that’s much lower than what he was basing his budget projections on.

Lund said “That’s not a lot to work with.” The General Fund helps to pay for many city operations, including the police and fire department, ambulance service, airport, library, the pool and much more. Despite the dire news, Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett remained optimistic.

Lund added the legislatures action won’t affect on the City’s economic development projects this year.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved First Whitney Bank & trusts as the City’s official bank for the City Checking Account in 2024, and the Atlantic News Telegraph as the City’s Official Newspaper for legal publications in 2024.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds didn’t share any clues about her tax and spending plans as she hosted an online hearing about the state budget today (Wednesday). Groups that have lobbied for tax cuts in the past used the forum to make the case for deeper reductions. Chris Hagenow is president of Iowans for Tax Relief.

“Clearly there is significant room to continue to lower income tax rates,” Hagenow says. “…Excited to see what you might have planned for us going forward.” Tyler Raygor, state director for Americans for Prosperity, says it’s reasonable to accelerate the plan to shrink down to a three-point-nine percent flat income tax.

“Moreover, we would support you, Governor Reynolds, and the legislative leadership in crafting a strategic path toward the complete elimination of the income tax,” Raygor said. “This bold move would make Iowa an attractive destination for businesses  and individuals seeking a state committed to fostering economy freedom.” Mike Rozenboom, legal counsel for the Iowa Bankers Association, says Iowa is in a well-positioned to both cut taxes and spend money on affordable housing, child care, education and other quality of life initiatives.

“Tax relief and a robust budget will mean more money is being invested in communities across the state,” Rozenboom says.  Matt Everson, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, says his members want to pay less taxes. “To let them keep their own money, to let them spend that in their communities, on their own employees and what not,” Everson says.

Reynolds will deliver the annual “Condition of the State” address on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and release her state budget plan that evening. During the event two years ago, she called on legislators to pass a flat income tax and is likely to reveal her latest tax cutting goals next Tuesday.