A proposed state policy on guns in Iowa child care centers has been put on hold, while the Reynolds Administration reconsiders the issue. The proposed rules would have discouraged, but allowed weapons in licensed child care centers and home day cares under certain circumstances. The rules were to be reviewed by a legislative committee last week, but were pulled from the agenda. Governor Kim Reynolds says that allows time to decide whether the executive branch or the legislature should draft the policy on guns.

“That’s the conversation that we are going to have,” Reynolds told reporters. “And it’s my understanding that hadn’t happened.” The proposed rules that have been tabled would have allowed weapons in licensed child care centers if parents were notified and the guns were unloaded and kept under lock and key.

(Radio Iowa)

More homes were sold in Iowa last month compared to the same period last year. A total of 3,320 homes were sold across the state in November, up from 3,103 during November of 2016. Mark Kamps, president of the Iowa Association of Realtors, is excited about the seven-percent increase. “November was a great month…I always consider anything above three or four percent to be substantial,” Kamps said.

The latest Housing Trends Report from the Iowa Association of Realtors also shows prices went up. The median sale price of an Iowa home last month was $153,250 — a 3.6-percent increase ($147,900) compared to November of 2016.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told a crowd in Iowa that Democrats must push a progressive agenda to win elections in 2018. De Blasio told a group of progressives Tuesday night in downtown Des Moines that the party “cannot be timid” in addressing such issues as income inequality. De Blasio’s visit to Iowa raised speculation about the mayor’s presidential aspirations in 2020. But de Blasio told a group of reporters he’s not running for president.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Supreme Court justice has lifted an order that temporarily blocked the state’s largest newspaper from reporting the contents of records legally obtained from a public court file. Critics had denounced the Dec. 11 order by Justice David Wiggins as an impermissible prior restraint in violation of the First Amendment. Wiggins removed the stay Tuesday after the court declined to consider attorney Jaysen McCleary’s request for an injunction blocking publication.

WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) — The state has agreed to contribute more than $250,000 to rebuild a Madison County covered bridge featured on the cover of the novel “The Bridges of Madison County.” The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced Tuesday it would provide $275,770 to the Madison County Chamber of Commerce to help pay to rebuild the bridge, which was destroyed in an April arson fire. The total cost to rebuild the bridge is estimated at nearly $600,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A driver has been charged in connection with a Des Moines collision that killed two people and injured two others. Des Moines police say Ryan Rench faces charges of unsafe passing with enhancements for an offense causing two deaths and an offense causing serious injury. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.

The head of the Iowa Department of Human Services says the state has the ability to fund the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP, into April. DHS Director Jerry Foxhoven says he thinks CHIP will be reauthorized, but also notes Congress has been unpredictable. “We have to hope for the best but prepare for the worst, and so we’re trying to develop some contingency plans just in case,” Foxhoven said.

Congress has yet to renew federal funding for the program, which in Iowa, is called “hawk-i.” That stands for Healthly and Well Kids in Iowa. It provides health insurance for about 60-thousand (60,000) kids from low and moderate income families in the state. Foxhoven admits his agency is “not far along” in developing a plan should funding not be restored. “There’s no question it’ll be a challenge to deal with that if that’s not reauthorized – it’s a lot of kids,” Foxhoven said.

Federal funding for CHIP expired at the end of September. Some states are warning families they may have to end the program soon.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)