(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on a Senate subcommittee have advanced the governor’s bill to speed up state income tax cuts, provide a property tax cut for commercial child care centers AND reduce the tax businesses pay into the state’s unemployment trust fund.

However, Senator Dan Dawson, the Republican who leads the Senate Ways and Means Committee, indicates those components are going to be considered as separate bills in the coming weeks, with his own bill to gradually eliminate the state income tax in the mix. “Right now these are all just pieces of paper people are talking about,” Dawson told reporters after today’s Senate subcommittee meeting on the governor’s bill. “I think it’s important to get fiscal notes and give people a chance to weigh in.”

Senators, from left to right, on subcommittee considering governor’s tax proposals are Senator Dan Dawson (R-Council Bluffs), Senator Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig) and Senator Pam Jochum (D-Dubuque). (RI photo)

Governor Kim Reynolds has proposed lowering the state income tax retroactively to 3.65% this year and to 3.5% next year. “Despite the tax cuts already delivered, Iowa ended the year with a $1.83 billion surplus, $902 million in reserve funds and $2.7 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund,” Molly Severn, the governor’s legislative liaison, said during the subcommittee meeting. “The state is over collecting from Iowans and they deserve to keep more of their hard earned money.”

Money in the Taxpayer Relief Fund would be used to accomplish the governor’s immediate tax cutting goals. Dawson has proposed investing that money and using the profits to gradually reduce the state income tax. “We owe it to Iowa, since we’ve accumulated those monies in the Taxpayers Relief Fund, to really kind of think through responsibly what a long term plan is,” Dawson said.

Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum of Dubuque said getting rid of the income tax benefits the wealthiest Iowans. “We will be shifting to funding state government with more regressive taxation called sales tax and property tax,” Jochum said, “and those are not good ways to fund state government.”

Jochum also opposes the plan to lower the taxes businesses pay into the state fund that’s used to cover unemployment checks. “Sooner or later there’ll be a downturn in the economy…and then what happens to businesses (as) unemployment goes up and now their tax rates are going to go up to try and keep that trust fund alive and floating?” Jochum said. “That’s probably not the time to ask them to increase their unemployment tax rates.”

Severn told senators the governor’s proposal would lower businesses unemployment insurance taxes by 40%. “Helping companies of all sizes prosper, especially small businesses,” Severn said, “and making Iowa more competitive.”

Initial estimates indicate the tax break would save Iowa employers over $800 million over five years, according to Severn.

(Radio Iowa) – Davenport is leading an effort to better regulate adult entertainment establishments. A bill proposed in the state legislature would allow cities and counties to restrict the hours of a strip club if local courts find sufficient evidence of assault, gunshots, or a riot within 500 feet of the business. Davenport Police Chief Jeffery Bladel says a bill legislators passed in 2022 contained a loophole as it didn’t cover adult establishments that don’t serve alcohol. Bladel says the new bill would fix that.

“There was a loophole in there where they didn’t fall anywhere,” Bladel says, “and this does leave us, at the end of the day, the assurance that we can at least take some kind of action when action is needed.” Chief Bladel says managing complaints locally instead of at the state level would be swifter and more effective.

“That is the biggest piece,” he says, “that allows jurisdictions and cities to customize sanctions to whatever issue is they’re dealing with.” The bill has the support of the Metro Coalition, which represents some of Iowa’s largest cities.

FOREST CITY, Iowa – The Iowa Dept. of Public Safety reports that on Monday, February 12, 2024, the Forest City Police Department began an investigation into a shooting incident which had occurred over the weekend, on the 100 block of North 4th Street. The Forest City Police Department requested the assistance of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in this investigation. This incident occurred on February 10, 2024, but was not reported to the Forest City Police Department until February 12, 2024, at 5:57 p.m.

The investigation resulted in the arrest of Jose Alberto Carrera Patino in the early morning hours of Tuesday, February 13, 2024. Patino was charged with Attempted Murder – Iowa Code 707.11(1) and Going Armed with Intent – Iowa Code 708.8. Patino was held at the Winnebago County Jail on a $30,000 bond. No injuries were reported in this incident.

The Forest City Police Department was assisted by the NCINT Special Operations Group, the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Forest City Ambulance Service.

Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to call the Forest City Police Department at 641.585.2113 or the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 319.217.1580.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports a central Iowa man was arrested Friday night on an Adair County warrant. 36-year-old Lee Delmar Goll, of Ankeny (formerly of Stuart), is charged with:

• Robbery in the 1st Degree
• Intimidation with a dangerous weapon – injure or provoke fear
• Kidnapping in the 3rd degree
• Dominion/control of a firearm/offensive weapon by a felon
• Going armed with intent
• 2 counts of Harassment in the 1st Degree, and
• Domestic Abuse Assault – Injury or mental illness – 1st offense.

Goll was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $300,000 cash-only bond. There were two other arrests reported on Feb. 16th: 27-year-old Austin John Worthington, of Adel, was picked-up from the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Department on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held without bond in the Adair County Jail. And, 32-year-old Dalton James Cormeny, of Fontanelle, was picked-up from the Cass County Sheriff’s Dept. and held in the Adair County Jail, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was also being held without bond in the Adair County Jail.

On Feb. 14th, Adair Police arrested 32-year-old Brian Dean Schultz, of Greenfield, on an Adair County warrant for OWI/2nd offense, and Operating a Vehicle without the owner’s consent. He posted bond and was released.

35-year-old Nontsikelelo Nothemba Sifka, of Grand Rapids, MI., was arrested by Adair Police, for OWI/2nd offense, and Possession of Marijuana/1st offense. Sifka was pulled-over at around 11-p.m. Feb. 13th because her SUV had no taillights and her vehicle was seen crossing the center-line of I-80 westbound, near mile marker 76. During an investigation, Adair Police Officer Sawyer Ocheltree had reason to conduct a probable cause search of the vehicle, which resulted in the discovery of marijuana in a jar located on the passenger seat, and an empty beer can and whiskey bottle under the driver’s seat. Sifka refused a breath alcohol test at the scene and at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. Records indicated she had a prior OWI in Michigan. She was arrested at around 1:18-a.m. on the 14th and released later that afternoon on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Two people were arrested on Adair County warrants, Feb. 13th: 64-year-old Pamela Sue Goodson, and 64-year-old Ronald Dean Goodson, both of Ankeny, were taken into custody at a residence in Fontanelle, on warrants for Theft in the 5th Degree against an older individual. Both were released on a $300 cash/surety bond, each.

TRAER, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report, that on February 19, 2024, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Major Crime Unit and the Tama County Sheriff’s Office arrested 46-year-old Karina Cooper at her residence in Traer, Iowa.

Karina Cooper was arrested for her role in the shooting death of her husband, Ryan Cooper, on June 18, 2021. She was transported to the Tama County Sheriff’s Office and charged with Murder in the First Degree, a Class A Felony. Cooper is being held at the Tama County Jail. Bond is to be determined.

Karina Cooper

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this investigation can contact the Tama County Sheriff’s Office at 641.484.4111, the DCI at 515.725.6010, or email dciinfo@dps.state.ia.us.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

No further information will be released at this time.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks says the government-run Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics need to develop a strategy to keep up with what’s happening in the private sector when it comes to artificial intelligence. “While progress tends to be incremental, occasionally a process or technology emerges that pushes our boundaries out significantly,” Miller-Meeks says. “The integration of artificial intelligence or augmented intelligence in health care offers this opportunity.” Miller-Meeks says there appear to be pitfalls in A-I when it comes to data privacy, but A-I could help quickly and accurately diagnose health issues and predict patient risks — and save money.

Miller-Meeks suggests clear guidelines for human input is critical, however. “If the data A.I. learns from is incorrect or biased, it can make incorrect, predictions that result in over or under diagnosis or mistreatment,” Miller-Meeks says. The Veterans Health Administration is the country’s largest health system, with 172 hospitals and over 11-hundred clinics. “While A.I. holds great promise, the reality is it’s a new, developing technology and we’re still figuring out what is possible and practical and ethical,” Miller-Meeks says.

Miller-Meeks, a Republican who represents Iowa’s first congressional district, is an eye doctor and an Army veteran. She made her comments during a hearing hosted by the U-S House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health.