(Radio Iowa) [CORRECTION TO ORIGINAL REPORT] – Iowa’s attorney general has filed a legal brief asking the state’s Supreme Court to let a so-called “fetal heartbeat” law go into effect. Wednesday’s filing comes a day after voters in Republican-leaning Ohio ratified a constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion access. Governor Kim Reynolds says she won her 2018 race after signing the bill to ban most abortions after the sixth week of a pregnancy when fetal activity typically can be detected. The governor’s legal counsel worked with the attorney general on the brief that argues the law should go into effect.

In 2019, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled the bill was unconstitutional. Since then, Reynolds has appointed five of the court’s seven justices. After the U-S Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned Roe v Wade, Reynolds asked the Iowa Supreme Court to let that 2018 law go into effect, but the Iowa court, in a tie vote, kept an injunction in place preventing the six-week abortion ban from going into effect. Reynolds says it’s time for the court to uphold the law once and for all.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says a law banning abortion at six weeks is not what a rapidly growing majority of Iowans want and Democrats will stand up to Republicans on the abortion issue.

Radio Iowa reports on Wednesday mistakenly suggested the Iowa Supreme Court agreed just yesterday to hear legal arguments over the Fetal Heartbeat Act. The court made that announcement in late July and it was Attorney General Bird’s legal brief that was filed yesterday (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Utilities Board hearing on Summit Carbon Solutions proposed pipeline has resumed this week. A schedule on the board’s website indicates that tomorrow (Thursday), the company will start offering its rebuttal to dozens of landowners who’ve testified they do not want the pipeline on their property. Neil Dahlquist, who owns land in Palo Alto County, testified this (Wednesday) morning. Dahlquist says he’s been unable to get confirmation that his insurance company would provide liability coverage if the pipeline ruptured.

Dahlquist, who is a neurologist in Minnesota, suggests if the pipeline is built, it will shut down when federal tax credits for carbon capture expire.

A bill President Biden signed last year establishes a tax credit worth 60 dollars for every metric ton of sequestered carbon. The U-S Treasury Department estimates two-point-three BILLION dollars in carbon tax credits will be claimed between now and 2029. Ethanol plants have signed up to connect to Summit’s proposed pipeline, expecting to market carbon neutral ethanol as a result. Groups like the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and the Iowa Corn Growers say capturing carbon from ethanol plants is key to the industry’s long term survival. Last month, Navigator cancelled its carbon pipeline project. The company cited unpredictable regulatory processes in states along the proposed pipeline route.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors breezed through their short agenda this (Wednesday) morning. During their meeting, the Board approved a courtyard use request for carriage rides. Gina School with Greenfield Chamber/Main Street organization requested the courtyard use for the evening of Saturday, November 25^th.

She noted also, that the lighted parade and other festivities will take place in Greenfield Friday, November 24^th.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, today (Wednesday), received numerous comments with regard to a wind turbine moratorium, carbon capture (CO2) pipelines, and closure/replacement of railroad bridges, prior to discussing and/or acting on those issues. In her report to the Board, Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert discussed ongoing road maintenance projects.

The Board then opened sealed bids for property forfeited to the Sheriff’s Department**, and awarded the vehicles to the highest bidders. Supervisor Donna Robinson….

The Board also received a lengthy report by Jan Norris from West Township in Montgomery County, with regard to the status of carbon capture pipelines in Iowa and surrounding States.

In other business, the Montgomery County Supervisors heard from Zoning Administrator Barry Byers, who said the Zoning Commission recommends the Board pass an indefinite moratorium on wind turbine energy conversion system construction. Byers said on Tuesday, the Pottawattamie County Supervisors passed a one-year moratorium on wind turbine and solar power projects. Their moratorium will last up to 365 days, or when the board approves an updated set of rules and regulations, whichever comes first. The moratorium will give the county time to revise its current set of rules and regulations for wind farms and create a set for solar farms. Currently, the county does not have a set of regulations for solar farms.

After hearing from MidAmerican Energy/wind turbine spokesman Will Dougherty, and subsequent lengthy discussion, Supervisor Mark Peterson read a motion to extend the moratorium. Here’s a portion of the resolution….

Following a second on the motion, a Resolution to that effect was passed by a vote of 4-to-1. With Supervisor Randy Cooper voting no. In other action, the Board voted purchase a new laptop computer for the Maintenance Director, since the old one is no longer functional, and to accept a recommendation from the County’s IT Director, to purchase a Sennheiser microphone kit/audio equipment for the Board of Supervisor’s meetings, in the amount of $3,433.02.

**The property included a 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty King ranch pickup; a 2007 AWD Saturn Vue; a 2003 Audi A4 and a 2008 Harley Davidson Soft Tail.