DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – For her first trip across Iowa as governor, Republican Kim Reynolds accepted the free use of a jet owned by a wealthy businessman who is lobbying for state approval to build a Cedar Rapids casino.  Reynolds and Acting Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg barnstormed the state last Friday on the “Building a Better Iowa” tour. They stopped in Gregg’s hometown of Hawarden and Mason City, Cedar Rapids and Davenport.

The governor’s office told The Associated Press that the pair, a state trooper and staffers traveled in an airplane owned by businessman Gary Kirke, who donated the plane and services of two pilots as in-kind contributions to Reynolds’ newly-established gubernatorial campaign.

The arrangement, while allowed under ethics rules, is drawing criticism from Reynolds’ opponents and highlighting Kirke’s cozy relationship with the administration.

The Iowa Supreme Court rules parents can sue a doctor for failing to tell them their child may be born with a birth defect. Pamela Plowman and Jeremy Plowman sued after their son was born in Fort Madison who developed several medical issues, including cerebral palsy. An ultrasound taken prior to the child’s birth showed an abnormal growth of its head, but the Plowman’s were never told about any problems.

Pamela Plowman sued saying she “would have terminated her pregnancy” if she had know of the issues. She seeks payment for the cost of raising the child, mental anguish and loss of income. Her husband filed a similar lawsuit.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the right to sue for wrongful birth belongs to parents who were denied the opportunity to make an informed choice whether to lawfully terminate a pregnancy in Iowa. “It is not this court’s role to second-guess that intensely personal and difficult decision.”

Justice Edward Mansfield wrote a dissenting opinion. He says the decision is limited to a “severely disabled child” — but says the court does not define the term, and asks “what happens if testing indicates the child will be born blind or without a hand?” Mansfield says the court’s decision also opens up the possibility for other claims.

(Radio Iowa)

A man from Carroll County faces drug, weapon and other charges following an accident that took place at around 2:15-p.m. Thursday in Audubon County. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year old Nicholaus Allen Augustus, of Carroll, was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Carrying Weapons, No Insurance, No Driver’s License and Unsafe Passing. He was being held in the Audubon County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Authorities say Augustus was traveling south on Highway 71 in a 2011 Chevy Colorado and attempting to pass a southbound 2016 Chevy Silverado driven by 79-year old Gareth Paul Christensen, of Audubon, when he cut Christensen off as he pulled over to the right. In the process, Augustus’ pickup struck the left front side driver’s side of Christensen’s pickup.

The collision resulted in  Augustus’ vehicle entering the west ditch, where it struck a utility pole. The pickup came to rest on its wheels in a bean field. No injuries were reported. Damage from the crash amounted to $11,000.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former state employee who runs a web design company with her husband wants David Young’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Cynthia Axne announced her candidacy today (Friday) for the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Chief among her concerns are salvaging the Affordable Care Act, boosting education, putting people to work, guaranteeing paid family leave and providing affordable child care.

Axne says that from 2005 to 2014, she worked for the state, helping agencies deliver government services more effectively and efficiently.

Axne, who lives in West Des Moines, joins Des Moines consumer rights attorney Anna Ryon in seeking the Democratic nomination. Pete D’Alessandro says he’s exploratory a bid. He ran U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign in Iowa.

The 3rd Congressional District covers southwest Iowa.

State officials are nervously reviewing the data on state tax collections. The state tax revenue that’s been collected through the past 11 months is about 100 million dollars BELOW expectations. Jeff Robinson is a senior fiscal analyst with the Legislative Services Agency. He says “At the end of May, our net revenue growth was 1.2%.” While that’s a low growth rate, Robinson says it is still “positive.” However, the budget is built on 2.8% growth. The difference amounts to about $100-million.

The state’s current budgeting year ends June 30th. Unless there’s a remarkable turnaround in state tax collections during the next four weeks, Governor Reynolds may have to take extraordinary action to ensure the state budget ends the year in the black. Governors do have the authority to withdraw up to 50 million dollars from the state’s cash reserve to cover any deficit.

“While state revenue is currently showing to be below estimates, the state does have a good balance in its reserve funds,” Robinson says. INCOME tax payments to the state have grown modestly in the past 11 months compared to the previous year, but state SALES tax payments have increased less than half-a-percent.

(Radio Iowa)