It would be easier to prosecute so-called “peeping Toms” under legislation that has won approval in the Iowa House and the Senate. Senator Kevin Kinney of Oxford says the bill expands the legal definition of trespassing. “To ensure that unscrupulous persons who film you when you are in your home or apartment can be punished appropriately,” he says.

The bill has been championed by a University of Iowa graduate who was secretly filmed in her Iowa City apartment by the landlord. The bill makes that kind of invasion of privacy an aggravated misdemeanor and removes the requirement that prosecutors must prove the accused was sexually excited by what he or she saw. Representative Chris Hall of Sioux City points out not a single legislators voted against the bill this year.

“An iteration of this bill is something that we saw and debated last year,” Hall says. “It’s taken time. It’s taken indepth discussion. I believe that, as amended, this bill will provide protections to Iowans of all backgrounds.” The bill now goes to the governor for his signature or veto.

(Radio Iowa)

A man from Dallas County died Wednesday, during a single-vehicle accident in Polk County. The Iowa State Patrol says according to witnesses, for reasons unknown, a 2015 Volvo SUV driven by 64-year old John J. Lint, of Dallas Center, veered off Interstate 80 westbound at around 3:50-p.m., and entered the north ditch, where it struck a tree before coming to rest. The accident happened on the north side of Des Moines, about a mile west of the Highway 69 exit to Ankeny. Lint was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Leaders in the split Iowa Legislature have announced a compromise on spending targets for the next state budget, though details remain vague. Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-majority House released joint budget targets Wednesday that propose the state spend about $7.34 billion in the fiscal year that begins in July. That is slightly below an earlier estimate.

The set of overall spending targets will allow legislative subcommittees to begin work on bills that will make up the state budget. Most targets propose slightly higher spending for the different areas of state government, but there’s no additional information on the real financial impact.

House Republicans say details will be ironed out. A key Senate Democrat said in a statement his chamber attempted to find common ground to avoid “gridlock.”

GRAND RIVER, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa father is facing charges after authorities found his infant child unresponsive. The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office says they received a report around noon Monday that a 3-month-old child was having trouble breathing. When emergency crews arrived at the Grand River home they found the infant was unresponsive. The child was taken to a Decatur County hospital and later air-lifted to a Des Moines hospital. Officials say the child remains on life support.

The infant’s father, 25-year-old Joshua Guill, has been charged with child endangerment causing serious injury. He is being held at the Decatur County Jail. Officials did not provide further details about the incident.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of two individuals Wednesday on Credit Card Fraud charges.  At 2:28pm officers arrested 32-year-old Gordon Leroy Currin III of Des Moines and 40-year-old Misty Schalome Currin of Council Bluffs.  They were arrested in the 1800 block of E Summit Street.  Both suspects were charged with 3 counts of Credit Card Fraud and were taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 cash bond each.

Red Oak Police arrested two teenagers on Wednesday at the Red Oak High School on drug charges.  At 1:18pm Red Oak Police were called to the Red Oak High School at 2011 N 8th Street for an incident involving drugs.  After investigation officers found reason to believe marijuana was used in the school parking lot and was later taken from a student.  Officers arrested 14-year-old David Allen Vega of Red Oak for Possession of a Controlled Substance and 16-year-old Owen Riley Vondielingen  of Red Oak for Gathering Where a Controlled Substance Was Being Used.

The Iowa Senate has sent the governor a bill that would require carbon monoxide alarms in any apartment building or home built in the state after July 1st of 2018. “We are going to provide parity for CO detectors very similar to what we do for smoke detectors.” That’s Senator Jeff Danielson, a Democrat from Cedar Falls. Danielson says he’s been “pleasantly surprised” the idea has now earned bipartisan support after unsuccessful tries in previous years.

“I also understand why some can’t get there,” Danielson says. “This is a regulation, but I think it’s an example when we have a light touch on implementation and what we’re requiring, even those can get there because we’ve been reasoable about how to implement it.” Existing RENTAL units in Iowa would be required to have carbon monoxide detectors if the bill becomes law, but installing a carbon monoxide detector would be VOLUNTARY in existing, single-family homes.

“You know we’ve learned through other safety regulations like seat belts, smoke detectors — you name it — that when Iowans are aware of a tool to keep them safer, they will use it,” Danielson says. About 300 Iowans wind up in an emergency room each year to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and officials say about 20 Iowans die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Senate has voted to allow a new group of medical professionals prescribe medications for mentally ill Iowans.  “I think the legislation is going to definitely improve access to mental health services, especially in places that currently have workforce shortages.” That’s Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City who’s been working on the bill. Under current law, psychiatrists can write prescriptions, but there are only 150 psychiatrists in the state and the majority of them live in urban areas. If the bill becomes law, the nearly 500 licensed psychologists in Iowa could write prescriptions, too.

“With the growing mental health care needs of Iowans, we need to find ways to safely increase the number of mental health professionals that can provide specialized care to Iowans needing mental health services,” Bolkcom says. Psychiatrists go to medical school and are licensed medical doctors who are able to write prescriptions.

Psychologists get a doctorate degree from a college after studying human behavior and how the mind works. The bill calls for new training for psychologists before they’d be able to prescribe any of 100 different drugs for treatment of mental illnesses. The bill failed to pass the Senate March 1st, but changes were made in the legislation today (Wednesday) and the bill picked up enough to clear the Senate on a 28 to 22 vote. It now goes to the House for consideration.

The Iowa Psychiatrists Association opposes the bill. The group argues there’s not enough training required for psychologists to be able to “safely prescribe” powerful medications for mentally ill Iowans.

(Radio Iowa)