(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee have advanced a proposed constitutional amendment designed to override an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that nullified abortion restrictions. Senator Jake Chapman of Adel made the case for it in committee. “This is judicial tyranny. Do we want to cede our power, the people’s power, to unelected judges across the street to rewrite our constitution?”

Chapman says the court improperly ruled Iowa women have a fundamental right to an abortion and a 72-hour waiting period was unconstitutional. “What we had was five unelected judges with the power of the gavel rewrite out state constitution,” Chapman says, “a right that didn’t exist prior to 2018.” The proposed amendment says Iowa’s constitution does not recognize, grant or secure a right to abortion.

2022 is the earliest Iowa voters could decide whether to add that language to the state constitution. The 10 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted for the proposal. The five Democrats on the panel voted no. “The Republicans are sick of the courts standing up for Iowans’ rights. They want to make sure they have the final say.” That’s Senator Claire Celsi, a Democrat from Des Moines. Another Democrat from Des Moines, Senator Tony Bisignano, predicts there will be what he called “an onslaught” of anti-abortion legislation if the amendment is added to the constitution.

“It will have very, very striking consequences to women’s right to make decisions for theirselves,” Bisignano said. A similar proposal did not come up for a vote in the Republican-led senate last year. Advocates say having Governor Kim Reynolds publicly call on her fellow Republicans to pass the proposal makes it likely the full senate will vote on it this year.

(Radio Iowa) — The medical director of the Iowa Department of Public Health is reassuring Iowans they shouldn’t fret about coronavirus. State epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati says while there is a single case confirmed in the northwestern U-S, the potentially-fatal virus is not a big concern, but it’s good for Iowans to have it on their radar.

“The overall risk here in the United States and in Iowa remains low right now,” Pedati says. “It’s possible that we might see travel-associated cases like we did in Washington state two days ago, but right now, the overall risk for people here in the United States is low.” More than 600 cases of the virus are confirmed in China and at least 17 people have died. There is no vaccine and many of the symptoms resemble the common cold.

Iowans should continue practicing good hygiene, Pedati says, as simple steps will go a long way toward prevention. Pedati says, “Those good public health tools of washing your hands, covering your cough and staying home when you’re sick, those are important things that will protect you from a variety of illnesses.” The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word “coronam” for crown, as the virus, under the microscope, resembles a crown.

In addition to China and the U-S, coronavirus cases are confirmed in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, but all cases appear to trace back to one area of China. Pedati says, “Anybody who has traveled or is planning travel to Wuhan City, China, will want to work with their clinical and public health providers to make sure they understand the recommendations and that if they get sick, that they understand to seek care.” Several major Chinese cities have banned large gatherings over the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival while expanding travel restrictions on the Wuhan area.

In the U-S, health officials are working to educate the public about the virus. “At the national level, the CDC is also working on screening people who are coming from that particular city here by directing flights into one of five particular airports where they’re evaluated for exposures and symptoms,” she says. Those airports are in: Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The case in Washington state involves a man who recently visited family in the Wuhan region of China. He’s in isolation and is undergoing treatment.

(Radio Iowa) — A bill under consideration in the legislature would let county attorneys apply for professional weapons permits, so they could carry guns in most places where guns are banned. Assistant Polk County Attorney Bret Lucas helped draft the bill. He’s gotten death threats because of his work on criminal cases.

“Sure, some of those are idle threats. It’s venting, things like that, but every now and then you come across an individual that truly causes you concern,” he says. The bill, which has cleared a Senate subcommittee, would require county attorneys to undergo the same training and testing as others who have these permits.

Susan Cameron Daemon is the lobbyist for the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association. “For a professional permit, you do have to train every year and you have to qualify every year,” she says. “And We believe others that get that professional permit should be at the same standard.”

There are several other gun-related proposals under consideration at the statehouse, including a bill that would allow paramedics working with SWAT teams to apply for professional weapon permits. Another would prevent businesses from telling employees with a concealed weapons permit they can’t have a gun in their car or truck in the parking lot at their work site.

WASHINGTON (AP) – With all eyes on Democrats as they prepare to cast their ballots in Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is working to try to persuade Republican voters that they should turn out at their caucus sites, too. The push is complete with a presidential rally next week, GOP-led training sessions and a new video featuring the president’s daughter-in-law.

It makes clear that the campaign is trying to avoid the optics of empty Republican rooms on caucus night juxtaposed with Democratic gatherings brimming with enthusiastic voters and keep the focus on Trump.

STANTON, Iowa (AP) – The impeachment trial that got underway this week is happening at an inopportune time for all four senators in the Democratic primary. But it’s a particularly bad moment for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The three-term senator built her campaign on a strategy of a slow and steady build in Iowa.

Abigail Bessler daughter of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks to supporters during a campaign gathering Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in Stanton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

She spent campaign funds conservatively all year, hoping a late surge would bring a strong showing in Iowa and catapult her to the top tier in New Hampshire and beyond. Now her absence from the campaign trail could blunt the gains from what Klobuchar described Wednesday as “quite a 48 hours.”

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – Prosecutors say a man charged with vehicular homicide in a fatal November crash near Ankeny was speeding and talking on his cellphone at the time of the crash. Television station KCCI reports that 51-year-old Aaron Lehman, of Polk City, was driving a pickup truck 20 mph over the posted 55 mph speed limit when he rear-ended a car Nov. 25 on a highway north of Ankeny.

A passenger in the car, 55-year-old Tracy Gugger of Ankeny, died at the scene. Lehman has pleaded not guilty homicide by vehicle while driving recklessly. He is free on $10,000 bond and is set to appear in court Jan. 30.

(Audubon) — Hundreds of thousands of Iowans expected to make their voices heard on February 3rd. Election officials in Audubon County say there will be two caucus locations for the Democrat Caucus: Precinct 1 (basically Northern half of the county) is the Audubon Elementary School, 600 Tracy Street. Precinct 2 (basically Southern half, including Kimballton) is the Exira Event Center, 106 N Jefferson Street. The Republican Caucus will be held for Precinct 1, at the Audubon High School. Precinct 2 will meet at the Exira School.

Doors open at 6:00 and close at 7:00. No one is permitted into the building after 7:00. Anyone needing a ride to a caucus site is invited to visit the Audubon County Democrats Facebook page. Click on the Community tab and scroll to the application. Anyone willing to provide rides are also encouraged to visit this site to volunteer to pick up their neighbors who need rides. We encourage high school students to attend caucuses in their precincts.

Anyone turning 18 before November 3rd may participate in the caucus. Those students not eligible to caucus may observe the process.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what caused a University of Iowa research drone to crash in a mobile home park near the Iowa City Municipal Airport. It came down Dec. 18 next to one of the homes, strewing shattered parts nearby but striking no one. The university reported that the 100-pound aircraft became unresponsive before crashing. The professor who was remotely operating it has declined to comment until the investigation is completed. The Gazette reported that the drone was bought for $300,000 in 2018. It has an 18-foot wingspan.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship report an insect that kills ash trees has been confirmed for the first time, in Audubon and Guthrie Counties. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) larvae were collected from infested trees in rural Exira and Casey. The invasive, tree-killing pest has been found in 71 Iowa counties since 2010. EAB is a small, metallic-green beetle that attacks and kills ash tree species. In its larval stage, EAB bores beneath the bark disrupting the movement of water and nutrients within the tree.  Infested trees typically die within two to four years.

Ash trees infested with EAB might include canopy thinning, woodpecker damage, water sprouts from the trunk or main branches, serpentine (“S”-shaped)  galleries under the bark, vertical bark splitting and 1/8-inch D-shaped exit holes. Mike Kintner, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship EAB coordinator, says “Woodpeckers like to eat EAB larvae beneath the bark of ash trees. Despite it being winter, woodpecker damage is an indicator EAB may be lurking in a tree.” The adult beetle can spread naturally by flying short distances to area host trees; however, the more threatening long-distance spread is by human-assisted movement. Beneath the bark, larvae can unknowingly be transported in infested wood products such as firewood. People are encouraged to use locally-sourced firewood where they are going to burn it.

The entire state of Iowa is under quarantine for EAB. A federal quarantine, enforced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, prohibits the movement of regulated articles such as living and dead material from ash trees and all hardwood firewood out of Iowa into non-quarantined areas of other states. At this calendar date, the window for all preventive treatments is closed. If a landowner is interested in protecting a valuable and healthy ash tree within 15 miles of a known infestation, he or she should have landscape and tree service companies bid on work, review the bids this winter and begin treating in spring 2020 (early April to mid-May).

To learn more about EAB and to view known locations in Iowa, please visit http://www.iowatreepests.com.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says two people, including a juvenile, were injured during a single-vehicle accident Wednesday night, about two-miles southwest of Clarinda. Authorities report 19-year old Austin Tyler Laythe, of Villisca, was driving a 2006 Ford Ranger westbound in the 2700 block of 230th Street at around 9:15-p.m., when his pickup lost traction on the slush / snow covered roadway.

Laythe over corrected while trying to regain control of the vehicle, but it entered the north ditch and struck a fence post in the ditch before rolling onto it’s side coming to rest. Laythe and a juvenile female passenger were transported to Clarinda Regional Health Center by Clarinda Ambulance service for treatment of unknown injuries. Damage to the Ford Ranger was estimated at $8,000. No charges have been filed.