Republicans on a senate committee have advanced a bill to phase out 150-million dollars in annual state payments to cities, counties and school districts. The payments were promised in 2013 to make up for the cut in commercial property taxes that state lawmakers ordered. Senator Charles Schneider, a Republican from West Des Moines, says “no one realistically expected” the state to keep making these payments.

“No matter what we pass, local governments certainly won’t be happy about this,” Schneider says. “I think the approach we’re taking here today is fair and reasonable and gives local governments time to adapt.” The phase out would begin in July of 2019. For areas of the state were commercial property taxes are more robust, the state payments would be eliminated in three years. Slow-growth areas of the state would have six years to adjust to the end of this state support. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says many cities and counties will be forced to raise taxes on homeowners and farmers to make up for the declining state payments.

“The Republican Caucus has had a lot of bad ideas this session and this might be one of the worst ones,” Bolkcom said. “This is a huge broken promise to local governments.” House Speaker Linda Upmeyer says she and other Republicans in the HOUSE are interested in phasing out these payments, but are still considering various options for accomplishing that goal.

(Radio Iowa)

Key lawmakers say a flurry of votes on budget bills and a massive tax plan will likely bring the 2018 Iowa legislature to a close — sometime this weekend. “There might be one or two things that still have question marks, but I think things are ready to roll…Things sometimes get bumpy, but we’re ready to move forward and complete our work and adjourn.”

That’s House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, a Republican from Clear Lake. The details of the G-O-P’s tax plan were released in bill form late Thursday afternoon. Representative Guy Vander Linden, a Republican from Oskaloosa who’s chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, says it will provide a “significant” individual income tax cut, without going overboard.

“It is prudent. It is carefully considered, given the amount of time it’s taken to produce it,” Vander Linden says, “and I think it’s a good piece of legislation.” Vander Linden says while there are roughly 400-million dollars in income tax cuts, part of that will be offset by new sales tax collections on digital purchases.

“We are not raising sales tax. We are broadening it and, more importantly, we are making the sales tax parallel the economy,” Vander Linden says. “If the sales tax is going to be viable, we have to tax products that are in existence. We can’t tax buggy whips and expect to raise the revenue that is necessary to keep this ship afloat.”

Republicans hold a majority of seats in the Iowa House AND Senate, which means the G-O-P controls the debate agenda. Democrats are using the word “regressive” to describe the G-O-P’s tax plan. And Democrats like Senator Matt McCoy of Des Moines question whether now is the time to reduce state tax collections since lawmakers have had to make a series of state budget cuts in the past year.

“This is a time to be cautious, gentlemen and ladies. This is a time to be responsible. That’s the process of governing,” McCoy said. “During tough times and good times, you have to make sure that you’re accurately and adequately addressing the needs before you can do a major tax cut like this proposal.” REPUBLICANS aim to bring the tax bill up for debate on Saturday — so that the House AND Senate are voting on the bill at the same time.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowans got rid of a record amount of unwanted medicines last weekend. Residents of the state safely disposed of 12,333 pounds of old or unused prescription drugs during Saturday’s “Drug Take Back” event. According to the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy, that’s the most ever collected during a one-day event in Iowa.

The old mark of 11,710 pounds was set one year ago. The drugs were dropped off over a four-hour period last Saturday at 115 sites around Iowa. The effort is part of a national campaign targeting opioid abuse.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Pottawattamie County’s top prosecutor says no charges will be filed against an officer who shot a suspect during a chase earlier this week. County Attorney Matt Wilber said Thursday that Officer Jason Burleigh acted lawfully when he fired nine rounds early Tuesday morning at 28-year-old Clifton Wade, hitting Wade with three rounds. Omaha, Nebraska television station WOWT reports that Wade has undergone three surgeries at an Omaha hospital and is expected to recover.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Tornado warning sirens sounded Thursday, in the central Iowa counties of Polk, Dallas and Madison _ as well as in Des Moines _ as strong storms sweep the area. The Des Moines Register reports that the sirens went off between about 5:35 p.m. and minutes before 6 p.m. Thursday as the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for those counties, southwestern Story County and southeastern Boone County.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors for Iowa say a Des Moines medical equipment supplier has agreed to pay nearly $190,000 to resolve allegations it overbilled the state’s Medicaid program. The office of U.S. Attorney Marc Krickbaum said in a news release Thursday that the settlement resolves claims that Catholic Health Initiatives-Health at Home, doing business as Mercy Respiratory Care and Med Supply, improperly billed Medicaid for durable medical equipment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Newly released data show that an Iowa family planning program established last year to cut funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers has seen a marked decline in patients and participating health care providers. Iowa Department of Human Services data obtained by The Associated Press show that just over 5,300 people were enrolled in the program as of March 1, compared to roughly 8,200 when it launched July 1. Critics say the decline shows it isn’t working as promised.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Pottawattamie County’s top prosecutor says no charges will be filed against an officer who shot a suspect during a chase earlier this week. County Attorney Matt Wilber said Thursday that Officer Jason Burleigh acted lawfully when he fired nine rounds early Tuesday morning at 28-year-old Clifton Wade, hitting Wade with three rounds. Omaha, Nebraska television station WOWT reports that Wade has undergone three surgeries at an Omaha hospital and is expected to recover.

Police say Wade led officers on a chase after they tried to stop him around 3 a.m. Tuesday at a closed construction site. Police say Wade intentionally rammed two police cruisers, leading Burleigh to fire his service weapon. Two officers suffered minor injuries. Wade faces charges of attempted murder, assault on a police officer and eluding.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors for Iowa say a Des Moines medical equipment supplier has agreed to pay nearly $190,000 to resolve allegations it overbilled the state’s Medicaid program. The office of U.S. Attorney Marc Krickbaum said in a news release Thursday that the settlement resolves claims that Catholic Health Initiatives_Health at Home, doing business as Mercy Respiratory Care and Med Supply, improperly billed Medicaid for durable medical equipment. Officials say that in 2013 through 2015, the business continued to charge for the equipment after receiving full payment for it.
Krickbaum says the $189,062 settlement “sends the message to health care providers there will be consequences if they fail to comply with state and federal regulations.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Tornado warning sirens have sounded in the central Iowa counties of Polk, Dallas and Madison — as well as in Des Moines — as strong storms sweep the area. The Des Moines Register reports that the sirens went off between about 5:35 p.m. and minutes before 6 p.m. Thursday as the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for those counties, southwestern Story County and southeastern Boone County.

The service says the storms are capable of producing a tornado and that a trained spotter saw a funnel cloud near Dallas Center-Grimes High School just after 5:40 p.m. No reports of tornadoes touching down were immediately reported.

Red Oak Police are asking for help from the public in identifying the person or persons responsible for vandalism perpetrated on Kelly Park, in Red Oak. Authorities were contacted by officials with the Red Oak City Parks Department, who advised that someone had driven a vehicle into the park – in particular, the soccer field area — and spun “cookies” with the vehicle, damaging the grass and playing areas. The incident happened some during the overnight hours of May 2nd into early Thursday morning.

If you have information with regard to the incident, call the Red Oak Police Dept. at 712-623-6500.

Police in Red Oak, Thursday afternoon, arrested 59-year old Coronne Rena Denton, of Red Oak, for Theft in the 5th Degree (fuel value under $200). Authorities say Denton allegedly charged just under $21 in fuel on a United Farmers Mercantile Cooperative (UFMC) account. Denton is a former employee, and did not have the right or privilege to charge on the account. It is also alleged that she had the intent to deprive the the business of the property/money. She was seen on surveillance cameras signing for the fuel and charging the account. Her bond was set at $300.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican lawmakers have given preliminary approval to prohibiting Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding for sex education.
GOP-led legislative committees approved budget legislation Thursday that would add disqualifying language for federal grants aimed at sexual health education to Iowa youth.

The state administers the grants, and the proposed language says recipients of the money can’t provide abortions, maintain or operate a facility where abortions are performed, or regularly make referrals to entities linked to abortions.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the local affiliate, says it’s been awarded these grants repeatedly. The federal money isn’t used for abortions. A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman called the move a “targeted attack.” It comes one day after the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill that would ban most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy. The abortion ban will likely be challenged in court if signed into law by anti-abortion GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds.