For the past two days, Democrats have been staging a sort of filibuster on the bill Republicans in the state legislature have crafted that would scale back union bargaining rights for teachers and government workers in Iowa. Republicans began offering some rebuttals late Wednesday afternoon. Representative Dawn Pettingill, a Republican from Mount Auburn, says there’s nothing “nefarious” in the bill and she read email from supporters of the bill.

“It’s time to revert the progressive agenda in our state. I pray for you, your families and your colleagues in this difficult time. Stand your ground and keep the faith and persevere,” Pettingill said. Representative Rick Olson, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the bill will kill the bargaining rights of teachers and government workers in Iowa.

“If it was necessary to reform Chapter 20, it could have been tweaked, not twisted. It could have been modified, not mutilated,” Olson said. “House File 291 burns hard working public employees to the ground.” Olson compared the bill to “Sherman’s March to the Sea,” a reference to a Union general’s pivotal and destructive march through Georgia during the Civil War.

Tempers began to fray as the debate wore on into nighttime hours for the second straight day. Democratic Representative Mary Mascher of Iowa City and Representative Steven Holt, the Republican from Denison who is the bill’s floor manager, had this testy exchange: “It’s really unfortunate that you aren’t being clear and honest,” Mascher said and, as Mascher continued to speak, Holt talked over her: “I’m being quite clear, I’m just not willing to play gotcha questions.” The House suspended debate on the bill shortly after 10 p.m.

The SENATE debated into the early morning hours and Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids hinted he and his fellow Democrats are ready to debate for days. “I’m prepared,” Hogg says. “We can spend the next 240 hours here at the senate, doing this.” Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, accused Republicans of “railroading” the bill through the legislature.

“Can you hear the train?…It’s on the track. It’s coming. This is a very complicated piece of legislation. It appears you’ve made up your minds. We’re going to get run over by the train. This commotion that you’re going to create with this is not going to go away by Saturday or Sunday or the next week,” Bolkcom said. “…It’s going to be around for quite a while.” Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, predicted that the G-O-P’s plan will “backfire.”

“Sleep drunk. Don’t know what you’re doing,” Dotzler says. “You can make that excuse down the road when your constituents turn on you. ‘Well, I was there at three o’clock in the morning and if I’d had some sleep, maybe I’d have thought through that.'”

(Radio Iowa)

A Polk County judge rules the Iowa Utilities Board was right in its decision to allow the use of eminent domain for the building of the Bakken oil pipeline. Fourteen Iowa landowners sued, saying the I-U-B improperly allowed the use of eminent domain to seize the land for the pipeline because it has had no direct public benefit for the state as it ships oil from North Dakota through Iowa to Illinois.

Judge Jefferey Farrell determined the I-U-B properly weighed several factors, including the economic impact on the state and safety concerns, in determining the company could use eminent domain for the pipeline. The ruling says the board correctly found there is no requirement that the product has to be shipped to or from the state. A news release from the lawyers representing the landowners in the case says they are disappointed and they intend to appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court.

(Radio Iowa)

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A plan by Republican lawmakers in Iowa to pass a bill that would cut most collective bargaining rights for public workers could also tame a political force that often supports their opponents. The proposed changes to Iowa’s collective bargaining law would drastically change how public sector unions are able to negotiate on behalf of roughly 180,000 people in the state. Academics say it would weaken unions who usually support Democrats.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Police in central Iowa have arrested a man they say left messages at a high school threatening to kill a transgender student there. The Nevada Public Safety Department says police arrested 65-year-old Mondell Olson, of Ames, on Wednesday after an investigation into that threat and another harassing voicemail left for a Nevada High School teacher. Olson has been charged with three counts of harassment and remained Wednesday in the Story County Jail.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The longtime No. 2 administrator at the University of Iowa is leaving to become president of a Florida college that focuses on aerospace education. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University says UI Provost P. Barry Butler would start next month as the school’s president. Butler, a former engineering dean and professor, had been at Iowa since 1984.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says Russia’s alleged attempts to meddle in November’s presidential election shouldn’t be a surprise given the United States worked to discredit the Italian Communist Party in Italy’s 1948 election. The U.S. was engaged in the Cold War with the Soviet Union at the time, and the CIA later acknowledged spending $1 million to try to sway the election away from communists. Grassley said Wednesday that the U.S. “doesn’t come to this table hands-free.”

Wednesday evening’s City Council meeting in Atlantic was the last official meeting for City Clerk Deb Wheatley Field, who has served the City for over 35-years. City Administrator John Lund took the opportunity to recognize her as a mentor and friend. Lund got some laughs when he said “She has been serving Atlantic since before I was born.” He said also “I see what goes on behind the scenes, and she has the highest level of ethical and professional standards and the City is going to lose a lot when she retires.”

Lund told her “It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to work with you. You bring positive energy to this office and I appreciate working with you as a co-worker, but also as mentor in this field.”

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones (Right) reads from a plaque presented to Deb Wheatley Field (left) and her husband Jim Field (center).

Mayor Dave Jones also recognized Wheatley Field in his comments to the Council. He said “In January 1996 I became a City Councilman At-Large in Atlantic. I had a lot to learn about how the City of Atlantic was run. The one thing I did notice, was that when questions were asked at Council or Committee meetings, about the budget, what [something] cost or when it was built, or who was the people behind it, they would always say [ask] ‘Deb.’ It did not take me long to realize the wealth of knowledge she has.”

He went on to say “Come budget time, long hours were put in to get our budget ready for the City Council. The City of Atlantic is still in great financial shape and will be into the future because of Deb’s dedicated work.” He concluded by saying “Deb Wheatley Field, the City is going to miss you. Thank you for all you have done for the City of Atlantic.”

Deb and her husband Jim Field stood beside the Mayor as he presented her with a plaque. Deb thanked the Council members, Mayor and past Council members for the opportunity to have served for the past 35-years. She teared up as she said “It has truly been an honor and a privilege. I’m very grateful. Thank you.”

An official retirement party and open house will be held for her in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall on Friday, February 24^th, from 2:30-until 4:30-p.m.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Police in central Iowa have arrested a man they say left messages at a high school threatening to kill a transgender student there. The Nevada Public Safety Department says police arrested 65-year-old Mondell Olson, of Ames, on Wednesday after an investigation into that threat and another harassing voicemail left for a Nevada High School teacher.

Authorities say Olson left one message threatening to “kill, brand and cause bodily harm” to the student. Police say the other message for the teacher was sexual in nature. The messages were left Friday and Tuesday.

Olson has been charged with three counts of harassment and remained Wednesday in the Story County Jail in lieu of $4,300 bond.

A special state investigation of the South Iowa Area Crime Commission finds the former leader of the organization that serves 15 counties misused its credit cards. State Auditor Mary Mosiman says her office was called in to investigate the credit card use of former executive director, Matt Murphy. “Our investigation identified a little over 13-thousand dollars of improper and unsupported credit card charges, interest and late fees,” Mosiman says. “The 13-thousand-162 dollars of improper charges identified included personal purchases made at convenience stores, retail vendors and grocery stores. And it also included meal costs that exceeded the authorized per diem amount.”

Mosiman says the overall loss of dollars to the commission was well below the amount of improper purchases. “Though Mr. Murphy did provide payment on most of these personal purchases made with the commission’s credit card — the commission did ultimately pay for a little over 11-hundred dollars of Mr. Murphy’s personal expenditures,” Mosiman says.

The commission provides transportation for juveniles to and from the South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency in Montrose, and its office is in Fairfield. It is governed by a 15-member board with a representative from each of the member counties and its office is in Fairfield. She says the commission had rules for using the credit cards and but they allowed the Murphy to break the rules. “We do want to make sure that government entities have policies in place preventing the use of public resources for personal benefit — and then they must follow those policies,” Mosiman says. “Especially at the top. The executive director should be the one leading those efforts.”

Mosiman says the one-thousand dollars in personal expenses that were not reimbursed by Murphy may not seem like a lot, but she says ignoring the rules can open an organization up for more problems. “For our purposes it’s not the dollar amount, it’s the practice. We want to make sure every government official is using public funds appropriately, and not for personal benefit,” Mosiman says.

The organization serves Adair, Davis, Des Moines, Lee, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello, Louisa, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Washington, and Wayne counties. Mosiman says the results of the investigation have been turned over to the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. She says that is standard practice when a misuse of government funds is identified.

(Radio Iowa)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Tuesday, of 39-year old Janet Lynn Hernandez. The Malvern woman was taken into custody at around 5:40-p.m. on a Warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. Hernandez was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

(Note: some language in this story may not be suitable for families)

It’s “Day Two” for statehouse debate of a bill that will change the rules for negotiating pay and benefits for government workers in Iowa. The House resumed debate shortly after 10 o’clock this (Wednesday) morning. Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City, was first in line to speak. Steckman started off by saying “Wow, last night we almost gave Iowa workers and families the worst Valentine’s Day present ever, but we put it off to today, I guess.” She went on to say “This bill, if enacted, strips away in every city that we all represent. It cuts and guts. It’s the Wisconsin bill on steroids.”

In 2011, Republicans in Wisconsin reduced union bargaining rights for teachers and other government workers in that state. Democrats in the IOWA legislature are staging a form of the filibuster. Democrat after Democrat is speaking on the bill and the House has yet to take a vote on any of the nearly 100 amendments proposed to make changes in the legislation. The Senate took one vote yesterday and debate on the bill IN THE SENATE resumed at about 10:30 this (Wednesday) morning. Senator Rich Taylor, a Democrat from Mount Pleasant who’s a retired state employee, worked at the Iowa State Penitentiary for 27 years. On Tuesday night, he used a term from the barnyard to describe the legislation.

“I call bullshit. This is not collective bargaining reform,” Taylor said. “This is a direct attack on public employees.” Taylor suggested Republicans are “going to war” against union works. “They say: ‘All’s fair in love and war,'” Taylor says. “Well, the war’s just starting and I hope you’re really prepared for that because this isn’t going to be pretty.”

This (Wednesday) morning, Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, tweeted about the debate. Bolkcom said: “It is much harder for Republicans to vote away your rights in front of a public audience” and he asked Iowans to come to the capitol to watch the debate.

(Radio Iowa)

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a break-in at the Platte Center Church in Creston, resulted in the theft of items valued at $165. Church officials reported the incident Monday morning, after someone broke into the church sometime late Sunday night or early Monday morning. Taken from the church, was a metal world globe bank, silver plated communion set, and a baptismal bowl.

And, a Union County resident reported Monday morning, that sometime during the night, someone damaged his mailbox near the residence at 1239 Highway 34. The mailbox was valued at $60.

A man and woman from Lake View died following a collision Tuesday morning between their pickup and a semi, in western Iowa’s Sac County. The Iowa State Patrol reports the driver of the 2008 Dodge pickup, 73-year old William Fewell and his passenger, 65-year old Peggy Behrens, died from injuries they suffered in the crash. Peggy Behrens, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene of the collision on Sac County Road M-54, at around 8:10-a.m., Tuesday.

William Fewell, who was not wearing a seat belt, was flown from the scene to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. The driver of the semi, 42-year old Maxwell (David) Stall, of Lytton, was not injured.

The Patrol says Fewell was traveling northbound on M54 near 280th Street and rounding a curve on the frost covered road, when his pickup went out of control, crossed the center line, and was struck broadside by the 2006 Sterling semi. The accident remains under investigation.