Women could be charged with a felony if their newborn tests positive for drugs under legislation that has cleared an Iowa House committee. Representative Clel Baudler, a Republican from Greenfield, is the bill’s sponsor. “My hope is with this bill that it will force mom to get some treatment,” Baudler says. “We know they’re not going to put ’em in prison for something like this. That’s just the justice system, the way it is today.” Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the bill isn’t a “comprehensive answer” to the problem.

“If you have a father that’s addicted and a mother that’s not, but there’s meth smoked actually in the home, it will be detected in the child,” Absul-Samad says. “So the then mother gets blamed for it, but the father then walks away?” Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, says the threat of having newborns tested for drugs might prompt some pregnant women to have their babies outside a hospital. “A woman who’s addicted to drugs, when she goes into labor, she may — to the extent that she thinks about it at all — she would choose to have her baby in an alley or in a closet somewhere rather than risk going to the hospital,” Wolfe said. Representative Jarad Klein, a Republican from Keota, responded “I will continue to support this bill because I believe we can save a life,” Klein said. “And if we can save one life, that is a win in my book.”

Representative Tom Shaw, a Republican from Laurens, is a former a police chief who made drug arrests. “I have had numerous drug users come up to me and…actually thank me for arresting them because without law enforcement involvement, they didn’t take their treatment seriously,” Shaw says. “…It wasn’t until they had the threat of prison time or sustained jail time that they actually went into treatment with the attitude that they had to clean themselves up.” Representative Ruth Ann Gaines, a Democrat from Des Moines, adopted a boy who was born addicted to drugs. “But I don’t think this bill would have detered his parents, especially his mother, from using drugs. I think what it would have done is forced her to abort him,” Gaines says. “…I don’t think this is going to do anything but force more women into back alley abortions.”

The bill passed the House Public Safety Committee on a 15 to six vote.

(Radio Iowa)

Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman say that Montgomery and Page County Emergency Management Agencies are (EMA)  sponsoring the annual Storm Spotter training class in Red Oak this year. Hamman says due to cuts at the National Weather Service, the two EMA’s have grouped together to assist them and will switch between Montgomery and Page counties to host the class yearly. Montgomery in odd years and Page in even years. The class is open to the public and free of charge.
The Storm Spotter Training Class will take place Tuesday, Feb. 26th,  from 7- to 9-pm at the Montgomery Co Historical Center in Red Oak. If you have any questions contact Brian Hamman at 712-623-3749.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports an Adams County man was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning for being a fugitive from justice. Brothers says at around 12: 20-a.m., officers with the Clarinda P-D apprehended 36-year old James Keith Bost, of Corning. Bost eas taken into custody in the area of 18^th & Lincoln Streets, on a fugitive from justice warrant from the State of Texas. Bost was wanted by Texas authorities for felony possession of marijuana.

He was transported to the Page County Jail and held on a $10,000 cash only bond while awaiting extradition to Texas.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests last week. On Saturday, 20-year old Newberry Winfield Wright, of Oakland, was taken into custody on a charge of OWI/1st Offense. Wright was released later that same day, on his own recognizance.

And, as we reported late last week, deputies in Cass County arrested 36-year old Daniel Elmer Bright,  of Shenandoah, on January 29th. Bright was arrested in Page County on a Cass County warrant for Theft in the 2^nd Degree. After being brought back to Cass County, Bright was taken to the jail in Atlantic and released later that same day on $5000 bond.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest Monday of 65-year old Linda Barber. The Atlantic woman was taken into custody on  a charge of 5th degree theft (Shoplifting). Barber was booked into the Cass County Jail.

And, officers with the A-PD investigated a non-injury accident Monday evening. Officials say vehicles driven by Collin Baker and Jason Watson, both of Atlantic, were headed east on 7th Street and approaching the stoplight at the intersection with Plum, when Watson stopped for traffic in front of him. When Baker failed to see Watson’s car had stopped, his vehicle hit the rear of the Watson vehicle, causing $3,000 damage to both vehicles.

Baker was cited for Failure to Stop in an Assured Clear Distance and Violation of an Instruction permit.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A decision by the Ohio governor to expand the state’s Medicaid program has not changed Gov. Terry Branstad’s opposition to Medicaid expansion in Iowa.      Branstad’s spokesman said Tuesday that the governor still believes that raising the Medicaid eligibility limits would be too costly. Tim Albrecht said Branstad does support continuing the IowaCare program, a state and federally funded plan that provides limited health coverage to low-income adults.

Democrats in the state Senate have introduced legislation that would broaden eligibility requirements for the Medicaid program in Iowa, which covers low-income residents, including children and the disabled. President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul provides funding to states that expand Medicaid.   An expansion in Iowa could add as many as 150,000 people to the program, including those currently on IowaCare.

The Shelby County Supervisors will be revising their security plan for county buildings. During a regular meeting this (Tuesday) morning, Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert gave the supervisors a Shelby County Courthouse interim crisis response plan. Seivert put the plan together because “acts of violence against public offices and elected officials is a distinct possibility.”

The plan includes an action plan for verbal altercations, in the event an employee becomes involved in an argument or discussion with another person, the employees in the immediate area are to call 911 and if able, outline the events occurring. A robbery or weapon displayed was also discussed, in the event an employee is confronted by someone who is making demands for money, showing a weapon or implying they have a weapon, the employee shall comply with the person and have local law enforcement deal with the attacker.

The final item was weapons being fired.  Seivert said “That would be the most critical thing to happen to us. It has gained a lot of national attention. Homeland security has come up with a similar plan for offices. They give the option to hide or to attack the individual and making it so he can’t get to you. If you are backed into a corner and can’t get out of harms way, they need to protect themselves.” Supervisor Steve Kenkel asked a follow up question about where to take the initial plan from this point forward. Seivert said “We need to look at the entire county safety plan and all other buildings. There is a lot of drafts and methods to assessing our risks.”

The board approved a review of all security in the building, with the Safety Committee with Seivert and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Hervey assisting in the plans.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)