A proposed amendment to insert legal rights for crime victims in Iowa’s constitution was the subject of two hearings at the capitol Wednesday. Paul Cassell, a law professor at the University of Utah, told Iowa lawmakers 34 other states refer to the rights of crime victims in their constitutions. “This would make a real world difference for those people,” Cassell said. “The experience in other states has been very positive and I hope Iowa will move forward make this a part of its constitution as well.”

Two organizations that advocate for crime victims registered their opposition. Kerri True-Funk of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault says the amendment is “largely symbolic” and will do little to protect victims. “When we’re talking about crime victims being heard in a situation, being valued as a person, we have to change our culture, not our constitution,” True-Funk said.

Lawmakers are still reviewing the proposed amendment and considering alterations before deciding whether it may advance to a committee.The proposal would put in the state constitution a requirement that victims be notified at multiple steps in the legal process and victims would be given the right to refuse to give a “deposition” — the legal term for a meeting before a trial when the defendant’s lawyer asks the victim questions. The proposed amendment would have to be okayed by legislators this year and again in either 2019 or 2020. Only then would it be placed on the ballot so Iowa voters could decide if the language is added to the state constitution.

(Radio Iowa)

The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are conducting a joint investigation  of an officer involved shooting that took place at 611 East Broadway, in Council Bluffs.
The incident took place shortly after 3am.  A preliminary investigation indicates that a Council Bluffs police officer, while responding to a call of suspicious vehicle on the business lot, discharged his firearm while attempting to take the driver  of the car into custody.

After being shot, the driver of the car sped off the lot and crashed, resulting in the car flipping onto its roof.  The driver  then fled the wrecked vehicle on foot and was apprehended after a short foot chase.
The injured driver was transported by ambulance to a metro area hospital for treatment.

Names of any officers involved, and of the suspect who was shot and crashed, are not being released at this time.  More  information will be released later this afternoon.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A report says a business conditions index for nine Midwest and Plains states slipped over the past month but still pointed to continuing improvement in regional economic conditions. The report released Thursday says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index dropped to 57.3 in January from 59.0 in December. The November figure was 57.2. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says manufacturing and other business sectors in the region are adding jobs at a solid pace.

Iowa’s overall index climbed to 58.0 from 54.3 in December. Components were new orders at 67.4, production or sales at 67.8 delivery lead time at 42.2, employment at 51.3 and inventories at 61.1. Both durable- and non-durable goods manufacturing are experiencing growth well above that of the region and the nation. Goss said he expects this growth advantage to continue for the next three to six months..

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth in that factor. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Sac-Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas Counties…

344 AM CST Thu Feb 1 2018 …Strong Wind Gusts Possible Through 6 AM… A cold front is pushing through the state and will be in Missouri by 6 AM. The front will usher in much colder air and winds behind the front are quite strong. There will be a 2 to 3 hour window with sustained wind speeds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts around 40 mph. The winds are expected to diminish some this morning and really drop off during the mid to late afternoon hours. Through 6 AM if you are driving, be prepared for strong wind gusts which could briefly impact driving…especially of high profile or light weight vehicles.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:38 a.m. CST

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa county has agreed to pay $285,000 to an Arizona man who was arrested, transported across the country and jailed for 68 days for a crime that he didn’t commit. The payment will resolve a federal lawsuit that 23-year-old Joseph McBride filed this month against Linn County and its longtime top prosecutor, County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden. McBride was wrongly accused of participating in a 2017 home invasion in Cedar Rapids, his former hometown.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa has announced plans to remove casino mogul Steve Wynn’s name from the school’s Institute for Vision Research in light of sexual misconduct allegations against Wynn. The university announced the move Wednesday in a news release. The university named the institute for Wynn in 2013 following his $25 million donation to the school to support blindness research.

FLOYD, Iowa (AP) — Officials in northeastern Iowa have released the names of all officers and deputies at the scene of the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis man, but have refused to say which officers fired their guns. Bremer County Attorney Kasey Wadding told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that he was “not ready to disclose” which officers fired their guns or which ones delivered the fatal shot. Officials say 29-year-old Jihad Merrick died after being shot Jan. 17 on Highway 218.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Preliminary data on the first three months of a new state-funded family planning program in Iowa shows it had a nearly 50 percent drop in enrollment since it switched to a system that excludes abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The information in a 20-page state report shows an initial reduction in health care providers participating in the program and a decline in services being accessed during that time. The AP received the report as part of a records request.

A three-member panel in the state senate is delaying a decision on a bill that would do away with handwritten prescriptions on paper and require that all prescriptions be submitted to pharmacies electronically. Senator Tom Greene, a Republican from Burlington who is a retired pharmacist, says the bill would help curb the abuse of opioids and other controlled substances.  “I’ve so blatantly had people hand me a handwritten prescription the doctor wrote for 10 sleeping pills basically and they changed the one to a four,” Greene says. “Easy change.”

The Board of Pharmacy has suggested all prescriptions be made electronically by July of 2019. Lobbyists for the medical community say 17 months might not be enough time for providers, especially in rural areas, to get the proper software in place. Greene and other senators may try to advance the bill, but put in longer lag time before it takes effect.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Sioux City Construction Office reports bridge demolition work on the Interstate 29 bridge over Floyd Boulevard in Sioux City will require closing Floyd Boulevard beginning 6 p.m. Friday, February 2, until 6 a.m. Monday, February 5, weather permitting.

Work will be performed 24 hours a day to minimize the length of this closure. Floyd Boulevard traffic will be asked to follow a detour route during this project. (See map for more information about the detour routes for this project. Click on image to enlarge) The trail along Floyd Boulevard will also be closed while the bridge work is being performed.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.

Cass County Treasurer, Tracey J Marshall, Wednesday, announced that she is seeking re-election. Marshall is currently serving her fourth term as Treasurer.

In a statement, she said “I find it rewarding to serve the residents of Cass County. I want to thank all of you for your support. It is my mission to provide the citizens of Cass County with convenient local services in a professional and courteous manner. I’m asking for your vote in the upcoming June 2018 election and your continued support in the future.”

Tracey J. Marshall

Her campaign said also, Marshall “Continues to streamline operations and improve government services. [Her] pride in Cass County reflects in her service through the Iowa State County Treasurers Association, Iowa State Association of Counties, National Association of Counties, and the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers, and Finance Officers, where she is currently the President Elect of the association. Tracey believes in being involved to better serve the communities in Cass County. ”

The campaign added, “Technology is ongoing and Tracey makes sure the Treasurer’s office is up to date and continues with ongoing training for the office. We are able to pay our taxes and motor vehicle renewals on-line (www.iowatreasurers.org). We accept credit and debit cards in the office for payments. The Treasurer’s office has implemented a major tax system update and a new DOT system since Tracey has been in office.”

The Treasurer’s Office is currently working on digitizing all of the Motor Vehicle records dating back to 1954.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Red Oak man on a warrant Wednesday. At 11;33am Deputies arrested 37-year-old Kale Garrett Hardman of Red Oak on a Pottawattamie County Warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond for Pottawattamie County.

Republicans in the Iowa House have released their proposal for general state aid to K-through-12 public schools for the next academic year. The 32-million dollar increase would not be as robust as the 52-million dollar boost Republican Governor Kim Reynolds proposed earlier this month. Education-related groups are offering varying reactions to the essentially one-percent funding boost House Republicans are advancing. Emily Piper is a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of School Boards. She says if legislators also find more money to address inequities in the school funding formula, it’s a “fairly decent” increase in state support.

“While we continue to have concerns about funding for schools, one percent is certainly far above what we thought we would receive going into the start of this legislative session,” Piper says. Melissa Peterson is a lobbyist for the Iowa State Education Association, the union that represents Iowa teachers. Peterson says a one percent hike in general state aid to schools is disappointing.

“We are in the at least the eighth year of inadequate funding for our public schools,” she says. “We are cutting to the bone in a number of districts and we have significant concerns about what this level of funding will mean the future of our public education.” Brad Hudson is also a lobbyist for the Iowa State Education Association. Hudson says given the way the state’s school finance formula is structured, schools with stable or declining enrollment will be hard pressed to make ends meet.

“We should really be looking at somewhere in the range of $130 million or somewhere north of three to three-and-a-half percent,” Hudson says. “I don’t think we’re telling the kids they’re a priority in this and I think that’s a shame and we’ve done it for a number of years.”

Margaret Buckton represents both the Urban Education Network — the state’s largest schools — and the Rural School Advocates of Iowa. Buckton says a one percent boost would be appreciated, but most school districts “with consistent enrollment” are dealing with an expected three percent budget increase in the next academic year.

“Our parents, our stakeholders should continue to expect to see some tough choices at the local board table,” Buckton says. “We do appreciate continued conversations about transportation formula equity and the state penny.” The one percent statewide sales tax for school infrastructure is scheduled to end in 2029. House Republicans are hoping to schedule a vote next week in the House on their per pupil spending level for next year. Senate Republicans have not yet revealed their preferred level of state taxpayer support for public schools.

(Radio Iowa)