A legislator who’s been pushing to raise the state gas tax made a passionate pitch on the topic Tuesday night, but the top Republican in the House used his authority to table the idea. Representative Josh Byrnes, a Republican from Osage, expressed his frustration during a speech on the House floor.  “You know I hear a lot of: ‘Now’s not the right time,'” Byrnes said. “…I guess I’m curious to know — when is the right time? Are we going to circle a date on the calendar next session and say: ‘That’s the day’?”

The state fuel tax hasn’t been hiked since 1989. Byrnes and other supporters say Iowa’s roads and bridges, especially in rural areas, are crumbling because the state’s road fund is woefully short to meet current demands.  “I’d like to know. When is the right time? Is the right time going to be a reaction?” Byrnes asked. “Is it going to be when we have something fall through a bridge and we have a failure or a death, God forbid?” Byrnes, who is chairman of the House Transportation Committee, could not get enough votes in his committee this year to pass a bill that would have raised the state fuel tax by a dime.

Byrnes crafted an alternative that called for lowering the state tax to 16 cents per gallon, but charging a five percent tax on retail fuel sales.  “The reason that we will not move a fuel tax this session is ’cause we’re in a re-election year and I think that’s disappointing,” Byrnes said. “I think it’s disappointing to Iowans. I think we’re letting Iowans down.” Republican House Speaker Kraig Paulsen of Hiawatha has often said over the past two years that Iowans aren’t asking him to raise the gas tax. Last night (Tuesday) Paulsen ruled the gas tax was not within the scope of the bill being debated. That meant the proposal from Byrnes was tabled and no vote was taken on his amendment.

(Radio Iowa)

State health officials have spent the last month working to raise awareness about the dangers of binge drinking. April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Julie Hibben, Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator at the Iowa Department of Public Health, says there are a few different definitions for what constitutes “binge” drinking. “The source we tend to site is four or more drinks for a woman and five or more for a man. That’s in one setting or occasion,” Hibben says. In recent years, there’s been a decline in the percentage of Iowa teenagers who drink alcohol. However, Hibben says too many teens are still putting their health at risk.

“According to our Iowa Youth Survey data, 21-percent of 11th-grade boys and 18-percent of 11th-grade girls reported they binge drank in the last 30 days,” Hibben says. Studies show that youth who drink alcohol are more likely to use other drugs, experience higher absences from school, and have poor or failing grades, according to Hibben. She’s encouraging parents to talk with their children about the dangers of alcohol. Hibben says many adults may need to change their habits if they hope to lead by example.

“Iowa is one of seven states in the nation with the highest rates of adults who binge drink,” Hibben says.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa man accused of placing hidden video recording devices in a girls’ school bathroom has pleaded not guilty to charges. Twenty-nine-year-old Ian Dishon is charged with sexual exploitation of a child and producing child pornography. Isabel is a former coordinator for an after-school program at Hayes Elementary School in Davenport.

CLARION, Iowa (AP) — Officials in the northern Iowa city of Clarion say they’ve stopped the discharge of untreated wastewater into a nearby creek. The state Department of Natural Resources says Clarion officials replaced a pump Monday. The city’s wastewater treatment system began discharging Sunday after one of two pumps failed.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A scaled-back bill defining elder abuse for the first time in Iowa has been approved by the Senate and House. Both chambers gave unanimous support for the measure Tuesday after it came through a conference committee. It now goes to Gov. Terry Branstad. The bill provides a definition of elder abuse, identifies the elder population as anyone aged 60 or older, and creates a process for elders to obtain protective orders in instances of abuse.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A nearly $1.9 billion health and human services budget bill has been approved by the Legislature and sent to Gov. Terry Branstad without a provision to reopen the Iowa Juvenile Home, effectively ending Democrats’ attempts this session to reopen the facility closed by Branstad in January. Before its doors closed, the Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo housed some of Iowa’s most troubled girls.

Emergency Management officials in Shelby County said Tuesday that Hazel Road is currently closed to replace a bridge with a pipe. The bridge is located on a stretch of Level B road over an unnamed tributary of Moser Creek south of 2246 Hazel Road between Union Townships 16 and 17.The road will be closed for approximately four to six weeks. Residents and emergency responders should plan to take alternate routes.

Authorities in Montgomery County are asking for your help in solving a break-in and theft. Officials say sometime between April 18th and 28th, someone broke into a trailer located at 1755 223rd Street, south of Red Oak. The victim reported the loss of seven Franklin Mint statues, four of which were part of a National Maritime Historical Society series. The pieces include a Sundial, Spyglass, Barometer, Lantern, Telephone, Meteorological clock and Chronometer. All were gold plated and valued at about $200 each.

The were also about $500 damage done to the trailer. Anyone with information about the crime should call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

Clarinda Police are asking for the public’s help in solving a spree of residential burglaries that occurred in the east part of Clarinda during the early morning hours of April 27th. Police Chief Keith Brothers says on Sunday, April 27th, Merlin “Hap” Murphy of 917 E. Lincoln reported that intruders had entered his home, by forcing their way through a window, and stealing some personal items and causing some property damage.

That same morning, Jeremy Morrison, of 323 N. 8th Street reported that his home had also been burglarized and some personal items stolen. Also, Rene “Andy” Kuonen of 623 N. 10th St. reported that someone had unlawfully entered into his home and destroyed some personal property.

The incidents remain under investigation. Anyone with information concerning the identity of the individual(s) who committed one or all of the criminal acts should contact the Clarinda Police Department. Information that leads to an arrest is eligible for a cash reward through the Page County Crime stoppers program.

Awards totaling $23.8 million were announced today (Tuesday), for 70 communities across the state. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) awarded the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support 72 community investment projects. The federally funded grants were awarded for community facilities, infrastructure improvements, downtown revitalization and single family owner-occupied housing rehabilitation.

Among the grant recipients in the KJAN listening area, was:

• The City of Anita – $300,000 for construction improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Breda (Carroll County) – $300,000 for the replacement of a water tower.
• The City of Corning – $500,000 for construction improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Creston – $250,000 for improvements to the sanitary sewer system to reduce infiltration and inflow.
• The City of Earlham – $191,000 for improvements to the existing water distribution system.
• The City of Hancock – $196,000 for improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Henderson – $185,000 for a Life Station & Force Main replacement.
• The City of Macedonia – $246,000 for improvements to the water system.
• The City of Schleswig – $300,000 for CDBG Administration.
• The City of Thurman – $229,000 for improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Winterset – $584,000 for sanitary sewer system improvements.
• The City of Greenfield – $205,500 for the Southern Iowa Council Of Governments (COG).
• The City of Panora – $395,000 for the Region 12 Council of Governments (COG).

The funds enable communities to make needed improvements to water and sewer systems, improve housing conditions for low-income homeowners, provide facilities for disabled and at-risk individuals, and make transformative improvements to their downtowns.

IEDA received 136 applications for these funds, totaling $44.9 million in funding requests. The grants are awarded based on benefit to low- and moderate-income persons, slum and blight elimination, financial need, project impact and readiness, and commitment of local resources to the project.

The Community Development Block Grant program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). IEDA is responsible for administering the CDBG funds in the non-metropolitan areas of the state. Applications are solicited annually, usually during the fall.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are expected to act Wednesday on the Appointment of a full-time Mental Health/General Assistance Director. Deb Schuler has filled the position in the interim, following the termination of employment in February, of former long-time MH/DD/GA Director Teresa Kanning.

The Board will also act on: The appointment of an additional member to the Cass County Food Policy Council; An amended appropriation for the Medical Examiner’s Department, and on authorizing Board Chair Frank Waters to sign a Planning Grant Agreement with the Iowa Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, for a Multi-jurisdictional  Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) Update

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is funded by FEMA to provide grants to State and local governments to implement long-term mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. The purpose of the program is to reduce loss of life and property resulting from natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the recovery from a disaster. Cass County’s current plan
continues through mid-2015. Cass County’s application is for 2015 through 2020. The grant request is was for $53,000 ($39,750 Federal match; $5,300 State match; and $7,950 County {in-kind} match).

In other business, the Supervisors will review the bids and possibly award a contract for, a concrete box culvert project. The meeting begins at 8:30-a.m. in the Supervisor’s Board Room at the Cass County Courthouse.