(Radio Iowa) — Seven Republicans in the Iowa Senate have voted to deny food stamp benefits to parents who aren’t making an attempt to pay child support. The seven Republicans on the Senate Labor Committee also have endorsed quarterly income checks to make sure people on Medicaid and food stamps are eligible for the assistance. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, says the plan also calls for checking to ensure people aren’t getting welfare benefits from the State of Iowa if they move out of state. “Iowa taxpayers should be defended. Not simply: ‘Oh, you don’t qualify anymore,’ but no, we’re actually going to go and look for people who are taking your money and using it incorrectly,” Schultz says. “That’s not asking too much.”

The four Democrats on the committee opposed both bills. Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, says it’s “pretty punitive” to require quarterly income checks for low-income elderly and disabled Iowans who’re on Medicaid. “I think this program is really to try to hassle people, to get ’em to fall through the cracks and kick ’em off of a program that might be critical to their almost very existence,” Dotzler said.

Another Democrat said he’s no fan of “dead beat dads” who aren’t paying child support, but he suspects some of those fathers are living in other homes with other kids who’d suffer if the household loses food stamps benefits.

(Radio Iowa) — Fred Hubbell, the Iowa Democratic Party’s nominee for governor last year, is recovering from serious but not life-threatening injuries after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike. The accident happened in Arizona Friday afternoon. A family spokesman says a motorist ran a red light and struck Hubbell, fracturing Hubbell’s pelvis. Hubbell has undergone a couple of surgeries and the family spokesman says there will “significant” physical therapy ahead for Hubbell. Hubbell’s 2018 opponent, Governor Kim Reynolds, has tweeted her deepest best wishes to Hubbell and his family as he recovers from what she calls a tragic accident.

Red Oak Police, Monday evening, cited a man from Villisca for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 44-year old Johnathan Dean McCollum received his citation at around 7:45-p.m., following a traffic stop in the 1200 block of Highway 34. McCollum was released from the scene after receiving his citation.

Julian Castro, 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidate and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Obama, will visit Exira this Thursday (Feb. 21st). Event organizers says at only 44 years old, Castro’s leadership experience also includes serving as mayor of his hometown of San Antonio. He will be speaking and taking questions at the Exira Event Center (106 Jefferson St, Exira, Iowa 50076) a little after 5-p..m. Thursday.

Julian Castro 2020 Presidential Candidate

The Audubon County Democrats are hosting the event, which begins at 5:00-p.m.  Anyone interested in meeting Julian Castro and listening to what he has to say, is welcome to attend (you do not need to be a Democrat or from Audubon County).

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports his deputies were called Monday afternoon to the 200 block of H Street in Randolph, for a suspicious vehicle. Upon deputies arrival, a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban stolen out of Council Bluffs was located. At the time of the initial report, no suspects were located. Later on in the evening, however, Deputies continued their investigation that led to the arrest of 34 year old Casey Dean Freemeyer Jr. and 40 year old Barbra Hall both of Randolph.

Casey Dean Freemeyer, Jr.

Barbra Hall

Freemeyer and Hall were located during a traffic stop in Tabor and taken into custody, Each faces a charge of Theft in the 2nd degree/motor vehicle-related. Both were taken to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and held on $5,000 bond each. The investigation is ongoing, with more parties involved and pending charges.

Authorites are still trying to locate a 2015 Harley Davidson enclosed trailer that was attached to the vehicle when it was initially stolen. Fremont County Deputies were assisted during their investigation, by the Tabor Police Dept.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds plans to sign education funding bills sent to her last week by lawmakers providing a 2 percent increase in state per-pupil funding for the budget year beginning in July. Reynolds has scheduled a bill signing event for this (Tuesday) morning at the Iowa Capitol. The measures would boost per-pupil support from the state general fund to nearly $3.3 billion. Democrats had proposed an amendment that would have provided 3 percent but Republicans holding a majority of votes rejected it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats hoping to unseat President Donald Trump in 2020 are courting the party’s famous freshmen. It’s an unprecedented pursuit of congressional newcomers that started even before they flipped the House to Democratic control in November. The new lawmakers with the fullest dance cards are New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and those from early voting states such as New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds says she has decided not to appeal an Iowa judge’s ruling last month that struck down Iowa’s “fetal heartbeat” abortion law, which would have been the most restrictive anti-abortion law in the nation. Reynolds says it was “an extremely difficult decision” but is the right one for the state and for those who oppose abortion.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A special election to fill an Iowa Senate seat vacated last week when Sen. Jeff Danielson resigned will be held next month. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday issued a proclamation that sets the special election for March 19 for the eastern Iowa district which covers Cedar Falls, Hudson and parts of Waterloo in Black Hawk County.