Senator Joni Ernst says she’s looking for a compromise that would still allow the National Security Agency to collect raw data on phone calls, but place some limits on the practice to protect Americans’ privacy rights.  “I think there is a middle ground, but I have not seen that language yet,” Ernst says. “I would rather err on the side of caution to make sure that we are protecting our citizens.”

A federal court this week ruled the bulk collection of phone records was unconstitutional. The issue is among those soon to be addressed when Senators consider a bill to reauthorize the so-called Patriot Act that was passed after 9/11, giving the federal government broad powers for terrorism investigations.

“I do support the Patriot Act, but we do have to take a good look at it,” Ernst says. “Are there ways we probably could improve upon it? I think there probably are.” Ernst says the National Security Agency is NOT listening in on everyone’s phone conversations or reading texts, but rather collecting the raw data of which numbers are calling what numbers and how long the calls last. That information can later be used in terror investigations to build a circle of contacts an alleged terrorist may have made before being identified as a suspect.

Ernst made her comments Friday during an appearance on the “Iowa Press” program which will be rebroadcast Sunday at noon on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa)

Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Student Loan
leaders, Friday, recognized 20 Iowa high school seniors who each won a $1,500 college scholarship through participation in the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge: Senior Scholarship, administered by Iowa Student Loan. The high school seniors from across the state were recognized in a special award ceremony at the John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center. Among the winners of Iowa Student Loan’s 2015 Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge – Senior Scholarship, was Hannah Grizzle, who attends the Guthrie Center High School.

This was the second year Iowa Student Loan offered the Iowa Financial Know-How
Challenge: Senior Scholarship, which provided Iowa high school seniors the chance to
win $1,500 for college while learning important financial literacy skills.

Between December 2014 and February 2015, registered high school seniors were asked to complete two online financial literacy tutorials which Iowa Student Loan developed to help students understand the consequences of college borrowing and discover how to maximize their return on college investment, or ROCI. In addition, scholarship contenders were required to take an online financial literacy assessment test. The 20 winners were those who scored highest on the assessment or, in the case of a tie for top scores, received the highest scores on an independently judged essay.