(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa G-O-P’s chairman says getting Donald Trump elected is all the matters in the 2024 election. Over a thousand Iowa Republicans gathered in Clive Saturday for the party’s state convention. Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann told the delegates the party’s number one priority is the presidential race.

“Every action I take between now and November I’m going to ask myself: ‘How does this help put Donald Trump back in the White House?’ That’s all that matters,” Kaufmann said, to cheers. “…That is the only function of the Republican Party of Iowa this year until November — win, win, win with Republicans. That’s why we exist.” Kaufmann says there are people in the party who have reservations about Trump, but he suggests they must have beefs with President Biden on a variety of issues.

“If you don’t want that, you’ve got one choice: Donald J. Trump,” Kaufman said, to cheers. In her state convention speech, Governor Kim Reynolds made a passing reference to January’s Iowa Caucuses. Ron DeSantis, the candidate she endorsed last November, won got 21 percent. “While we may have been on different sides I can tell you without a doubt, without hesitate that we share a common goal,” Reynolds said, “and that is ending Joe Biden’s political career.”

Reynolds, who issued a written statement in March endorsing Trump, verbalized it on Saturday. “He is a fighter. He is a leader. He will close the border on day one. He will bring our economy back and our enemies will know that America is back!” Reynolds said, to cheers. Attorney General Brenna Bird, who endorsed Trump before the Iowa Caucuses, said the Trump campaign is depending on a big margin of victory in Iowa, so they can focus on winning other states.

Governor Reynolds, RPI chairman Kaufmann, other GOP officials addressed Iowa GOP convention delegates on May 4, 2024. (RI photo)

“You know what I’ve told him? ‘Don’t worry. We’re working hard here in Iowa. We have election integrity. Iowa has your back,'” Bird said, before asking the crowd: “Right?” The delegates were shown video messages from Iowa’s U.S. Senators, both of whom urged Iowa Republicans to stand firm and work to elect Trump.  A Des Moines Register “Iowa Poll” conducted at the end of February showed Trump leading Joe Biden in Iowa by 15 points.

The Iowa DEMOCRATIC Party’s state convention is June 15th. Democrats held district conventions Saturday. Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Hart told delegates at the second district convention in North Liberty that it’s important to get Democrats elected to the state legislature, to restore common sense and fairness in state government.

(Radio Iowa) – Death and disability benefits for first responders in dozens of Iowa cities will change July 1st. Under current law, firefighters, police and E-M-Ts in those cities are eligible for disability as well as death benefits if they’re diagnosed with one of 14 types of cancer that could be connected to their work. The governor has approved legislation that lets those first responders be eligible for disability benefits for ANY type of cancer as well as heart or lung diseases. Their spouses or children will be eligible for benefits if any of those illnesses leads to death.

Representative Eric Gjerde of Cedar Rapids is a volunteer Linn County deputy. “This is a great piece of legislation for the folks that serve on the front lines of our communities, our municipal police officers, our fire fighters and our first responders,” Gjerde says. “It’s something that has been worked on for a very long time.”

The law also requires local governments to cover the costs of mental health evaluations as part of the annual physicals for police officers and firefighters. First responders diagnosed with a mental illness connected to their service also could qualify for disability benefits.

Here’s the list of cities involved in the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa AND an asterisk means only POLICE get pensions through the system in that city: Ames, Ankeny, Bettendorf, Boone, Burlington, Camanche, Carroll*, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Centerville, Charles City, Clinton, Clive*, Council Bluffs, Creston, Davenport, Decorah, Des Moines, DeWitt*, Dubuque, Estherville*, Evansdale*, Fairfield, Fort Dodge, Fort Madison, Grinnell, Indianola*, Iowa City, Keokuk, Knoxville*, LeMars*, Maquoketa*, Marion, Marshalltown, Mason City, Muscatine, Newton, Oelwein, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pella*, Sioux City, Spencer, Storm Lake, Urbandale, Waterloo, Waverly*, Webster City, West Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa) – The federal government intends to file a lawsuit tomorrow (Tuesday) to block enforcement of an Iowa law that makes illegal re-entry into the U.S. a state crime. The new law, signed by Governor Reynolds in April, also lets Iowa judges issue deportation orders for people arrested in Iowa who entered the country illegally. Delegates at the Iowa G-O-P’s state convention cheered the governor this weekend when she mentioned the law.

“Now the Biden Administration and the Department of Justice are threatening to sue me and the State of Iowa for, get this, for punishing people who are breaking the law. You can’t make it up,” Reynolds said. “I will never back down and I will never apologize for keeping Iowa and Iowans safe and for standing for the Constitution.” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird told state convention delegates the situation at the U-S/Mexico border out of control and she’ll defend the new state law in court.

Over 1000 delegates gathered in Clive for the Iowa GOP’s State Convention on Saturday, May 4, 2024. (RI photo)

“I’ve got something to tell the Biden Administration in response. Go pound sand, right?” Bird said, to cheers. “Maybe instead of suing people who enforce our laws they should try to secure the border for a day or two, right? That’s where the energy needs to be. They need to keep our country safe.”

In a letter to state officials, the U-S Justice Department said the Iowa law conflicts with federal immigration law and interferes with the functions of the federal government. A federal lawsuit is blocking a similar law in Texas from going into effect. In 2012, the U-S Supreme Court ruled the federal government, not states, had authority to set immigration policy. Since then, four new justices have been appointed to the court.