(Radio Iowa) – He’s on the road again, even in his 90s, and Willie Nelson’s bringing his tour to Iowa soon. Nelson is scheduled to play Saturday, May 25th at the Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park in Des Moines — and that’s his only planned Iowa stop. It’s said he wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten.

Nelson, who’s been touring with his “family” band since the early 1970s, will turn 91 on April 29th, and he’s still not ready to be rolled up.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Utilities Board released its ruling today (Friday) on MidAmerican Energy’s request for a natural gas service rate increase. The I-U-B approved a three-point-eight percent increase in natural gas service rates following hearings on the rate request. That is a little more than half of the rate increase MidAmerican had requested.

The final rate is also below the five percent temporary rate increase granted to MidAmerican in June of last year, and the company now has to file a plan to refund the excess amount of the interim rate.

The I-U-B says under the new rate, the average residential natural gas customer will see their monthly bill increase of approximately one dollar, 86 cents.

Organizers of an annual Christian music festival held in northwest Iowa are hoping to break an attendance record that was set long ago by the Ku Klux Klan. Rob Roozeboom, founder and president of Rise Ministries, says they discovered a K-K-K rally nearly a century ago in Sheldon drew an estimated 25-thousand people.

The goal is to attract at least 25-thousand-and-one people to this summer’s RiseFest Christian music festival June 7th & 8th. Roozeboom says he wants to erase what he calls a hated-filled record from Sheldon’s past.

This year’s RiseFest music line-up includes Ben Fuller, Skillet, We Are Messengers, and Phil Wickham. The two-day festival also includes speakers, seminars, and activities for kids.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa House have released an overall state spending goal for the next budgeting year that’s 82 million dollars higher than Republicans in the Iowa Senate have proposed. It’s also slightly higher than Governor Reynolds proposed in January. Republican Representative Gary Mohr, of Bettendorf, is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Mohr says the plan spends substantially less than projected tax revenue in the coming year, leaving room to — perhaps — adopt deeper cuts in the state income tax. Mohr says just because there’s more tax money that COULD be spent means it SHOULD be spent.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says he’s optimistic the Republican-led legislature will do more for the taxpayer before the 2024 session ends. Democrats say Iowans deserve more information about the tax and spending plans Republicans are developing — and public schools deserve more state support.

Earlier this week the governor signed a bill into law that sets the general level of state spending on K-12 students in public and private schools. It also raised pay for public school teachers and other school staff. Mohr, the Republican who leads the House Appropriations Committee, says a majority of state funding is spent on Iowa’s education system, so that’s a major milestone.

April 16th is the 100th day of the 2024 legislative session. That’s the date daily expense payments for lawmakers end and it’s considered the target date for adjourning the annual legislative session.