Iowa high school students would have to pass the U.S. citizenship test in order to graduate if a bill that cleared the Iowa Senate this week becomes law. Senator Jerry Behn, a Republican from Boone, says students would be able to take the exam once a year, starting in 7th grade, giving them plenty of time to pass it. “We already have to have a lot of tests in high school,” Behn says, “and tt was felt this particular test would help teach a little bit more civics.”

Senator Tod Bowman, a Democrat from Maquoketa, is a high school teacher who says the questions in the exam are too easy.  “Right now this bill focuses on rote-memory questions,” Bowman says. “There’s not one question in this exam that Alexa couldn’t answer. ‘Hey, Alexa. What are the first three words to the constitution?’ “We, the People.'”

Bowman says exam has nothing to do with showing a student knows how American government works or is inspired to fulfill their civic duty. Democratic Senator Rob Hogg, of Cedar Rapids says test anxiety may prevent some kids from graduating from high school. “The really dark, nasty underside of this bill is invariably there are going to be some kids who fail,” Hogg said, “and you relegate them to a lifetime of economic distress.”

The bill passed the Senate on a 38-to-12 vote this week, but may not pass the House. In January, Representative Walt Rogers, a Republican from Cedar Falls, introduced a similar bill. “I just think it’s common sense that kids should know a little bit of basic civics when they come out of high school. I remember, when I had to graduate from UNI, I had to take just a basic writing class and so this is just something that I think is the right thing to do,” Rogers says. “…Honestly I think Iowa does a pretty good job, but this is just kind of a statement that says they have to pass this test. By doing that they have to focus a little bit on what our history is, what our government is and maybe get a little more excited about becoming a Senator or a Representative someday.”

Rogers made his comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program. However, Rogers announced in mid-February that his bill did not have enough votes to pass the House Education Committee.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former insurance agent and former claims representative have been charged with felonies following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.

Des Moines television station KCCI reports that former insurance agent 37-year-old Nicholas Menough, of Grimes, is charged with fraudulent submissions, forgery and second-degree theft. In the other case, former claim representative 42-year-old Cora Lea Harrington, of Pleasant Hill, has been charged with fraudulent submissions and second-degree theft. The investigations began in April 2017.

Prosecutors say Menough falsified insurance policy applications and altered financial documents related to the sale of insurance policies to receive advanced sales commissions. Harrington is accused of altering financial documents to claim proceeds for herself.

Menough was arrested Feb. 5. Harrington was arrested by the Pleasant Hill Police Department on Feb. 9.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s only licensed medical marijuana manufacturer is looking to open a cannabidiol dispensary in Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports that MedPharm Iowa wants the Sioux City Council to submit a letter of support as it applies for a state license to open the dispensary in Sioux City. The council is set to discuss the request at a meeting Monday.

Earlier this year, the Iowa Department of Public Health requested proposals from companies, intending to award licenses for up to five medical cannabis dispensaries throughout the state. The application deadline is Thursday.

The department plans to award the five licenses by April 1. Dispensaries are locations where patients and primary caregivers with valid medical cannabidiol registration cards can obtain cannabidiol.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Public Information Board has charged Polk County Assessor Randy Ripperger with violating Iowa’s open records law. The Des Moines Register says Ripperger is accused of wrongly denying public access to a list of 2,166 Polk County property owners who have had their names removed from the assessor’s website search engine. That makes it impossible for others to determine what properties those entities own through an online search.

The case is an administrative proceeding, not a court trial. Either the board itself or an administrative law judge will preside over a June 21 hearing. A board prosecutor is seeking an order directing Ripperger to disclose the list of property owners and pay unspecified damages.

Ripperger has cited a state law that allows governmental agencies to keep confidential certain communications. Ripperger says his office grants every request for removal it receives from property owners, who he says are generally public officials.