IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A state court judge says he will rule before the end of the day Friday on whether to halt enforcement of a state law that prohibits county election officials from using information readily available in the voter registration database to fill in missing information on a voter’s absentee ballot request form. The law pushed through by Republican lawmakers in June has been challenged in court by two Latino advocacy groups. It requires county election officials to contact the voter by phone, email or mail to confirm missing information. Supporters say it’s a voter fraud protection measure. The League of United Latin American Citizens and Majority Forward say in their lawsuit that it’s an unfair burden and unconstitutional.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state audit released this week asserts that Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed the director of the Iowa Department of Corrections in a process that violated state law. Reynolds named department veteran Beth Skinner as director in June 2019, replacing retiring interim Director Dan Craig. The Iowa Senate approved Skinner’s appointment in February. But state law requires the Iowa Board of Corrections to recommend qualified individuals to the governor when a vacancy for corrections director exists. The Des Moines Register reports that the state auditor found that hadn’t happened in Skinner’s case. It was not immediately clear what — if any — action would be taken as result of the audit.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce has announced an AtlantiCash giveaway beginning today.

“Two big factors of the Chamber’s income are events and sponsorship dollars. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we haven’t been able to host any large events, like AtlanticFest, which has put a strain on income. Not being able to have events has also put a strain on foot traffic in businesses and getting the community out and about safely. We wanted to think of a way to generate income, support our membership and businesses and engage the community, all without drawing a crowd. We felt an AtlantiCash giveaway was the perfect fit,” Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce stated.

The Chamber will be selling raffle tickets beginning today, September 24th through October 15th for $20 a ticket, three tickets for $50 or 6 tickets for $100. Individuals who purchase tickets will be entered into a drawing to win $1,000, $750 or $500 in AtlantiCash. All additional proceeds will stay with the Chamber to continue supporting business and community activities.

“AtlantiCash is money that has to be spent in Atlantic. We hope by doing this giveaway it will give the business community a boost and get shoppers out, going into businesses and seeing the importance of shopping local,” mentioned Smith.

Tickets can be purchased at the Chamber office, over the phone at 712-243-3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. For more information or to learn more about AtlantiCash, visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – September 24, 2020 – Guided by their purpose-driven strategy to serve customers and build strong communities, Alliant Energy announces 100 percent of the company’s active light-duty fleet vehicles will be electric by 2030.

“Our customers and the communities we are privileged to serve benefit from our plan to electrify our fleet vehicles and our commitment to a cleaner energy future,” said JP Brummond, Vice President of Business Planning at Alliant Energy. “By transitioning to electric vehicles, we reduce the total cost of ownership of our fleet and reduce emissions. The savings are an element of our ongoing focus to maintain affordable rates for our customers while also contributing to a cleaner environment for all to enjoy.”

Electric vehicles offer several advantages for customers and communities, including lower total cost of ownership through reduced fuel costs, less maintenance and fewer direct emissions. More information on electric vehicles is available at alliantenergy.com/ev.

To achieve this goal, Alliant Energy will replace end-of-life light-duty vehicles, including up to half-ton pickups, sedans, SUVs, passenger vans and forklifts, with Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). Advancing the company’s commitment to build strong communities, Alliant Energy plans to purchase electric vehicles and parts locally to further benefit communities and local economies.

This new goal is part of the company’s Clean Energy Vision recently showcased in Alliant Energy’s 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report. The company aims to eliminate all coal from its generation fleet by 2040. Alliant Energy also announced a new aspirational goal of net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for the electricity it generates by 2050.

Today’s announcement coincides with National Climate Week and National Drive Electric Week. During these high-profile, awareness-generating weeks, Alliant Energy will participate in conversations about how renewable energy benefits the environment, customers and communities. The company is presenting the Sustainable Transportation virtual series for fleets. Visit alliantenergy.com/sustainabletransportation to register and learn from industry experts.

Alliant Energy strives to be a leader in electrification initiatives by embracing technology that will enhance their purpose-driven strategy to serve customers and build strong communities.

For more information, visit alliantenergy.com/electrification.