(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne was among the supporters of a bill providing humanitarian aid to migrants crossing the U-S southern border.
The U-S House approved the four-point-five-BILLION dollar ($4.5) emergency aid bill 230-195 Tuesday. House Democrats pushed the bill in response to concern over the treatment of children separated from parents at the border as part of the detention of immigrants coming into the country illegally. Axne says the bill addresses the humanitarian crisis at the border.
“I think that we can all agree that we want families and children to be treated appropriately,” Axne says. “So, this is a lot of assistance through refugees at the state licensed shelters, to help folks expand capacities in the small and medium-scale state licensed facilities to reduce reliance and the influx of shelters for children.”

She says it also helps with legal services, and advocates, and then post-release services. It puts some money toward the Office of Inspector General, and federal field specialists and case management services. The West Des Moines Democrat says the bill included provisions for the U-S Department of Homeland Security to boost border security measures. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection got another one-point-three billion,” she says. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement, over 128 million, and federal emergency management money, as well, to assist with all of the migrants coming in, and giving them the capacity to work with that.”

Axne says funding is also included oversight and migrant safety. The congresswoman hopes Congress moves forward in protecting the border, and keeping the country safe–but in a humane way. “We don’t ever want to see children who are supervising other young children, who don’t get an opportunity for a change of diapers. Children that are denied basic things like brushing their teeth. Certainly, these things need to be addressed,” according to Axne.

Iowa Democrats Abby Finkenauer and Dave Loebsack voted for the bill — while Republican Congressman Steve King voted against the bill.

(Radio Iowa) — People in nine Iowa counties hit hardest by spring flooding have just a few days to register for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Registering with FEMA helps the agency determine if people are eligible for grants to help repair their flood-damaged homes or pay for temporary housing. FEMA’s Deanna Frazier says many Iowans who are eligible still haven’t requested help. Frazier says, “They want to make sure that there is enough funding to go around to other survivors who were more highly impacted than they were.”

More than 24-hundred Iowa households and families have registered with FEMA so far, and the agency has already approved more than 13-million dollars for Iowans. Once a homeowner registers with FEMA, the agency works to get an inspector to their home to survey the damage.  “We are receiving more registrations that are kind of trickling in rather than busting down our doors right now, however, we do believe that there are people out there that have not registered with FEMA for assistance.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration also offers low-interest loans for homeowners. The deadline to register is July 1st — Monday. Seven of the eligible counties are in western Iowa: Woodbury, Monona, Harrison, Pottawattmie, Shelby, Fremont and Mills, while the remaining two are in eastern Iowa: Scott and Louisa. For information, call 800-621-FEMA or visit disasterassistance.gov.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 12:55-a.m. today (Thursday), of 32-year old Benjamin William Hrabik. The Red Oak man was taken into custody for Public Intoxication, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on a $300 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A retired farmer who applied to Gov. Kim Reynolds to have his gun rights restored has instead been arrested for illegally possessing firearms. Allan Phillips had been out of trouble for 40 years when he sent in his application to get his gun rights back, saying he wanted to move past a 1978 misdemeanor. But agents conducting a background check found that he owned multiple guns despite losing his firearm rights. The case illustrates how hard it is for ex-offenders to regain their gun rights.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand is accusing insurance companies providing Medicaid services to two disabled Iowans in wheelchairs of violating their contracts with the state. Sand has notified the Iowa Department of Human Services that Amerigroup and UnitedHealthcare have each notified a Medicaid recipient that their services will be terminated.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been found guilty of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Federal prosecutors said in a news release that 38-year-old Jonas Ross III, of Davenport, was found guilty Wednesday in a federal court in Davenport. Investigators say the victim had traveled to Davenport from Ohio in November 2017, and checked into the Days Inn after contacting Ross to obtain heroin. He was found dead days later.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A lobbyist who advised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on agriculture and natural resources has been named the director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Reynolds appointed Kayla Lyon to the post which has been vacant for about a year after the previous director retired. Lyon, who has represented farmers and agribusiness in previous government affairs jobs, begins July 8. She is the first woman to be named DNR director.