(Radio Iowa) — A bill getting strong bipartisan support in the Iowa legislature would make it a felony to perform female genital mutilation on an Iowa girl. Last year a judge tossed out a FEDERAL law that had banned the practice nationwide, ruling it was up to states to prosecute such crimes. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says this bill is necessary because it’s unclear if current Iowa child abuse laws could be used to prosecute these cases here.  “It is to make absolutely sure that there is no doubt that in the state of Iowa female genital mutilation is not acceptable and is illegal,” Holt said.

The Senate unanimously endorsed the bill in mid-March. The Iowa House now has voted to add an education component to the bill for the medical community — to help doctors treat girls and young women who’ve been cut in this way. The bill also calls for educational outreach to Iowa residents who come from cultures where the practice has been common. Representative Marti Anderson, a Democrat from Des Moines, says it’s time for female cutting to join the list of cultural practices that have been stopped in the United States. “Child marriage, polygamy, stoning, dowry murder, honor crimes, foot-binding,” Anderson says. “Those were all framed as cultural issues that border on human rights abuse.”

Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says female cutting is about controlling women’s sexuality. “I hope that we’ll take this opportunity as we’re focusing on girls, focusing on health, focusing on bodily autonomy again to think about the ways in our culture that we do not protect women and the ways we could all do better,” Hinson said. “…We can protect many other people and we can root out the evils that are right here in our own culture.”

Hinson mentioned conversion therapy for gay and lesbian children as well as questioning the clothing choices of rape victims. The bill banning female genital mutilation passed the House on a 95-to-four vote. It returns to the Senate for a vote on the educational components House members added to the bill.

Two women have been arrested on separate drug charges in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Myrissa Taylor Comstock, of Coin, was arrested Tuesday night for Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $1,300.

And, at around 5:10-a.m. Wednesday (today), 18-year old Monica Nicole Price, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $300.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Red Oak woman on a warrant Wednesday. At approximately 1:43pm Deputies arrested 28-year-old Carley Marie Whitaker of Red Oak on a valid Iowa District Court Warrant for Contempt-Resist Order or Process of District Court. Whiteaker was booked in to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 cash bond.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate asks Iowans who receive a “No Activity in 4 Years” mailing from his office to respond quickly. This will avoid having their voter registration status changed to inactive. The “No Activity” notices are being sent to voters who have not voted in any election and have not updated their voter registration information in the past four years. The purpose of the mailing is to ensure Iowa’s voter rolls are up-to-date.

“This mailing is part of the routine process we undertake to ensure our voter rolls are as accurate as possible. It’s a crucial component for having clean and fair elections across the state,” Secretary Pate said. The “No Activity in 4 Years” mailing is required by federal law. Iowans who receive the mailing should check the relevant box, sign the card and return it quickly to their county auditor. If the voter no longer lives at that address, the current resident should note that information on the card and place it in the mail.

Inactive voters can update their registration status to active anytime, including on Election Day. A sample of the “2019 No Activity in 4 Years” mailing is available at this link.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is seeking the public’s help in finding a missing 17-year-old Nebraska boy. Kevin Stewart, a white male with brown hair and green eyes, has been missing from Boys Town since Jan. 3, 2019. He’s described as being 5-foot-8 and 120 pounds and may be in the Carter Lake, Iowa area. If you have any information, please immediately call 911 or NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Boys Town Police Department at 1-402-498-1170.

Kevin Stewart

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some Des Moines officials say the initial design for the new federal courthouse downtown is a disappointment. The reaction comes after a private meeting last month between city leaders and the General Services Administration, which is overseeing the $137 million riverfront project. City communications director Jen Schulte says city leaders had asked that the courthouse be designed to interact with the Principal Riverwalk and make it inviting to pedestrians.

Schulte told The Des Moines Register that those aspects either weren’t incorporated or were included with the caveat they could be engineered as the agency works to control the project’s budget. The GSA pledged two weeks after the meeting to make several changes, including creating access to the riverwalk, incorporating publicly accessible green spaces and investigating ways to use public art.

The Glenwood Police Dept. reports two arrests. 48-year old Lonnie Ritchison, of Glenwood, was arrested today (Wednesday), for providing false identification information, driving under suspension, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance. His cash or surety bond was set at $5,900. On Tuesday, 35-year old Anthony Anglen, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Probation violation. His cash-only bond was set at $1,000.