(Radio Iowa) – A new report finds one in six full-time Iowa workers struggles to pay for basic needs. The non-profit Common Good Iowa, which advocates for families and children, estimates 17-point-5 percent of all Iowa working households earn below what’s needed to cover a basic-needs budget. Sean Finn, a policy analyst for the non-profit, says figures this year show more low-income Iowans are struggling compared to last year, even as the state sees strong wage growth.

Finn says, “Even though these families were making more each month, even though these wages, especially low wages were increasing, inflation just outpaced it during this time.” Finn says one reason is the historical policies that contributed to systemic racism like “red-lining,” where financial services are withheld from neighborhoods that have significant numbers of racial and ethnic minorities. Finn says red-lining has lasting effects.

“Even though it’s technically illegal at this point,” Finn says, “there’s good evidence that red-lining unofficially goes on to this day, including in the state of Iowa.” The ninth annual report estimates one-third of full-time Black and Latino workers make below what is needed to support their families’ basic needs. That’s almost double the statewide average.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say a man was arrested early this (Friday) morning, on an assault charge. 55-year-old Terry Lee Kelley, of Creston, was arrested at around 3-a.m., at his home. Kelley was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Degree. He was taken to Union County Jail and held without bond, until seen by a Judge.

Thursday night, 35-year-old Dawn Marie Baddley, of Creston, was arrested on two-counts of Theft in the 5th Degree. Baddley was taken to Union County Jail. She posted bond, and was released. And, Thursday afternoon, 28-year-old Shyanne Renee Bird, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While License Suspended. Bird was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop near Highway 34 and G Avenue in Montgomery County, Thursday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of a man from Farragut. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 37-year-old David Dale Morelock was arrested at around 4:47-p.m., for Driving While License denied or revoked. Morelock was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – State and federal candidates who want to be included on the June Primary ballots for Republicans and for Democrats face a 5 p.m. deadline today (Friday) to deliver their nomination petitions to the Secretary of State’s office in Des Moines. Christina Bohannan, a Democrat who’s running in Iowa’s first congressional district, has submitted over a thousand more signatures on her nominating petitions than were required.

“We collected these at grocery stores, at soup suppers, at pancake breakfasts and we’ve been talking to people  where they are and so it’s really exciting to have this level of support and, in a lot of ways, it’s really the beginning of the campaign,” Bohannan says. “…What I can tell you is these signatures represent people who have really bought into this campaign.”

Bohannan ran against Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in 2022 and lost by less than seven points, so this race is destined to be a rematch in the 2024 General Election. Miller-Meeks submitted her nominating petitions on February 26th, the first day in the filing period. Beyond the candidates running for seats in the U-S House of Representatives, candidates for seats in the state legislature must submit their nominating petitions by 5 p.m. today (Friday) as well. House Speaker Pat Grassley says most of the Republicans currently serving in the Iowa House are seeking reelection.

“As we look across the state, there are other opportunities that we continue to have,” Grassley says. “If you look at the last election results (from 2022), there are seats with just a little more time and resources, we could have had an even larger majority.” Republicans hold 64 of the 100 seats in the Iowa House. House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst says Democrats have a good chance of gaining seats because the G-O-P agenda is lacking. “There’s not a bill in there to defend reproductive freedom. There’s not a bill in there to make child care really, boldly different across this state,” Konfrst says. ” There’s not a bill to really address affordable housing.”

In the state senate, Republicans hold a 34-seat super majority. Senate G-O-P Leader Jack Whitver says Republican candidates have been recruited in four senate districts currently held by Democrats, but areas where Governor Kim Reynolds and Donald Trump have done well in the past. “It’s hard to believe when we’re sitting here with 34 that we have a chance in four seats, but depending on how the election goes, those are seats we’re watching very, very closely,” Whitver says.

Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum says Democrats can do well in the 2024 election because Republicans are ignoring what’s most important to Iowans. “They’ve asked us to fully fund education,” Jochum says. “They’ve asked us to stop stripping away local control from school boards and cities and counties.”

Jochum has developed a plan she says will help Democrats make progress over the next three elections and regain a majority of state senate seats in the 2030 election. Jochum is not seeking reelection this year after serving in the legislature since 1993.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Democrats are proposing an extension of unemployment benefits for workers at a Perry pork plant who’ll be laid off at the end of June. Tyson announced earlier this week it will close the plant, which employs nearly 13-hundred people and is Perry’s largest employer. Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum of Dubuque says she has an inkling of what’s ahead for Perry.

“About 20 years ago Smithfield came in and bought out the Dubuque Packing Company and threw 2000 workers out of work and it took our community many, many years to recover from that plant closing,” Jochum says, “so I do know how difficult this is and how difficult it’s going to be for Perry to overcome the many challenges they’re going to be facing.”

In 2022, Governor Reynolds signed a law that reduced the number of weeks Iowans are eligible for unemployment benefits from 26 to 16 weeks. Jochum and other Senate Democrats are proposing that those who lose their jobs due to a plant closure — like the workers in Perry — should be eligible for up to 39 weeks of unemployment. “We, as Democrats, stand with Perry and the Iowans losing their jobs and their livelihoods because of Tyson’s decision,” Jochum says. “The effects of this closure are going to touch every corner of Dallas County, from schools to city services to Main Streets and beyond and it’s going to all of us working together to meet these challenges and keep Perry strong.”

The Senate’s Republican leader says he can’t comment on Jochum’s proposal because he hasn’t seen it and hasn’t had a chance to review its impact. Tyson is encouraging its employees in Perry to apply for job openings at its other meat packing plants in Iowa.