DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As they call for more money for classrooms, Iowa school advocates hope legislators will extend a sales tax levy that pours millions of dollars each year into infrastructure and technology for the state’s public schools.

Bipartisan negotiations over the past couple years have resulted in a plan to extend a statewide 1 cent sales tax for another 20 years to fund school infrastructure projects while limiting the need for schools to issue bonds that drive up property taxes. The efforts have been underway as funding for school aid remains a hot-button issue with regular partisan clashes.

A bill was overwhelmingly passed by the Iowa House last spring to reauthorize the sales tax, known as the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education program, but the Senate never voted on it. Legislative leaders indicated they plan to revisit the issue in January. State Sen. Dan Dawson, a Council Bluffs Republican who managed this year’s bill, said “It is going to be a top priority coming into this next session.

Dawson said the sales tax extension was a victim of an eleventh-hour push for $2.1 billion in property tax cuts that passed in the final hours of the legislative session. He said state senators didn’t want a second major piece of tax legislation at the end of the session, and there wasn’t enough support to bring it to the Senate floor.

Legislators will have a clearer picture of tax revenue estimates next session, Dawson said. He expects the “consensus strategy” developed around expanding the sales tax will carry over into the 2019 session. In the meantime, schools should receive more than $22 million in new sales tax revenue this fiscal year, according to an analysis by the Iowa Department of Revenue.

Emily Piper, a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of School Boards, said the Senate had some holdouts who view the sales tax extension to be a new tax, which they oppose on ideological grounds. Piper said the agreement is that legislators will spend some of the proceeds of a sales tax increase on providing property tax relief while still giving the majority of the money collected to schools.

“The commitment is there from Republican legislators to take a serious look at it next year,” Piper said. “This is not a partisan issue.” Despite that optimism, some school districts have stopped waiting and are pressing ahead with bond issues backed by property taxes. The Council Bluffs Community School District, for example, announced Tuesday it would ask voters this fall to approve $37 million in bonds — backed by property taxes — to renovate two middle school

Troy Arthur, president of the Council Bluffs school board, said he worries that interest rates will spike before the sales tax could be extended. Arthur said he feels not acting in past years “missed an opportunity” to lock in even lower rates, but that “millions of dollars in interest” can still be saved by acting soon. Other schools are adopting a wait-and-see approach.

The first district to use sales taxes for infrastructure was the Sioux City Community Schools, which saw a local option sales tax approved by Woodbury County voters in 1998. Similar local levies were replaced by the statewide tax in 2008. Sioux City is currently updating a school built in the late 1800s, said superintendent Paul Gausman, noting the district continues to have facility needs.

Critics have argued the sales tax revenue has sometimes been squandered on lavish athletic facilities and other wasteful projects. The House bill would have mandated a cost-benefit analysis and allowed voters to petition for a referendum on any proposed spending for athletic facilities.

BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — The reward for information into the disappearance of a University of Iowa student has doubled to $2,000, thanks to a pledge from the power utility in the woman’s hometown. The FBI, state and local investigators have been searching for 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts since she was last seen jogging in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, the evening of July 18.

Brooklyn-based TIP Rural Electric Cooperative announced Saturday that it will match a $1,000 standing reward for information that leads to the discovery of Tibbetts’ whereabouts or to an arrest and conviction in her disappearance.

The utility has also set up a hotline where anonymous tips on the case may be left. The cooperative says information called in to 800-452-1111 will be shared with the Poweshiek Sheriff’s office.

Democrat Senate candidate for Iowa House District 20, Warren Varley, of Stuart was at the Cass County Fair, Saturday. Varley, a local farmer and attorney who ran unopposed in the June Primary Election, will face a challenge from Greenfield Republican candidate Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II in the November 6th General Election. Sorensen defeated Dodge Perrigo in Republican primary election. Both men hope to succeed retiring District 20 Representative Clel Baudler. District 20 covers Adair, Guthrie, the northeast part of Cass and a section of Dallas Counties.

Warren Varley

Varley has over 25 years of experience as a main street businessperson in Stuart and has served as president of Midwest Partnership and Stuart Enterprise for Economic Development. He says he’s concerned with the direction the Iowa Legislature is taking the state in, with regard to economic development, and especially public education. He says it’s crucial to the future of our children, and as an economic development tool. A more pro-active approach to public education, he says, is to get students who aren’t interested in a four-year college education, engaged in becoming skilled workers in the trades industry.

He says there is a shortage of worker housing in the state, and there needs to be an investment in the infrastructure to make workers available and attract jobs. He says Iowa is losing businesses because they want to expand, but don’t have the workforce to do so, and therefore are unable to do so. Varley says he wants to focus the legislature’s attention to developing rural Iowa, because the population shift to the urban areas means they have the power to change rules, and rural areas need to “Punch above our weight,” and have a strong advocate in the State Legislature.

He says there is too much extremism on both the State and Federal level, and not enough decision making down the middle of issues. Varley says he wants to go back to the time when Iowa was more like when his dad was in the legislature, and Bob Ray was Governor, when there was a lot more working across party lines, cooperation and moderation. He says “I think I represent that.”

His father, Andrew Varley served as a Republican legislator for 12-years.

IA House District 20

Activities at the Cass County Fair continue today, in Atlantic. On the schedule:

7:30-a.m. Swine Show (Indoor Show Ring)

10:00-a.m. 4-H Exhibits Open (Community Center)

10:00-a.m. Poultry Show (Poultry Barn)

10:30-a.m. Dance Atlantic Performance

Noon-to 4-p.m. Decorator’s Showcase (Community Center)

The Noon Special today at the Foodstand is Windsor Chops, and don’t forget hot beef is sold each day of the Fair after 4:30-p.m. Other food can be found on the fairgrounds at the FFA Foodstand and Chuckwagon.

2:30-p.m. Pedal Tractor Pull (Community Center parking lot)

3-to3:30-p.m. Feeder Calf weigh-in

4:30-p.m. County Fair Church Service (Indoor Show Ring)

5:30-p.m. Cow/Calf Show (Outdoor Show Ring)

6:00-p.m. Feeder Calf Show (Outdoor Show Ring)

6:30-p.m. Horse Fun Show (Horse Arena)

7:00-p.m. All American Lunberjack Show (Grandstand)

Tomorrow’s line-up includes: The Beef Show & Beef Fitting Contest; Best of Iowa; Rotary Watermelon Feed; Building Awards; Parade of Champions; Grand Champion Beef Selection; Villa Dance Performance, and Youth Council Activity. The 2018 Cass County Fair concludes Tuesday morning, with the Livestock Sale.

Don’t forget to look for a chainsaw artist, with carvings to be sold after the Parade of Champions Monday evening. Ride wristbands will be on sale this afternoon, and don’t forget there’s lots of great food available, including at the Fair Foodstand, where the Noon Special is Lamb or Ham balls.

Democrat Iowa Senator and Lieutenant Governor candidate, Rita Hart, paid a visit to the Cass County Fair Saturday afternoon. Hart, the running mate of Gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell, sat down with reporters after visiting with residents, to discuss what she’s hearing are concerns from Iowans. She said people are concerned about healthcare, its affordability and accessibility, and they’re particularly upset about the privatization of Medicaid which has caused a lot of people to “fall through the cracks.”

Senator Rita Hart

Hart, who was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2012, and re-elected in 2014, said she’s used her position as District 49 State Senator to intercede for people that have not received the care that they need as a result of the decision to privatize Medicaid. She said also, a lot of providers that have not been paid as a fallout of Medicaid privatization. Those she’s spoken with want to see that move reversed, and get Medicaid back under state control.

Hart represents Clinton, as well as northern and eastern parts of Scott Counties. She said another issue of concern Iowans have spoken about, is the status of mental healthcare in the state. Other topics include rural economic development, concerns about the affects of the trade war, investment in education and about raising Iowans’ incomes. Hart has worked as a teacher for more than 20 years in the Calamus-Wheatland and Bennett school districts. She and her husband farm south of Wheatland and have lived there for over 30-years and raised their five children. The last six years she has served as the District 49 State senator.

She said the goal of the Hubbell-Hart campaign is to listen to people and putt their needs first. She said they will strive to turn the budget around and eliminate the deficit, as well as examine wasteful tax giveaways so the means can be found to invest in Iowa in “the right way.” Hart said as Governor, Fred Hubbell would be a good manager “at the helm, where the budget is concerned, as evidenced by his business background. His philanthropic endeavors, she said, is proof he cares about Iowans.

A traffic stop in Adams County at around 12:40-a.m., Saturday, resulted in the arrest of two women. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports during the investigation, the K9 “Baxo” was deployed on the vehicle and gave a positive indication to the presence of narcotics. Upon further investigation, Joleen Most was placed under arrest for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Oxycodone), Possession of a Controlled Substance (Hydrocodone), and Possession of a Controlled Substance (Clonazepam). A passenger in the vehicle, Netosha Stalder, of Corning, was placed under arrest for Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Offense (Methamphetamine) and Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Offense (Marijuana).

And, Friday night, Adams County Deputies arrested Michael Arthur, of Corning, for Disorderly Conduct.