DES MOINES – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Wednesday, issued a disaster proclamation for Appanoose, Davis, Lucas, and Monroe counties in response to severe weather that occurred on June 29. The governor’s proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program.

The proclamation opens up certain state resources for disaster recovery, as well as relief grants of up to $5,000 for households earning up to 200% of the poverty level. More information on applying for disaster relief grants can be found on the state’s website. Victims of the storms have 45 days to apply.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University researchers are trying out a machine which could greatly improve capacities for future epidemic-related testing surges. I-S-U’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory received nearly one-million dollars from the U-S Department of Agriculture to study what’s known as Smart Chip q-P-C-R technology. I-S-U researcher Rahul Nelli says it could significantly increase the number of tests the lab could run for things like COVID-19. “Before, we were doing only 1,000 samples per day,” he says. “Now, we can do 9,000 samples per day. That’s the type of volume we are talking about.” The machine can hold thousands of samples on a single, small testing plate.

Nelli says it would better prepare the lab for future disease outbreaks, for both animals and humans.”What if there’s a new influenza outbreak? What if there is a SARS-COVID 2, a mutant SARS-COVID 2, which can again cause a pandemic?” Nelli says. “So, for that reason, I feel like we shouldn’t be complacent and we should be prepared.” He says it’s important to invest in this kind of improved technology now to prepare for future pathogen outbreaks. The tech could be available to use in the I-S-U lab as early as 2025.

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Neither the governor nor Republican legislative leaders have indicated if new abortion restrictions or an outright ban on the procedure is the goal of next week’s special session, but a few rank and file lawmakers say it will be similar to the so-called heartbeat bill passed in 2018. That law would have banned most abortions after fetal activity can be detected. The Iowa Supreme Court deadlocked last month on the governor’s request to lift a lower court’s injunction that has prevented the law from taking effect. Representative Bob Henderson is a Republican from Sioux City. “It’s an interesting case,” Henderson says. “…I’m not sure exactly what it is that we’re going to do.”

But Henderson expects the bill that will be debated to be similar to the 2018 heartbeat bill that was the toughest abortion law in the country when it was passed. “I’m not exactly sure what the wording has to be because I don’t understand what the ruling says specifically,” Henderson says, “so whether we can pass exactly the same bill or we have to pass a slightly different one, I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.”

As we’ve mentioned, Henderson and other lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Capitol in Des Moines and convene the special legislative session at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

(Radio Iowa) – A  preliminary report indicates net taxes paid to the State of Iowa over the past 12 months declined slightly when compared to the previous fiscal year. The state fiscal year ended last Friday, June 30th. The initial report indicates the state collected nine-point-six BILLION dollars in taxes over the past 12 months. By last Friday, total personal income tax payments to the state were down three percent, but corporate income taxes increase more than seven percent during the fiscal year.

Sales tax payments were also up, two-point-two percent. However, SOME taxes that have been paid to the state haven’t been transferred to the proper accounts yet. Some sales tax payments that will be counted in the previous 12 months were actually made on Monday and not included in the current data.