(Des Moines, Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand today (Thursday) announced improvements in average efficiency scores in the three categories of government entities participating in the 2022 Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program.

“No matter how you cut it, Iowa’s taxpayers are getting a bigger piece of the pie,” said Sand. “The savings are baked into the innovative, cost-cutting measures being implemented by every participating city, county, and school district.”

Auditor Sand created the PIE program in 2019 to encourage government entities to uncover ways to save money. Their ideas include innovative heating and cooling systems that reduce energy costs, to 28-E agreements that eliminate redundancy. Sand says the program is so effective, it has been replicated by Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, a Republican.

A total of 488 Iowa entities participated in the PIE program in 2022, and once again, the Auditor’s Office received submissions from all of Iowa’s 99 counties. The graph below illustrates the increase in the average efficiency scores for cities, counties, and school districts. The average efficiency score is based on the number of efficiency measures adopted.

Auditor Sand will announce the PIE program winners later this year and hand-deliver a pie to each winning entity.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is encouraging Iowans who receive a ‘No Activity’ notice from his office in the mail to respond to it quickly. Registered voters who did not participate in the 2022 general election have been made inactive and will receive a notice in the mail to confirm their residential address. Those who do not respond will remain as an ‘inactive’ status.

Registered voters made inactive through the list maintenance process can return themselves to active status by requesting an absentee ballot, voting in an election, submitting a new registration, or updating their voter registration prior to the end of 2026 general election cycle.

During the first quarter of each year, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office conducts voter list maintenance as required by state and federal law. The ‘No Activity’ mailing occurs during each odd-numbered year.

“This mailing is just one part of the process to ensure Iowa’s voter rolls remain up-to-date and as accurate as possible,” Secretary Pate said. “It’s a crucial component to ensure clean, accurate and fair elections across the state.”

Iowans who receive the mailing should check the appropriate box, sign their name, and return the postcard in the mail. Postage is pre-paid, so there’s no need to attach a stamp. If the voter no longer lives at the address, the current resident may discard the mailing.

To check your voter registration status, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

An example of the ‘No Activity’ notice is available for your use at this link.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say there’s a higher risk of flooding this spring on the upper Mississippi River, including all of Iowa’s eastern border and stretching from Minneapolis to St. Louis. Jeffrey Brewer, a spokesman for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, says higher snowfall levels up north this winter are partially to blame for the increase flood risk. “We’ve had a little bit more snow this year, so that’s putting a little more pressure on the tributaries to the Mississippi River,” Brewer says, “and so, from the northern part of the river, it’s expected to be a little bit more flooded than it has in past years.”

Brewer also says flash floods can be especially dangerous, noting the three deaths of motorists in Missouri last weekend whose vehicles were swept away by fast-moving water. A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts about 44-percent of the U-S is at risk for flooding this spring, which includes possible “moderate to major flooding” along the upper Mississippi. Brewer urges Iowans to check their homeowner’s insurance policy to see what’s covered in the event of a flood.

“Even one inch of water could cause up to $25,000 in damage,” Brewer says, “and so it’s real important to know what your flood risk is and then take steps to make sure that you’re prepared.” He says most homeowners’ policies don’t cover flooding and you may need to buy a separate flood insurance policy. Iowans need to be alert for flash floods, especially during the spring.

“They can occur really quickly and you don’t always have a lot of time to respond and react,” he says, “so advanced preparation is the key.” Brewer suggests creating an inventory of your home’s contents in order to quickly account for any items damaged or destroyed during a flood.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst spoke out again today (Thursday) against President Biden’s proposal to forgive student loan debt. “Why should countless Americans who made responsible financial planning decisions be forced to take on the debts of others?,” Ernst asked. She calls the plan unfair and unaffordable. “It is fanning the flames of inflation and is a driving factor in our growing federal debt,” she says.. Ernst says the plan won’t accomplish what’s needed.

“This transfer of student loan debt does nothing to address and may actually be contributing to the real issue of rising costs to attend college,” Ernst says. Ernst says her brother entered the workforce right out of college and he is an example of the people who will have to pay for the costs of others who took out loans to go to college. She says it also hurts legitimate programs.

“President Biden’s radical proposal invalidates many other successful loan forgiveness and repayment programs designed to incentivize participation in critical fields including the military, public service, and medicine,” Ernst says. Ernst says she is proud to join Republican colleagues in “working to stop this scheme.”