(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on a House committee have passed a bill that requires educators to notify parents if their child asks to be known by a different gender at school. Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull is chairman of the House Education Committee. “Schools do not have the right to keep secrets from parents,” Wheeler says. Democrats oppose the bill. Representative Art Staid of Cedar Rapids, says students who fear their parents’ reaction need to talk with a trusted teacher.

“I don’t think it’s any different than a child going to a priest to give confession,” Staid says. “You wouldn’t want them to share that publicly or with their parents.” Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City, says the bill sends the wrong message about Iowa.  “These divisive, culture war bills will continue to worsen Iowa employers’ ability to attract and recruit and retain a world class workforce,” Steckman said.

Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, replied… “We didn’t start the culture war, but you can bet we are now engaged,” Holt said. “…This legislation is about respecting the rights of the parents in choosing how to raise their children and what standards by which they will raise their children.”

The bill passed the House Education Committee Tuesday night. It’s now eligible for a vote on the House floor.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator is now revealing more details about the accident that happened earlier this month that required him to have emergency surgery.

Senator Chuck Grassley, who is 89, says it was his own fault. “I hate to confess to you but I made a stupid maneuver in my kitchen and I broke my hip,” Grassley says. “It’s healing very well. I think I’m doing pretty well.” Grassley’s office announced on January 10th that he’d been injured and the operation was performed the next day. Grassley, one of the longest-serving senators in U.S. history, says despite the challenges of the past few weeks, his sterling voting record remains intact.

“I haven’t missed a vote in the new year,” Grassley says. “Thank God we haven’t had a lot of votes and it’s been fairly convenient for me to get around with some help, including a walker.” Grassley has long touted his morning jogs and says he’s planning to return to his running regimen as soon as possible.

“I imagine it’s going to be a couple of months before I get back to doing my two miles six times a week,” Grassley says. “I’m taking a day at a time. That’s why it’s difficult for me to tell you when I will be able to continue my morning run.”

The New Hartford Republican won his re-election bid this past November and is now in his eighth term in the U.S. Senate.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to ban Iowa schools from having materials or instruction about gender identity in kindergarten through eighth grade classes has cleared a senate subcommittee.

Bill backer Amber Williams of Urbandale said as a kid, she was a tomboy. “By all definitions I identified more as a boy than I did a girl, but had I been subjected to gender identity by my trusted teacher back then, I would have completely thought I was born the wrong gender,” Williams said. “And I’m telling you that if my parents told me that I could be a boy, I would have absolutely said: ‘Sign me up.’”

Jill Bjorklund of Ankeny, an opponent of the bill, spoke on behalf of Lily, her seven year old. “This bill would turn her safe, accepting school into a landmine for her teachers. One wrong move addressing her needs and they’d be breaking the law, possibly facing lawsuits” Bjorklund said. “…This bill won’t stop trans kids from existing, it will just make it harder for them to keep on living.”

The bill says parents could sue a school if there’s any instruction about gender identity in elementary or junior high. Pam Gronau of Urbandale told senators schools should focus on reading and math.

“As a Christian family, our belief is that God created man and woman. The Bible is the only history my family needs when discussing God’s creation,” Gronau said. “…I just want to be able to discuss these matters at home with my children in the way that I see fit, as it is my God given right to do.”

Stacy Schmidt, a social studies teacher in Des Moines, told lawmaker the bill sends the message that LGBTQ students should be ashamed of who they are.

“Not only would this and other bills censor these important conversations that are central to students understanding themselves nd others, it would also prevent educators from fulfilling the role of being trusted, safe adults for all young people.”

A House subcommittee has approved a bill that would require educators to get written permission from a parent before referring to a student by a gender that’s different from the one listed on the student’s birth certificate. The bill is co-sponsored by 40 of the 64 Republicans in the Iowa House and it would forbid teachers from “encouraging” or “coercing” a student to transition to a different gender.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa court system is trying a pilot project in six counties where text message reminders are sent out for some court services. Polk County District Court Clerk, Anne Sheeley, explains. “It just reminds people of their upcoming court dates. And then the second part of that is it also reminds people of their payment that’s due. So if they’re on a payment plan, it will remind them that their payment is due,” she says. Sheeley says the pilot is up and running in Shelby, Sioux, Marshall, Dubuque, Davis, and her county with the hope the texts help the system run better.

“And really, the goal is, you know just to eliminate failures to appear. People are busy, and sometimes they just need a little reminder,” Sheeley says. Sheeley says having people fail to show up for a court date pushes everything back for everyone, and can lead to an arrest. “So currently, when a defendant doesn’t show up for his hearing right now, we may send out a warrant for their arrest. You know, it could be that they just forgot yet that warrant goes out for arrest or court hearings are continued, the victim, if there’s a victim in the case, that it all becomes a bigger problem than it needs to be,” Sheeley says. “And we’re hoping that these text reminders will remind people, ‘Hey, your court hearings coming up, don’t forget about it’. And we’re hoping that we’ll see a decrease in the failure to appear.”

You have to sign up to get the text reminders. Sheeley says they have been getting a good response when they ask people if they want in. “At the initial appearance, especially at a jail court, we’re capturing those phone numbers of people and they’re their volunteering, yes, I want you to I want to be signed up for this,” she says. “And we’ve only done it in the criminal, simple misdemeanor, and traffic cases. And someday hope to expand that to all cases.” She says they give you plenty of notice when you are due in court.

She says they send out a text seven days before the scheduled event, then three days, and then the day before. Sheeley says it’s become pretty common now to get texts from your dentist or doctor or others who you have appointments with. She says they have not had any problems with the text system in Polk County, and anticipate the court system would expand it to all 99 counties if the pilot continues to go well.

WASHINGTON – On the 7th anniversary of Sarah Root’s death, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) are renewing their push to honor Sarah by introducing legislation to close a loophole that allowed her killer to walk free. On January 31, 2016, the night of her graduation, Sarah Root, a 21-year-old from Council Bluffs, Iowa was struck and killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk – three times over the legal limit. Due to a gap in federal law, Sarah’s killer was released by federal law enforcement and never faced justice.

“Because of a small loophole in our law, for seven years now, Sarah’s killer has walked free, and the Root family has been robbed of justice,” said Ernst. “It is unacceptable that someone who is here illegally and commits such a heinous crime is not considered an enforcement priority nor is detained by the proper authorities. This straightforward bill would ensure that illegal immigrants responsible for these crimes cannot slip into the shadows and instead will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Simply put, it’s quite possibly the most commonsense reform we can make.”

“Seven years ago today, 21-year-old Sarah Root was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk – the tragic result of Democrats’ open-border policies. Instead of being prosecuted for his crimes, he was released from custody and never seen again,” said Feenstra. “No family should have to endure the pain of losing a child like the Root family did. That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce Sarah’s Law with Senator Joni Ernst to hold illegal immigrants accountable for their actions and swiftly detain and punish those who break our laws.”

“I appreciate Senator Ernst, Representative Feenstra, and all those who continue to introduce this commonsense law to honor my daughter each year on the anniversary of her death,” said Michelle Root, Sarah’s mother. “There should be no partisan opposition to this legislation and it amazes me to hear anyone is against this effort; I truly do not understand why it hasn’t passed. We must prioritize the safety of American citizens over illegal aliens.”

Sarah’s Law amends the mandatory detention provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person. It also adds a requirement that upon encountering an illegal immigrant subject to mandatory detention, ICE makes reasonable efforts to identify victims and inform their families of certain information.

Read full text of the bill here.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s a new C-E-O at a southeast Iowa hospital where authorities are investigating assaults committed by an employee found dead in a hospital room last fall. William Keifer was announced as the new chief executive officer of Ottumwa Regional Health Center, according to a press release. Keifer was tabbed the interim CEO in November after previous CEO Dennis Hunger was relieved of his duties. In October, authorities started an investigation into the hospital when 27-year-old Devon Caraccio, of Centerville, a nurse practitioner, was found dead in a room at the facility.

The cause of death was later determined to be an accidental overdose. Earlier this month, the Ottumwa Police Department said the investigation revealed Caraccio sexually assaulted at least nine female patients while working at the hospital. The victims were either asleep or unconscious at the time of the assaults. Police say Caraccio photographed or videoed the assaults which were recovered from his cell phone. In a statement, Ottumwa Regional Health Center said it was working with authorities to identify the victims. The case remains under investigation.