Homeland security advisors say Iowa riverboat passengers should be subjected to security screenings just as strict as air travelers, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley disagrees. During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Grassley says he’ll ask U-S Coast Guard officials to reassess the security threat to riverboats, like those on the Mississippi at Davenport and Dubuque and on the Missouri at Council Bluffs.Grassley says “it doesn’t meet the test of common sense in Iowa” to force riverboat passengers to go through metal detectors, especially when the boats only travel a short distance.Grassley, a Republican, says he wants to make sure the Coast Guard “takes a prudent approach” in countering terrorism which he says does -not- include using metal detectors at Iowa riverboat docks.
