Iowa’s taken the number-one spot in the nation in ethanol production, and set records for sales as well. Larry Beyer (BYE’-ur) is a Marengo corn farmer and heads the marketing committee for the Corn Promotion Board. He says among the new records is a high for sales of ethanol-blend gasoline, which hit a 65-percent market share last year. In the month of December, almost 70-percent of the gas sold in Iowa was ethanol blend, another record. It’s proven a good market for corn grown in Iowa, with the ethanol industry producing more than 860-million gallons…and using about 320-Million bushels of corn a year. It’s also “a darn good product,” he says, and thinks consumers like the quality, want to clean up the environment, and want to use a renewable fuel. There are half-a-dozen new ethanol plants in the state slated to begin production this year, and Beyer says that’ll push ethanol production over a billion gallons a year. He doesn’t expect to see any dip in demand for the corn-alcohol fuel. Because of some legislation to require the use of renewable fuels, and as prices for crude-oil go up it also makes ethanol more valuable. Is the corn used for ethanol taking food out of the market? Beyer says corn doesn’t make up a very large part of our human food menu. One of the byproducts of ethanol production is “distiller’s grain,” which it turns out is an excellent livestock feed, considered by some better than plain corn, and long an ingredient in animal food. Beyer says the corn promotion board was concerned about how so many ethanol plants would dispose of the leftover grain from their distilling process, but have found a good market for that distiller’s grain. To answer concerns about ethanol fuel in cars, the corn promotion board also offers technical expertise to auto dealers and mechanics, and has an informational program for drivers-ed classes as well as automotive students at Iowa’s community colleges.
House panel passes tax cut for the elderly
A House committee has voted to cut taxes for the elderly. The bill that passed the House Ways and Means Committee would eliminate state income taxes on pension and Social Security income within five years. Representative Jamie Van Fossen, a republican from Davenport, says he doesn’t want to give older Iowans another reason to move out of state. Van Fossen says Illinois doesn’t charge taxes on pensions, and he’s concerned that a lot of Quad City-area residents are moving across the border to escape Iowa taxes on their pension income. And Van Fossen says it’s unfair to tax Social Security benefits. “It’s letting people keep more of their own money,” Van Fossen says. But some committee members opposed the move. Representative Don Shoultz, a democrat from Waterloo, says it doesn’t make sense to erase state taxes for pensioners and Social Security recipients. Shoultz says every one — regardless of age, race or sex — should be taxed equally. He says Iowans have rejected the idea of letting certain groups — because of their age — get tax breaks other Iowans aren’t entitled to. “To me, if you want to be a serious and responsible legislator, you’re not playing games and trying to curry the favor of a certain segment of the population,” Shoultz says. “You treat all the population the same.” The bill now goes before the full, 100-member House for consideration.
Double-killing in Muscatine, high-speed chase ends in standoff
Muscatine police are investigating an apparent double-homicide after being led on a high-speed chase last night (Wednesday) that ended in a standoff outside an elementary school. Police responded to a call of “shots fired” in a residential area and found the bodies of a man and a woman outside a home and saw a man getting into a van. The man refused to stop and sped away. Officers pursued and put out stop sticks, flattening the van’s front tires. The driver crashed into the front of Mulberry Elementary School where negotiations with police began, both in English and Spanish. Several children and adults were evacuated from the school. After 90 minutes, the man surrendered by getting out of the van and laying on the ground, leaving a handgun in the van. Muscatine Police Chief Gary Coderoni (co-dur-OH-nee) says the potentially explosive standoff situation ended well. Chief Coderoni says the officers had good cover, the civilians were evacuated and time was on their side as the trained negotiators did their job. Coderoni says he was very pleased with the way in which many departments were able to work together to bring the standoff to a peaceful end. The names of the victims haven’t been released and neither has the name of the suspect.
Cig tax hike talks cancelled due to Vilsack "threat"
A state senator has delayed a vote on a bill that would increase the cigarette tax because he says the governor bullied some senators in a private meeting. “To browbeat my colleagues and myself I don’t think is an acceptable way of doing business,” Zieman says. Zieman, a republican from Postville, cancelled Wednesday’s subcommittee meeting on a bill that would raise the cigarette tax a dollar. Zieman was among a group of lawmakers who met with Vilsack on Tuesday, and Zieman says the governor threatened to keep the legislature in session until they adopt his agenda — and the cigarette tax is on Vilsack’s “to-do” list. Zeiman says the governor was making “idle threats” so he decided senators didn’t have to discuss the cigarette tax hike Vilsack wants. “My only agenda is to watch out for the taxpayers of Iowa,” Zieman says. “That’s my job.” Zieman will not vote to raise the cigarette tax, but he says until that Tuesday afternoon show-down with the governor he was willing to allow the bill to clear its first legislative hurdle in that subcommittee. But Matt Paul, the Governor’s press secretary, disagrees with Zieman’s description of his meeting with the governor. “The governor just respectfully disagrees with that characterization,” Paul says. “He was flabbergasted by that characterization.” Senator Joel Bolkcom (bowl’kum), a democrat from Iowa City, was in on the meeting that’s caused all the hubub. “Senator Zieman held his own and can hold his own anywhere, anyday,” Bolkcom says. “The governor articulated his priorities and you know, there’s some disagreement about it, but I think we should just let the day go by and get back after it tomorrow.” Ironically, the meeting that’s caused the uproar came just an hour after legislators and the governor sat through a lecture on civility.
Bouncers may be required to take anger management training
Bar bouncers would have to undergo training if a bill that cleared the Iowa House becomes law. Republican Representative Joe Hutter, a retired cop from Bettendorf, says a bar would lose its liquor license if bouncers aren’t trained properly. “Anger management training and the proper training for security personnel at liquor establishments should be required,” Hutter says. The bill was inspired by the death of Charles Lovelady, a Des Moines man who was strangled by a couple of bar bouncers who were applying a choke-hold. Representative Wayne Ford, a democrat from Des Moines, says Lovelady died five years ago this February. “One thing his family said to me is ‘Representative Ford, please don’t let his death be in vain,’” Ford says. “This is a perfect example of what we can do, working together.” Ford says there’s interest in the bill in states where similar tragedies have occured. “When these things happen, there are very big men lying or locked up on a small man and I weigh 320 pounds and if I put my weight on a man for a long period of time, with my hands around his head, I might not know I was slowly killing him,” Ford says. “If I was trained to know how to use my weight, if I was trained to know how to go and talk to people instead of just using my size, some of these people might be alive today.” The bill, which won approval in the House last year but stalled in the Senate, must pass the Senate and be signed by Governor Vilsack before it becomes law.
Gov. Vilsack being pushed to run for 3rd term
An anonymous group is pressuring Governor Tom Vilsack to seek a third term. The group launched a website — called votevilsack.com — which declares that Vilsack is “too smart, too young and too effective a public servant to retire after only two terms.” The site’s been up since Tuesday — there’s only one “blog” or web log on it by the end of Wednesday. Matt Paul, a spokesman for the governor, says the governor’s staff had nothing to do with this. “The Governor has said on a number of occasions in many different settings that he will not seek a third term,” Paul says. The “votevilsack.com” group, though, sent an email to reporters yesterday (Wednesday), suggesting they may run radio and t-v ads that encourage Vilsack to run again for governor. “The governor’s not going to be distracted,” Paul says. “He’s said on many occasions that he’s not going to seek a third term. That remains his intention.”
Adair County authorities make arson arrest
An arrest has been made after a suspicious fire in western Iowa last month. An investigation by the Adair County Sheriff’s office and the State Fire Marshall led to the arrest of 19-year-old Andrew Mills of Greenfield Tuesday. Mills allegedly tried to start a fire at a house near Bridgewater twice, once on January 16th then again on January 19th. The Fire Marshall’s office found traces of accelerant after the second incident which completely destroyed the home. No one was living in the house and there were no injuries. Mills is facing second degree arson charges. The Adair County Sheriff’s office would not comment on a possible motive, but did say they are still investigating and could file additional charges in the case.
