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Iowa Senate endorses "Bicyclist’s Bill of Rights"

February 26, 2009 By

The Iowa Senate has endorsed a so-called "Bicyclist’s Bill of Rights."

A bill which passed the Senate late this afternoon would require motorists to mainain a five-foot distance when passing a bicyclist, and motorists caught following a bicyclist too closely could face a $25 ticket — but if the cyclist is injured, the fine jumps to $500. If the cyclist is killed, the fine would be $1000.

Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, said eight bicyclists were killed on Iowa roadways last year. "When you have a state where you’re seeing consistently eight or ten people a year killed on Iowa’s roads through bicycling and you’re seeing 430 injuries, you do have a problem and that you ought to spend a little time working and educating Iowans about how to share the road," McCoy said.

But Republicans complained the bill fails to hold bicyclists to the same standards as motorists. Senator Larry Noble, a Republican from Ankeny, is a retired state trooper. "In a motor vehicle, a person operating while intoxicated has their license suspended. What about bicyclists? In a motor vehicle, a driver must take a test to operate the motor vehicle. What about a bicyclists? In a motor vehicle, a person must show proof of insurance. What about a bicyclist?" Noble asked. "And I could go on and on."

Senator Joel Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, said it’s becoming more and more dangerous to ride bikes on Iowa roads. "I wish we didn’t need this bill, but I think we do because I think it’s time that we recognize that we have a problem and that’s rising fatalities," Bolkcom said. "This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. This is about the safety of all the people out there that need this protection."

Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, said he and his 11-year-old son ride their bikes together nearly every night in the summer, but Zaun thinks the bill is silly. "What’s next — the motorcycle bill of rights? The snowmobiler’s bill of rights? The runners’ bill of rights? The golf carts’ bill of rights?" Zaun asked. "I mean, how many of these bills are we going to do?"

The bill now goes to the House, where it faces an uncertain future. If the bill does become law, it would prohibit someone from opening a car door into bicycle traffic and it would give bicyclists the right of way when a bike trail intersects with a street.

 

Filed Under: Politics & Government, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With: , , , ,

Governor will sign $60 million increase in state aid to schools

February 26, 2009 By

Governor Chet Culver says he will sign into law the two percent increase in general state aid to schools which legislators endorsed this week. State law requires legislators and the governor to set the main, per student payments to K-through-12 schools more than a year in advance, to give administrators time to plan and this increase would take effect in the academic year which begins in the fall of 2010.

Culver says two percent is as much as the state can afford in this economic downturn. "We were very clear with teachers and other groups that are involved in school districts, for example, (about) this tough decision," Culver says. "But I think if you talk to them, they appreciate the fact that we literally did as much as we could."

Culver says Iowa’s public schools wouldn’t have gotten two percent without money in the federal economic stimulus that’s aimed at education. "Because we’re going to go to two percent, it’s less likely that we will have as many layoffs," Culver says, "and so anything that we can do to use this stimulus in the areas of health care or infrastructure or education or energy, you know, to prevent pink slips, that’s what we’re going to try to do."

A two percent increase in per-student aid to K-through-12 schools for the 2010/2011 school year amounts to about $60 million more in state support. The Iowa House late this afternoon gave final approval to that increase; the Iowa Senate approved the move on Tuesday.

The governor and legislators have not yet addressed state funding for the school year which begins this fall, however. The governor has said the state can afford only two percent rather than the four percent increase in state aid that was promised last year, but legislators have not yet ratified that.

 

Filed Under: Education, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

House GOP seeks sale of Iowa Communications Network

February 26, 2009 By

Republicans in the Iowa House say it’s time to sell or lease the state-owned fiber optic network that was championed by former Republican Governor Terry Branstad.  House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen admits they don’t know how much the system’s work, or whether anyone would be willing to buy it.

The state started installing fiber optic cable throughout the state in 1990. It was Governor Branstad’s goal to provide "distance learning" in each school district over what is called the Iowa Communications Network. Paulsen says many superintendents tell him they use their ICN rooms for storage. "The technology’s dramatically outdated and we end up spending tens of millions of dollars each year on something that quite frankly really doesn’t have that much more capability than plugging your computer into the wall and hooking up to the Internet," Paulsen says.

The ICN provides audio-video hook-ups in 744 classrooms throughout the state, but the fiber optic cables are also providing phone service and Internet connections to every agency in state government. Paulsen argues even if the state doesn’t wind up finding a buyer for the Iowa Communications Network, the state might wind up spending less by getting phone and Internet services from a private company.

"The phone industry is so hyper-competitive, I can’t imagine we wouldn’t have an opportunity to spend less than the way we’re doing it," Paulsen says.

Forty-three Republicans voted in favor of selling the Iowa Communications Network during House debate this afternoon, but 55 Democrats voted against the idea. However, while Democrats may have rejected the argument this week, a key Democrat held open the possibility the ICN’s sale may be explored yet this spring. Representative Jo Oldson, a Democrat from Des Moines, is chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee. "I think it’s an important issue to talk about, as we should every other issue that may affect the state budget," Oldson says. "But I think it’s a pretty complicated issue and it needs to be done in a pretty plan-full way."

Representative Doris Kelley, a Democrat from Waterloo, reminded legislators their own laptops are linked to the Internet via the Iowa Communications Network when they’re at the statehouse — and Kelley argued the ICN should be used to expand broad-band access into remote sections of the state. "We have an asset that is so critical, but it’s underutilized," Kelley said. "And it’s under-utilized because we have not taken advantage of the opportunities that are there."

Representative Cecil Dolecheck, a Republican from Mount Ayr, says if the network is sold, accommodations must be made to keep some of the state-owned fiber optic lines serving rural areas of the state where high-speed Internet service is still not available. "I won’t say that I’m ready to sell it yet, although it will probably be a good move at some point in time to get that off the books," Dolecheck says, "but we need to make sure that we continue to provide the services…and I’m not sure that all of Iowa is quite up to speed."

Dolecheck also has a different perspective on the value of ICN classrooms. "I just had a visit with the person who coordinates the programs for I.C.N. In one week’s usage out of Southwestern Community College, there were over 30 presentations in one week," Dolecheck says. "And so as we go through this scenario and talk about selling the I.C.N. we have to be cognizant…of what they do for our schools…and make sure…that opportunity to use some kind of services remains there."

Filed Under: Business, Education, Politics & Government, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Nine rookie Republicans tout wide-ranging bill

February 26, 2009 By

The nine rookie Republicans in the Iowa House joined today in introducing a bill which includes a wide array of proposals they say would help grow the state’s economy.

Representative Chris Hagenow of Windsor Heights is among the Republicans who are rookies in the 2009 legislature and he’s touting ideas like a property tax freeze and a new tax deduction for young adults who’re paying back student loans. "This is a positive set of proposals that is a positive, forward-looking approach to growing Iowa’s economy," Hagenow says.

Representative Annette Sweeney, a Republican from Alden, runs a business out of her home and she’s touting a tax credit for telecommuters like herself. "With this legislation that we’re proposing, our goal is to inspire Iowans to be proactive," she said. "Proactive not only just conversing, but proactive in every sense of the word, in getting people back to work, in establishing businesses and also expanding businesses."

Sweeney said she and the eight other rookie Republicans held a news conference at the statehouse today to show Republicans aren’t just the party of opposition, they’re the part of action, too. But Democrats, not Republicans, control the debate agenda in the House and Representative Erik Helland of Grimes concedes he and the other rookie Republicans need Democrats to support the bill to get it to pass. "We think it’s pretty solid policy and we’d invite anyone to pile on board on the bill and start pushing it along through the legislative process," Helland says.

 

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Waterloo man convicted on two counts of 1st degree murder

February 26, 2009 By

A Black Hawk County jury has convicted a Waterloo man on two counts of first-degree murder. The jury rendered the verdict against Martaves Keys Thursday morning, finding the Waterloo man guilty of both murder counts in the November 2007 shooting deaths of Ronald Scullark Junior and Anissa Schroeder.

The jury got the case Wednesday afternoon and deliberated for about three hours. Jurors returned to the courthouse to resume deliberations Thursday morning and presented their verdict around 10:30 A.M. During the trial, which lasted nearly three weeks, prosecutors accused Keys of killing Scullark and Schroeder while trying to steal drugs.

The victims were both shot in the head from close range in an S-U-V that crashed into a fence in front of a Waterloo home. The verdict means Keys will spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility for parole.  

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Senate approves bill allowing release of some 9-1-1 info

February 26, 2009 By

A measure approved by the Iowa Senate today would ease the confidentiality of 9-1-1 calls. Under the bill, a telephone company customer could sign up for a service that alerts a designated person if the customer calls 9-1-1. Senator Brian Schoenjahn, a Democrat from Arlington, says a new technology makes the service possible.

"If you upon your authorization, if one of your family members or relatives makes a 9-1-1 call, that you would be notified that a call was made," Scheonjahn says. Schoenjahn says the content of the call would remain confidential. Under current law, only those providing 9-1-1 service have access to information about callers.

Scheonjahn says, "The company will not tell you the contents of the call but will simply notify you that a call has been made. This is a very good idea." The Senate approved the bill unanimously and sent it on the House. Law enforcement agencies lobbied for the bill. 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With:

DMACC women forfeit 10 games over "administrative error"

February 26, 2009 By

Des Moines Area Community College will be forfeiting several women’s basketball game after it was determined the program used an ineligible player. Head coach Steve Krafcisin says the move will prevent the team from playing in the region tournament.

Krafcisin says they have to forfeit the games they won that she was in, including 9 conference games and one non-conference games. The means the team will be 4-14 instead of  13-5.

Krafcisin says he feels bad for the players. "It was a rough day yesterday, I’m gonna be honest with you, but we dealt with it," Krafcisin says. He says the motto he uses all the time is "blame none, expect nothing and do something."

DMACC athletic director Orv Salmon says player was ineligible because of a class that started five days late. They appealed, the decision and did not win, and had to forfeit the games.

Salmon called it an administrative oversight. He says it was an "adult administrative error, misinterpretation of the rule."

The Bears have a game scheduled for tonight at Iowa Western. 

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