January 27, 2012

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Senate has spirited debate over rules in effort to vote on gay marriage

January 27, 2011 By

The Iowa Senate had an early and spirited debate about its operations as a freshman senator tried to override the traditions of the senate and force a vote on gay marriage. Senator Kent Sorenson, a Republican from Indianola, is the lead sponsor of a resolution which would set up a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

“I didn’t come over here to try and disrupt the process. I didn’t come over here to throw out the tradition out the window,” Sorenson said. “But I did make a promise to the people in my district and to the people who supported my campaign that I would try to force a vote on marriage.”

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Iowa Senate showdown likely over rules

January 27, 2011 By

There’ll likely be a bit of a showdown early this morning in the Iowa Senate over the rules that govern how the senate operates,  and the gay marriage issue is at the center of the dispute. Senator Kent Sorenson, a Republican from Indianola, has sponsored a resolution that calls for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in Iowa.

“The real battle on the marriage issue could very well be when we debate the rules,” Sorenson says. That debate is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. this morning when senators consider changes in their formal operating rules. The top Democrat in the senate says these changes merely put the informal practices of the senate down on paper.

Sorenson says it’s an attempt to block the parliamentary moves he had planned to try to force a vote in the senate on same-sex marriage.

“One way or another we’ll get a vote, even if I have to overrule the ruling of the chair which they say has never been done in the senate,” Sorenson says.

“But I’ll do that if I have to.” Sorenson served the past two years in the Iowa House and became a senator this year. The parliamentary move Sorenson described, trying to override a decision made by the senate’s president, has not been attempted in the senate in recent memory, although that sort of action is routine in the Iowa House.

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Hawkeye football players suffered from rhabdomyolysis (audio)

January 26, 2011 By

University of Iowa officials says at total of 13 football players were admitted to the hospital after suffering severe soreness in their muscles following workouts. Doctor John Stokes from the University of Iowa Hospitals talked about their condition.
Stokes says the players are believe to be suffering from what is called rhabdomyolysis, which is a muscle injury syndrome and he says the causes are extensive. All of the players are responding well to treatment.

Stokes says the workouts are likely what caused the problem in the players. He says heavy exercise, even in healthy individuals can cause the problem. Stokes says there are well documented cases of the problem developing among recruits in military boot camp that are undergoing heavy workouts.

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Filed Under: Health & Medicine Tagged With: ,

House GOP proposes $204 million income tax cut

January 26, 2011 By

Republicans in the Iowa House are proposing a 20% cut in the state income taxes individual Iowans pay. 

Representative Erik Helland, a Republican from Johnston, says it would save Iowans an estimated $204 million next year.”The bottom line is this bill, moving forward, is our effort to put Iowans back in charge of their paychecks,” Helland says.

The bill cleared a three-member House subcommittee late this afternoon and during the subcommittee’s meeting, people who both supported and opposed the legislation had a chance to speak. Jan Laue of the Iowa Federation of Labor wondered how this more than $200 million reduction in state tax receipts would impact the state budget.

“You know, a lot of times folks try to compare the state budget to a family budget and if you go along those lines and you can’t pay your bills as it is, this is not the time to quit your job,” Laue said.

John Gilliland of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry told lawmakers over two-thirds of Iowa businesses are partnerships, limited liability companies or sole proprietorships and therefore pay individual income taxes. 

“This piece of legislation directly puts money back into those small businesses so they can invest and grow and hire people and bring more Iowans back to work,” Gilliland said.

Victor Elias of the Iowa Child and Family Policy Center said with legislators contemplating deep cuts in state spending, a deeper reduction in taxes on top of that makes no sense.

“We’re going to be sacrificing the future of our children and the future of our economy on the altar of ‘tax cuts no matter what,’” Elias said. 

The proposal will next be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee.

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Branstad open to future gas tax increase

January 26, 2011 By

Advocates of an increase in the state gas tax say they’re encouraged after meeting with the governor this morning. Governor Branstad told the group raising the gas tax isn’t a priority for him this year, but he won’t rule it out in the future.

Former Governor Culver repeatedly vowed to veto a gas tax increase, and Branstad’s comments are welcome news for people like Carroll City Manager Gerald Clausen who is in Des Moines for “Transportation Day” at the capitol.

“It gives us hope that it’s not an outright no,” Clausen says. “It’s an opportunity to build on something and I think that’s what the people of this state really want is some opportunities to be able to move forward with funding for roadways that many people notice are not what they used to be.”

The state fuel taxes drivers pay when they fill up in Iowa are dedicated to road construction and maintainence projects, but the state gas tax has remained the same since 1989. Supporters of a gas tax hike say the costs of maintaining and building new roads has skyrocketed since then and state officials say they have $250-million worth of road projects that should be completed this year but won’t, because there’s not enough gas tax money for it.

Clinton Chamber of Commerce president Julie Allesee says drivers know Iowa’s streets and roads need repair. “We’ve seen the roads deteriorate even more throughout these bad winters,” Allesee says. “All of our cities and counties across the entire state are in despicable condition and we’re not raising enough money for repair, let alone new development.”

People like Allesee who work on business development, plus representatives of the associations for Highways 34, 30 and 20 visited with legislators this afternoon about the state’s transportation network.

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Northeast Iowa man charged with throwing a baby

January 26, 2011 By

A northeast Iowa man was arrested Tuesday for throwing a baby. Twenty-year-old Gregory Lynch of Waucoma is charged with child endangerment after allegedly throwing the 10-month-old infant during an argument with the baby’s mother.

Fayette County Sheriff’s officials were called to Lynch’s home on the report of possible child abuse. The baby was taken to a hospital, but was found to have no injuries. Lynch was taken to the Fayette County Jail. Sheriff’s deputies and the Iowa Department of Human Services continue to investigate the incident.

Photo courtesy Fayette County Sheriff.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Davenport juice distributor charged with dealing drugs

January 26, 2011 By

A man who works at a company that distributes juice to preschools faces drug charges in Davenport. Cops say Riley Carnahan of Bettendorf distributed more than juice. He is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm for drug trafficking.

He made an appearance Tuesday in Davenport Federal Court. Authorities say Carnahan and four other men were involved in a cocaine trafficking ring. Carnahan was charged in December. Davenport cops raided his employer, Penny Juice of America, earlier in the year. Carnahan goes on trial March 7th.

If convicted, he could get 15 years.

By Phil Roberts, Davenport

Filed Under: Crime & Courts
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