January 27, 2012

You are here: Home / 2011 / Archives for March 2011

Braley not worried about redistricting outcome

March 30, 2011 By

Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, says he hasn’t lost any sleep over the new redistricting map that’ll be released this morning. Iowa will lose one congressional seat based on the results of the 2010 Census.

Braley says he is not apprehensive at all because it is not something he has control over. He says he feels fortunate to live in Iowa where there is a non-partisian reapportionment system, as he says he’s talked to colleagues in both parties that will see “highly partisian” redistricting of their states.

Braley says the only thing that is certain is that his district will include 150-thousand more constituents as the district lines are shifted to evenly distribute the population. One of the new members of his district could be another congressman, but Braley says that’s part of the process.

“Nobody would ever suggest that that’s not a substantial development, but it is what it is,” Braley says. The first district that Braley now represents is in eastern Iowa, and the area has a history of seeing incumbents forced together by redistricting.

Braley says former congressmen Jim Leach and Jim Nussle were put into the same district, and Nussle and Dave Nagle were put in the same district. “Living where I do, and knowing my predecessor was affected twice by this, I certainly can appreciate that, but it is what it is,” Braley says.

The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency used the population data from the 2010 Census and redrawn the lines for what will be four instead of five legislative districts. The new district maps will be revealed around 8:30 today (Thursday).

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Changes ahead for bill that seeks crack-down on secret videotaping of livestock confinements

March 30, 2011 By

State senators are considering changes to a bill that would set new penalties for videotaping Iowa livestock operations without permission. 

The House passed the legislation in mid-March, voting to send those convicted of secretly videotaping a livestock confinement to prison for up to a decade. Key senators say they want to ensure the law doesn’t get challenged on constitutional grounds, so they’re drafting changes.  Senator Joe Seng, a Democrat from Davenport, is also a veterinarian.

“I had asked the (Attorney General’s) office, the county attorneys to see if this bill…was too all-encompassing or what,” Seng says. “I wanted them to get it down into the form that it was a do-able bill as far as it had teeth in it that they could prosecute with.” 

Senator Tom Rielly, a Democrat from Oskaloosa, says when he was in college he worked at an egg-processing plant and he sympathizes with those who’re concerned that people sneaking into barns can spread diseases that kill the animals.

“And I have seen first-hand really the bio-care that comes into protecting the cleanliness,” he says. 

Without debate, the Senate Ag Committee unanimously endorsed the bill this afternoon, but Rielly promises changes will be made in the legislation when it’s debated next week in the full, 50-member senate.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Environment & Conservation, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

UNI football coach stresses toughness

March 30, 2011 By

Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley says the number one objective of spring practice is to instill toughness in his team. Big things will be expected from the Panthers in 2011 as they return 18 starters from a team that won the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship.

Farley says their trademark is toughness and they are going to be “tough and tenacious and hang our hat on it.” He says they can do a lot of things right in their scheme, but at the end of the day it comes down to an attitude and a mindset.

Farley says a team needs to be tough to handle expectations. He says some people call it pride, but he says the bottom line is there is pressure at U.N.I. as they expect to win. Farley says even with a large number of players returning the Panthers need to get better if they want to have success.

“You either gotta be chased, or you’re chasing somebody, and right now we have to keep on that mindset, that toughness,” Farley says. He says they do a lot of things right, they just have to find creative ways to progress and move ahead.

U.N.I.’s spring game is April 29th.

By Elwin Huffman KOEL Oelwein

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Drake Relays ticket sales running ahead of last year

March 30, 2011 By

Drake University officials say ticket sales are ahead of last year for next month’s Drake Relays. The 102nd running of the event will be April 29th through the 30th in Drake Stadium.

Associate athletic director Dennis Francois says they are about 15% ahead of last year. He says individual session tickets are now available.

The Thursday and Friday sessions usually have big walk-up sales if the weather is good. Francois says those sales are also very dependent on the high school qualifiers, as people come out to see their son or daughter run.

Francois says there are a couple of ways to order tickets, online at: www.godrakebulldogs.com or call the office directly at: 515-271-3647.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Grinnell baseball team opens conference play this weekend

March 30, 2011 By

The Grinnell College baseball team will open the Midwest Conference race this weekend with a visit to Knox College. The Pioneers close out a trip to Florida over the weekend and stand 4-11 heading into conference play. Grinnell camer within one game of making the division three regionals in 2011.

Coach Tim Hollibaugh, who says a solid junior class will help lead the way. Senior catcher Mike Nodzenski is off to a great start for Grinnell. He is hitting .468 and leads the team with 13 RBI. He says Nodzenski has been pretty consistent and has been able to throw out a lot of runners.

By John Martenson KGRN, Grinnell

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Braley says congressional approval required if Libya action continues

March 30, 2011 By

Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, says he is not sure yet if congress will take any action in support of the military action in Libya. But Braley says the president will have to seek support if the action continues.

Braley says it is clear to him that the engagement in Libya is not covered by the authorization of force agreement given to pursue the engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan before he was elected to Congress. “And the reason that’s clear is because the underlying premises that justified that authorization of force under the War Powers Act is not present in this conflict,” Braley said.

Braley says the War Powers Act requires the president to come to congress and get specific authorization to continue the military action in Libya after a certain amount of time. He says it’s his opinion that the time clock on seeking congressional authorization began when the U.S. started using force in Libya.

Braley says the president has done what he was required to do by sending a letter to congress explaining his action in Libya. Braley says, based on extensive study he has done of the act, the letter is simply a notification of the action the president has taken, but it begins the countdown that requires the president to seek approval base on the action the president takes under a specific set of circumstances.

Braley was set to get a briefing on the issue from the secretary of state that could impact whether or not there is a need for the president to seek approval from congress.

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

Sioux City Guard unit deployed to support Libya no-fly zone

March 30, 2011 By

The Iowa National Guard has confirmed the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City has deployed a small group of airmen and aircraft to support the no-fly zone over Libya.

 The Sioux City wing flies the KC-135 Stratotanker, and those planes flew out of Iowa on March 26 to join other Air National Guard units from several states. The units are conducting refueling operations from an undisclosed location outside of Africa as a part of Operation Unified Protector.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Military Tagged With:
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »