The insurance company for the City of Cedar Rapids is planning to pay an $8 million settlement to a black man who was shot during a 2016 traffic stop. Jerime Mitchell is paralyzed from the neck down. Mitchell and his wife sued the City of Cedar Rapids and Lucas Jones, the white officer who shot … [Read more...]
Lawmakers ponder security camera update for Iowa Capitol
A half million dollar plan to replace security cameras in the Iowa Capitol complex has the support of Republicans in the Iowa House, but Senate Republicans have not included the project in their preliminary budget plan. In February of last year, a 23-year-old man was charged with vandalism after … [Read more...]
Hinson co-sponsors bill to adjust PPP loans for some farmers, small businesses
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is co-sponsoring legislation to make a retroactive change in the federal Paycheck Protection Program for some farmers and small business owners. The PPP was created last spring and quickly ran out of money. A third round of funding was approved by Congress in … [Read more...]
Axne calls for including biofuels infrastructure in American Jobs Act
Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne is calling on congressional leaders to include money for the renewable fuels industry in the infrastructure bill they're crafting. President Biden's American Jobs Act proposes spending $174 billion to promote the development of electric vehicles and install charging … [Read more...]
Axne says bill addresses loopholes in pay equity law
Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne is co-sponsor of a pay equity bill that cleared the U.S. House Thursday. Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, said it would provide women new tools to fight wage discrimination in their workplace. "More than five decades after we passed the Equal Pay Act, we're … [Read more...]
Iowa’s unemployment rate in March, 2021 was 3.7%
Iowa's unemployment rate for March was the same as it was in February, 3.7%. The number of Iowans receiving unemployment benefits increased slightly, by 200, in March, just as the total number of people working in Iowa grew by about 3200. According to Iowa Workforce Development, the state's … [Read more...]
Speakers at trooper’s funeral describe Sgt. Smith as selfless, man of faith
A large crowd gathered today in the Independence high school gym for the funeral of an Iowa State Trooper who was shot to death a week ago during a stand-off with an armed man in Grundy Center. For more than half an hour, officers from all over the country saluted as they filed by Sergeant Jim … [Read more...]
Hinson says security fence around US Capitol should be removed
Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says it's time for the fencing around the U.S. Capitol to come down. "This is the people's House and the people, the taxpayers, pay for these facilities," Hinson said this morning. "...Quite frankly, for a long time it was easier to get across the border … [Read more...]
Naig says Raccoon River’s endangered ranking is ‘propaganda’
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig is dismissing a national environmental group's report that cited ag run-off in ranking Iowa's Raccoon River as one of the nation's most-endangered rivers. "That so-called report was a bit of propaganda, I think. It was obviously a Washington, D.C based … [Read more...]
Senate’s Democratic leader proposes changes for future election recounts
Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls says now that Democrat Rita Hart has conceded Iowa's second congressional district race to Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks, disparities exposed by the recount in that race can be addressed. "I think the time is right, for a leadership bill, for Democrats … [Read more...]