Tornado Touches Down In Carroll County
CARROLL, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a brief tornado has knocked down or damaged trees and outbuildings but caused no injuries in west-central Iowa’s Carroll County.
National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Cogil says the twister was spotted around 8 p.m. Wednesday about two miles southwest of Carroll. Quarter- size hail soon was reported in Glidden, and power outages were reported after
lines were downed near Halbur.
Cogil says power poles also were toppled near Randall in Hamilton County, which is northeast of Carroll.
Kayser Receives Certificate From Governor For Volunteering
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year, Jenny Kayser recently was presented with an official certificate acknowledging her many contributions to the Le Mars Main Street program. The certificate has been signed by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds. Kayser
was unable to attend the recent awards program in Des Moines. Rich Ziettlow, Vice President of the Le Mars Main Street Organization presented her with the official certificate.
Senate Democrats Block Two Doctors From State Medical Board
(Des Moines) — The Iowa legislature’s on-going battle over abortion was waged on two fronts on Wednesday. House Republicans pressed forward with their plan to deny state tax dollars to Planned Parenthood. It’s included in a budget bill
that cleared the House early last (Wednesday) night. And Democrats in the Iowa SENATE were able to kick two members OFF the Iowa Board of Medicine who had
voted in 2013 to ban so-called “telemed” abortions.
The chairwoman of the Board of Medicine who hails from Governor Terry Branstad’s hometown of Lake Mills AND a doctor from Iowa City failed to get enough senate votes to stay on the board. Petersen says their support of the ban on tele-medicine abortions “was all the information she needed” to deny them another term on the board.
Republican Senator Randy Feenstra (FEEN-struh) of Hull expressed his frustration.
Another Republican senator noted that NINE Democratic senators who voted AGAINST reconfirming the Board of Medicine’s chairwoman last night had SUPPORTED her appointment to the board back in 2014. That was AFTER the board had made its
controversial decision about tele-med abortions. The Iowa Supreme Court eventually overturned the board’s decision.
……………….
Legislature Fails To Meet Deadline To Confirm State Agency’s Directors
(Des Moines) — Two of Governor Branstad’s top administrators have been in danger of being out of a job on May 1st. The Iowa Senate and the governor have an April 15th deadline to confirm state agency leaders for their posts. But the Republican-led senate failed to hold confirmation votes on about a dozen people
this year — including the director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Lottery’s chief executive. But, because they’re LAW-makers, senators passed a resolution on Wednesday to excuse their lapse. Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix of Shell Rock says it’s fairly routine to miss the
deadline.
The directors of state agencies and members of state boards and commissions are nominated by the governor, THEN must be confirmed with at least 34 “yes” votes in the Iowa Senate by April 15th. Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg (HOHG) of
Cedar Rapids says Republicans have been too focused on “divisive issues” and “dropped the ball” on confirming officials to their positions in state government.
Hogg says Democrats won’t oppose the Republican’s proposed fix, but he says it may not solve the problem. Iowa law says the senate “shall…either approve, disapprove or defer” all confirmations “by April 15th.” Terms for state agency
directors and members of boards and commissions begin May 1.
……………
Legislature Approves Budget Items – Nearing Completion of Session
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Legislature has approved most bills needed to finalize the roughly $7.2 billion state budget, an indication that adjournment is near for the session.
The Republican-controlled chambers have voted in support of several budget bills over the span of days that address spending on everything from education to economic development. Lawmakers are scheduled back at the Capitol on
Thursday, though it’s unclear what day they will finish work.
The Senate must still vote on funding for health and human services. Both chambers must finalize the so-called standing appropriation bill, which includes state spending for a variety of purposes across several state agencies. It is often the last bill passed in the session and attracts last-minute and sometimes
controversial proposals that lawmakers hope to tack on before adjournment.
