Grassley Concerned With Biden’s Spending
(Washington) — Republican U-S Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa is concerned with the way President Biden is wanting to spend trillions of dollars on various projects. Grassley was asked about his thoughts of the administration’s first 100 days. Grassley says no other president has wanted to spend so much money within the first few months.
Grassley says Biden is not the same today as president, as he was when he was a U-S Senator from Delaware.
Grassley says there are several issues in which Republicans are willing to work with the president, if only he would be willing to have bi-partisan efforts. Grassley says both political parties can agree on many items contained in the proposed infrastructure bill, if the bill would only focus on true infrastructure components.
The Iowa Republican Senator says Biden has thrown items, such as expansion of Medicaid spending, into the mix of the infrastructure bill, which according to Grassley should be dealt with separately. Grassley says about two trillion dollars of the proposed bill has nothing to do with infrastructure.
Grassley shared his comments with Iowa news reporters during his weekly news conference held Thursday morning.
Grassley Says Army Corps Of Engineers Need To Focus On Flood Control
(Washington) — Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa has joined legislators from three other states in writing a letter to the U-S Army Corps of Engineers requesting more focus be placed on flood control of the Missouri River Basin.
Grassley spoke of the issue on Thursday during his weekly news conference with Iowa media. The U-S Republican Senator says the Army Corps of Engineers messed up when they required the town of Hamburg to reduce the height of an existing levy, and thus subjecting the town to massive flooding in 2018. Just
last week Hamburg town officials held a ceremony acknowledging a new levy that has been constructed to hopefully help protect the town from any future flooding issues.
Senator Grassley says for far too long, the Army Corps of Engineers have ignored their duty of flood control, focusing instead on other areas.
Iowa’s other U-S Senator, Joni Ernst also signed that letter, as did Iowa Democratic Congresswoman Cindi Axne.
Le Mars Farmers’ Market To Open For Season On Saturday
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Farmers’ Market will start its season on Saturday, and again it will be located on the south end of town on Prospect Street, behind Cork-It. Rob Scheitler is one of the vendors that participates with the Le Mars Farmers’ Market. He says although it may be too early in the season for purchasing produce, Saturday’s event should still provide many items for purchase.
Scheitler says the location behind Cork-It liquor store works well for all concerned.
The long-time farmers’ market vendor explains the benefits of purchasing goods from a local farmers’ market.
Scheitler says the Farmers’ Market season will continue through the last Saturday of September.
Nurses Shown Appreciation During National Nurses Week
(Le Mars) — They have been on the front lines of the pandemic for more than a year now, working long and hard hours to keep people healthy and safe against the COVID-19 virus. Today, (Friday) marks the end of National Nurses Week, and next week focuses attention on hospitals. In any case, many of us owe our
health to the care and compassion illustrated by nurses. At Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, there are 148 people on staff that are identified as part of the nursing staff. We want to take this opportunity to say “thank you” and job well done.
(photo contributed.)
Iowa House Tax Plan Passes Committee Unanimously
(Des Moines, IA) — Democrats on a House committee joined Republicans in voting 22-0 for the House G-O-P’s latest tax plan. It features more than two dozen tax changes, but notably does not include using state tax dollars rather than county property taxes to support Iowa’s mental health system. Senate
Republicans and Governor Reynolds back that move, but House Republicans say it’s a big policy shift that needs more work. The House is planning to debate some state budget plans today and perhaps tomorrow, but there’s no universal agreement on state spending among Republicans in the House and Senate. Senate
Minority Leader Zach Wahls from Coralville said there is no ending in sight for the 2021 legislative session. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver has said Senate Republicans want to resolve the tax impasse before making final decisions on the state budget plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1st.
Speaker Says Time Is Needed To Analyze Ending County Oversight Of Mental Health
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley says more time is needed to analyze the consequences of ending county oversight of the mental health system and turning that over to the state. Grassley says the stalemate between
House and Senate Republicans on tax policy is the way the legislative process should work. He says it is not good government to be in lockstep with everything. Democrats on a House committee have given initial support to the House G-O-P’s stand against the state take-over of the mental health system.
House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard of Charles City says the concern is about follow-through after the burden is shifted.
Bill Sets New Penalty For Fatal Crashes Caused by Excessive Speed
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa House and Senate unanimously voted to create a new crime for driving at an excessive speed and causing someone else’s death.
Representative Jon Thorup of Knoxville, a state trooper, says the bill increases the penalty for speeding 25 miles per hour or more in cases where such speeding results in the death of a human being to a class C felony.
According to the Iowa Sheriffs and Deputies Association, it’s difficult to appropriately charge a speeding driver involved in a fatal accident if prosecutors cannot prove the driver was intoxicated or intentionally targeting someone. The bill passed the House unanimously on March 23rd. It passed the
Senate Wednesday on a 48-to-zero vote. The Iowa State Patrol issued 85 percent more tickets to drivers caught going 25 miles an hour or more over the speed limit in the first six months of last year compared to the previous four-year average.
Bill Sent To Governor Would Ban Topics From Diversity Training, School Lessons
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa House has sent a bill to the governor that would ban certain topics from government diversity training and school lessons. The bill had referred to a list of “divisive concepts” that would be off-limits. That language was changed to “specifically defined concepts,” but
it still bans teaching that the state and country are fundamentally or systemically racist. The bill was also amended to say it does not prohibit teaching about slavery, sexism, segregation, and racial discrimination.
Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says “We don’t need to have to be racist and scapegoat entire groups of people in order to teach against racism.”
Pella Tulip Festival Begins 3-Day Run After 2020 Cancellation
(Pella, IA) — The 85th Pella Tulip Festival opens its three-day run yesterday (Thursday) after COVID forced the cancellation of the event last year. The annual festival had only been canceled once back in 1946.
Spokeswoman Cyndi Atkins says the event returns with some modifications including social distancing and more spread out food stands. One of the changes has the parade staying in place with people walking around it. Atkins said, “we will have a walking parade, which means we have floats on display
all throughout our festival area. And we are even going to turn the lights on, on those floats from 8:30 to 9:30 every night, so it kind of reflects what would normally be our lighted parade in the evening.” She says they are excited to have the festival back and are trying to make it as close to normal as possible. Most of the 20-thousand tulips are still in bloom. Next week, Orange City will celebrate its Tulip Festival on May 13th, 14th, and 15th.
Smoking Materials Caused Cedar Rapids Fire, Victim Has Life-Threatening Injuries
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — Investigators say smoking materials discarded near a recliner are to blame for a Cedar Rapids apartment fire early Wednesday morning. Firefighters found 82-year-old Robert Mischek unconscious lying on the floor. Fire officials say Mischak suffered life-threatening burns and was
transferred from a Cedar Rapids hospital to U-I Hospitals and Clinics. Crews responded to a report of an air conditioner on fire around 1 a-m. The fire was contained to the first floor of the three-story apartment complex.
