WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for all of northwest Iowa, including Plymouth County, from 10 this evening until 7 am Saturday.
A combination of snow and strong winds will diminish travel conditions tonight and tomorrow morning.
The Le Mars area forecast includes a possibility of thunderstorms this afternoon, followed by rain, then snow around 6 pm. That will be followed by strong winds, gusting up to 45 miles per hour this evening. Accumulating snow will total a half-inch, but the strong winds will cause slippery conditions and lowered visibilities.
The advisory area includes Plymouth County, and all of its surrounding counties.
JENEARY – PIPELINE
A House-passed carbon pipeline regulation bill has stalled in the Iowa Senate, and didn’t make yesterday’s funnel deadlne. That means the bill is dead for the session.
State Representative Tom Jeneary of Le Mars wants to see the bill emerge in the final weeks of the session.
Jeneary hopes the bill can be brought up in this session because it is important. And waiting until next year is too late. Wants the legislature to weigh in on the pipeline issue before its left in the hands of the Iowa Utilities Board.
Rep Jeneary thinks the issue might get caught up in the courts, anyway.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says the conversation isn’t over, but consensus is elusive. Whitver says it’s a unique situation to have groups like the Farm Bureau and the Sierra Club backing new regulations, while the entire ag industry opposes any effort to slow down development. Whitver suggests there are just as many opinions about the issues as there are senators at this point.
ELECTION STUDY
A Central College math professor has updated work that figures the lowest amount of the popular vote a candidate would need to win enough electoral college votes to become president. Professor Russ Goodman says the work was first done in 1961 and then updated in 2012.
His work shows you could theoretically win the presidency with only 20 to 24 percent of the popular vote depending on the year. The modern day strategy has been to win the states with the most electoral votes — but Goodman says winning with the fewest number of votes goes completely against that plan.
Goodman says a candidate would stay away from states like Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania that have the most electoral votes.
Goodman says the proposal is based solely on the mathematics of winning one particular way and doesn’t figure in politics.
He says it’s fun to figure out the mathematics of the problem — but he says the odds are stacked against it ever happening.
Goodman says anyone who’s campaigning, probably is using data to help them make good decisions, and using this strategy is not one they would use to give themselves the best chance to win.
CDL TRAINING AWARDS
Four northwest Iowa companies are among 46 in Iowa that will share in nearly three million dollars of grant money for Commercial Driver’s License Training. Governor Kim Reynolds announced the awards that will support the training necessary to obtain a CDL in Iowa.
Stockton Towing and Knife River of Sioux City, Jochum Agri-Science of Salix and West Rock Construction of Rock Valley are among the grant recipients.
The entry-level driver training program will help Iowa meet its demand for truck drivers and school bus drivers. The programs, conducted either in-house or in conjunction with third-party providers, will serve an estimated 1,642 drivers in the state employed by the participating organizations.
MLB TV BLACKOUTS
Major League Baseball officials flew to Des Moines to meet with Iowa lawmakers this week to discuss a bill that would ban T-V blackouts that prevent Iowans from watching six different teams in the region. The bill addresses rules that prohibit games featuring the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers from airing on T-V screens in Iowa. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver says the blackouts are ridiculous and it hinders growth of the game when kids and families cannot watch professional baseball. Representative J.D. Scholten, a Democrat from Sioux City who’s a retired pro baseball player, co-sponsored the bill. Scholten says the first test of whether the league is serious about broadcasting more games into Iowa may come soon. The Diamond Sports Group that’s been broadcasting Twins, Royals, Cardinals and Brewers games on T-V has filed for bankruptcy. Major League Baseball has announced that if the company doesn’t pay its rights fees, the league is prepared to take over broadcasting duties.
ENERGY BILL
The House has passed a bill to ease restrictions on energy production and cut gasoline prices. Iowa Fourth District US Representative Randy Feenstra of Hull voted in favor of the bill, as did all of the Republicans in the chamber, and four Democrats. Feenstra also offered an amendment to the bill that would prohibit China from buying American farmland suitable for ethanol and biodiesel production. The President of the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York, says the bill will not be considered in the chamber. President Biden says he would veto the bill should it come to his desk.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE STUDY
A Central College math professor has updated work that figures the lowest amount of the popular vote a candidate would need to win enough electoral college votes to become president. Professor Russ Goodman says the work was first done in 1961 and then updated in 2012.
His work shows you could theoretically win the presidency with only 20 to 24 percent of the popular vote depending on the year. The modern day strategy has been to win the states with the most electoral votes — but Goodman says winning with the fewest number of votes goes completely against that plan.
Goodman says a candidate would stay away from states like Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania that have the most electoral votes.
Goodman says the proposal is based solely on the mathematics of winning one particular way and doesn’t figure in politics.
He says it’s fun to figure out the mathematics of the problem — but he says the odds are stacked against it ever happening.
Goodman says anyone who’s campaigning, probably is using data to help them make good decisions, and using this strategy is not one they would use to give themselves the best chance to win.’
TRUMP INDICTMENT REACT
Iowa’s top Republicans are denouncing the indictment of former President Donald Trump. Governor Kim Reynolds says it’s a sham and an assault on democracy. Senator Chuck Grassley says the case against Trump is weak and the indictment is an alarming example of the politicization of the state and federal justice system. Senator Joni Ernst says the district attorney who’s prosecuting the case has been fixated on going after the former president while crime in New York City runs rampant. Second district Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says the indictment is politically motivated, wrong and dangerous. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird tweeted last (Thursday) night that politics don’t belong in prosecutions, but she did not directly mention Trump’s indictment.
PIPELINE DISCUSSIONS TO CONTINUE
A House-passed bill to set new guidelines for development of carbon pipelines has been tabled in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says the conversation isn’t over, but consensus is elusive. Whitver says it’s a unique situation to have groups like the Farm Bureau and the Sierra Club backing new regulations, while the entire ag industry opposes any effort to slow down development. Whitver suggests there are just as many opinions about the issues as there are senators at this point. The House voted 73 to 20 in favor of a bill that would have required developers to get voluntary access to 90 percent of the properties along the pipeline routes before the government’s eminent domain authority could be used to force the other landowners to sign contracts granting property access.
