A summit is taking place today in Sioux City to tackle the issues of homelessness, substance abuse and mental health concerns for the Siouxland Community. The event is hosted by the Siouxland Street Project and the Community Initiative for Native Children and Families. Here’s Co-Chair Frank LaMere. “We need to give voice those who have none. And, I’m doing my part. And, I want the rest of the community to step up.” Today’s event is a follow-up to a meeting that took place last June and LaMere

041619 532 On a campaign swing through western Iowa today (yesterday/Tuesday), Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker met with students and teachers in Sergeant Bluff. Booker wants to prioritize public education and special needs education. At a roundtable discussion at Sergeant Bluff-Luton (LOOT-tin) Senior High School, Senator Cory Booker told teachers that special needs education should be federally funded at 40 percent. (0:09) Right now we’re funding it at about 18 percent. And for

041619 504 The board that oversees Iowa’s public universities won’t consider new tuition rates at its meeting this week because lawmakers are still working out their differences on state funding. Iowa Senate Republicans are proposing less money for the regents than Republicans in the House and governor’s office. Senate Republicans have advanced a plan to give 12-million additional dollars to the University of Iowa, Iowa State, and the University of Northern Iowa next year. The university

041619 432 Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker was in Sioux City last night and this morning. At an event at the Sioux City Public Museum last night, Booker unveiled his proposal to considerably expand the Earned Income Tax Credit that low-income people can receive. Booker, in his first Sioux City campaign event of the 2020 election cycle, talked about the new policy he calls the Rise Credit. He said to boost "economic justice," expanding the EITC would result in more money going to

041619 1204 Randy Feenstra, one of the three fellow Republicans trying to oust U.S. Rep. Steve King, brought in four times more campaign cash than the congressman over the first three months of the 2019-20 election cycle. King's campaign organization reported he raised a little more than 61 thousand dollars for the first quarter, which trailed the $260 thousand raised by Feenstra, a state senator from Hull, Iowa. Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who is now the U.S. Ambassador to China, donated

041519 532 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is establishing a board to coordinate flood recovery efforts and is asking lawmakers for state funding to help those efforts along. Lawmakers will consider a request of 15-million dollars for flood mitigation projects and 10-million dollars for housing tax credits. Representative David Sieck (SEEK), a Republican from Glenwood, says the funding is a good start. And he says the advisory board will be important moving forward. 0415sieck2: 12 “Her board will be

041519 504 Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers for $15 million from the ending balance of the current year's budget for immediate work on levees and repairs in flooded communities. She's also seeking $10 million from next year's budget to accelerate housing improvements. Reynolds announced her request Monday, saying federal money often takes months or years to arrive. The announcement that long-time Congressman Dave Loebsack is retiring is opening up a race in a district thought to be

041519 1204 The political news website Roll Call has changed its rating of Iowa’s second congressional district from solid Democratic to a toss-up. After long-time Representative Dave Loebsack announced he’s retiring, the southeast corner of the state may not stay reliably democratic. That’s according to Central College political scientist Andrew Green. 0415green: 16 “It has to be considered a toss-up district. The fact that…as I…the fact that Congressman Loebsack won re-election on the same

041519 432 Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers for $15 million from the ending balance of the current year's budget for immediate work on levees and repairs in flooded communities. She's also seeking $10 million from next year's budget to accelerate housing improvements. Reynolds announced her request Monday, saying federal money often takes months or years to arrive. Reynolds also announced the creation of a Flood Recovery Advisory Board, which will coordinate state recovery efforts.

041219 404 Governor Kim Reynolds is creating a new state board to oversee the response to last month’s catastrophic flooding. Reynolds said, To move forward, it’s critical that we not only provide funding at the state level but also have a central point of coordination and plan to use the funds. Reynolds issued an executive order this morning, establishing a 15-member Flood Recovery Advisory Board. She’ll be the board’s chairwoman. The governor also is asking legislators to set aside $25 million