SPM News

040519 532 State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull says that in the first months of seeking to oust fellow Republican Steve King in the Iowa 4th congressional district seat in the 2020 election, he has raised more than $260,000. Feenstra in a Friday release to the Journal summarized fundraising for the first three months of the year. He said the $260,000 marks the highest amount ever raised over the first quarter by any first-time Republican congressional candidate in Iowa. Feenstra announced in

040519 504 Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has been calling for new approaches to deal with persistent flooding, and now she's also seeking prayers to deal with the problem. On Monday, Reynolds was surrounded by evangelical Christians as she signed a proclamation declaring Sunday a statewide day of prayer for flood recovery. Reynolds and the group then bowed their heads together in prayer. Earlier in the week, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a similar proclamation. In response to questions from

04.05.19 404 The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that police departments can keep investigative reports secret even after an inquiry has concluded. The finding is significant because it could be used by municipalities to justify withholding a range of documents, including video, from the public and media. The court ruled Friday that an exemption to the Iowa Open Records Act for police reports does not apply only to ongoing investigations. Justice Thomas Waterman says police only have to release the

The estimate to fix flood-ravaged roads in Nebraska is lower than first estimated. The State of Nebraska first thought it would take $429 million to fix state highways. The Omaha World Herald reports the revised cost for repair and rebuilding is now $100 million dollars. The federal government is expected to reimburse the state for some of the cost. While parts of Iowa are still underwater, prescribed burns are planned this spring in three northwestern Iowa counties. The Iowa Department of

040419 532 The governor’s proposed constitutional amendment to automatically restore felon voting rights won’t win approval from the whole Iowa Legislature this year that’s after Republicans on a Senate committee declined to consider the proposal ahead of a statehouse deadline. One of Republican Governor Kim Reynolds’ top priorities this year is taking the first step in passing a constitutional amendment to restore felon voting rights after a person completes their sentence. The House passed it

040419 504 Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee say they won’t consider the governor’s proposed constitutional amendment to automatically restore felon voting rights when a person completes their sentence. That effectively kills the proposal for this year. Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale says there wasn’t enough support among his fellow Republicans on the committee to pass it. 0404zaun1: 13 “There were no conditions. That was the biggest problem with moving this bill. There were no conditions

040419 432 The Iowa Senate will not advance a proposal to amend the state's constitution to restore voting rights for former felons, dealing a blow to one of Gov. Kim Reynolds' top legislative priorities. Sen. Brad Zaun said Thursday afternoon he was taking the measure off the Senate Judiciary Committee's calendar, killing the measure's chances of advancing ahead of a legislative "funnel" deadline on Friday. There are still ways Republican Senate leaders could choose to bring the measure up this

04.04.19 4:04 Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee declined to consider the governor’s proposed constitutional amendment to automatically restore felon voting rights when a person completes their sentence. That effectively kills the proposal for this year. Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale says there wasn’t enough support among his fellow Republicans on the committee to pass it. 0404zaun1: 13 “There were no conditions. That was the biggest problem with moving this bill. There were no conditions

040319 532 It looks like a controversial fetal homicide bill that defines personhood as starting at conception will not advance in the Iowa legislature this session. This means the proposal won’t remain eligible at the statehouse this year. The bill would further increase criminal penalties for a person who “causes the death of an unborn person” without consent from the mother. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says the proposal came from the Senate too late for House members to

040319 504 Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s confident the state will have two private insurance companies to take on 425-thousand poor and disabled Iowans after the state’s biggest Medicaid management company leaves. 0403reynolds1: 14 “Yes they are--every indication that they’re in. We’re meeting with Iowa Total Care as well as Amerigroup. They’re committed to Iowa. They’re committed to continuing to provide the services and we’re going to get it done.” Reynolds says UnitedHealthcare, the