THE IOWA LEGISLATURE QUICKLY PASSED A BILL IN RESPONSE TO THE SOCIAL
JUSTICE PROTESTS IN MANY OF THE STATE’S LARGEST CITIES. THE
LEGISLATION INCLUDED RESTRICTING POLICE USE OF CHOKE HOLDS AND
MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PROBLEM OFFICERS TO MOVE TO OTHER
DEPARTMENTS. THE BILL WAS DEBATED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE HOUSE AND
SENATE BEFORE PASSING BOTH CHAMBERS UNANIMOUSLY. DEMOCRATS SAID
THE LEGISLATION HAS COMMON SENSE MEASURES THAT LAY THE
GROUNDWORK FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE. IN A STATEMENT, GOVERNOR KIM
REYNOLDS PRAISED THE IOWA LAWMAKERS FOR BIPARTISANSHIP AND SAID
THE STATE IS JUST GETTING STARTED TOWARD FINDING COMMON GROUND.
IN WATERLOO, CITY LEADERS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE
ISSUES RAISED DURING PROTESTS IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. RECENTLY, MAYOR
QUENTIN HART TOLD KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL LISTENERS THAT THESE CONCERNS
WERE ONE REASON HE BECAME INVOLVED IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
HART ADDS THAT NEW POLICE CHIEF JOEL FITZGERALD’S WIDE VARIETY OF
EXPERIENCE WILL HELP HIM CONNECT WITH THE CITY’S MANY POPULATION
GROUPS.
IOWA’S RIDE DIRECTOR AND FORMER RAGBRAI MANAGER T.J. JUSKIEWICZ IS
LEAVING THE STATE. JUSKIEWICZ TO GOING TO ARIZONA TO LEAD A SIMILAR
BICYCLE EVENT THERE. IOWA’S RIDE WAS ORGANIZED LAST FALL WHEN
RAGBRAI LEADERSHIP SPLINTERED. HOWEVER, BOTH IOWA’S RIDE AND
RAGBRAI WERE CANCELLED THIS SUMMER DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS.
IOWA LEGISLATORS ARE TRYING TO UNTIE ONE OF THE STRINGS ATTACHED TO
THE STIMULUS MONEY WHICH ARRIVED IN MANY HOUSEHOLDS THROUGH THE
FEDERAL CARES ACT. THOSE PAYMENTS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO STATE INCOME
TAX UNDER CURRENT RULES. AS PART OF ITS BUDGET WORK, THE IOWA
LEGISLATURE HAS INCLUDED PROVISIONS TO SET APART THE CARES ACT
CHECKS, DEBIT CARDS, AND DIRECT DEPOSIT FROM OTHER INCOME. IN THE
IOWA HOUSE, THE REVISION AND OTHER TAX POLICY CHANGES PASSED ON
THURSDAY. THE SENATE CONTINUES TO WORK ON ITS OWN VERSION, WHICH
IS LIKELY TO INCLUDE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES.
IT’S BEEN THREE MONTHS SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BEGAN FORCING
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO NEARLY EVERYONE’S REGULAR ROUTINE. TRAVEL,
TOURISM, AND HOSPITALITY HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY AFFECTED AS A RESULT
OF STAY-AT-HOME RECOMMENDATIONS. THE IMPACT OF CHANGES TO
SUMMER VACATION PLANS ARE LIKELY ONLY BEGINNING TO BE FELT BY
BUSINESSES WHICH DEPEND ON TOURISM REVENUE. TAVIS HALL IS EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENCE WATERLOO. THIS MORNING, HE TALKED ABOUT
HOW HIS ORGANIZATION RESPONDED TO THE CORONAVIRUS.
THIS WEEK, EXPERIENCE WATERLOO UNVEILED A NEW WEBSITE.
BYRNES PARK SWIMMING POOL IN WATERLOO WILL OPEN TOMORROW. THE
FACILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO 300 SWIMMERS AT A TIME. OTHER SOCIAL
DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS WILL ALSO BE IN PLACE. THE CITY SAYS THE
GATES PARK POOL WILL NOT OPEN THIS SEASON. WATERLOO POOL SEASON
PASS PRICES HAVE BEEN PRO-RATED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LATE OPENING
CAUSED BY COVID-19.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY HAS HAD SOME OF IOWA’S HIGHEST COVID-19 CASE
COUNTS. MANY CORONAVIRUS LIMITATIONS HAVE BEEN EITHER REDUCED OR
CANCELED BY STATE OFFICIALS DURING THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS. WATERLOO
MAYOR QUENTIN HART TALKED ABOUT THE LOCAL APPROACH TO REOPENING
AFTER BEING ONE OF IOWA’S HOTSPOTS. HART WAS A RECENT
GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, AND YOU CAN HEAR MORE AT KXEL.COM.
MEANWHILE IN CEDAR FALLS, CITY HALL IS CLOSED TODAY. LATE YESTERDAY,
CEDAR FALLS OFFICIALS INDICATED THAT A PERSON WHO WORKS IN THE
BUILDING HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. THE FACILITY WILL BE DEEP
CLEANED TODAY WHILE EMPLOYEES STAY HOME.
A CEDAR RAPIDS MURDER SUSPECT IS BACK IN JAIL AFTER A PROBLEM WITH
HER BAIL ARRANGEMENTS. JACQUELINE HOLMES WAS STAYING WITH HER
BROTHER, BUT HE WILL BE A WITNESS WHEN HER CASE GOES TO TRIAL.
HOLMES CANNOT HAVE CONTACT WITH WITNESSES BEFORE THE CASE IS
HEARD. SHE IS ACCUSED OF FATALLY STABBING HER BOYFRIEND, TREMAINE
WILLIAMS, IN EARLY MARCH.
A PLANNED INCREASE ON STATE LIQUOR PRICING MAY BE OFF THE TABLE, AT
LEAST FOR NOW. IOWA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DIVISION OFFICIALS SAY THE
CHANGE HAD BEEN TARGETED FOR JULY 1ST. NEGATIVE “FEEDBACK FROM
SUPPLIERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS” LED THE AGENCY TO DROP THE PLAN
INDEFINITELY. DISTRIBUTORS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC
IMPACT. THE PLANNED INCREASE HAD ALREADY BEEN DELAYED FROM MAY 1
TO JULY 1. RESEARCH INTO DRINKING DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
SHOW SALES HAVE INCREASED BY AROUND 25 PERCENT.
