IOWA LEGISLATORS REMAIN IN DES MOINES TODAY. AS THE SECOND WORK WEEK IN MAY BEGINS, BUDGET QUESTIONS CONTINUE TO TOP THE SESSION’S LIST OF UNRESOLVED ISSUES. RECENTLY ON KXEL, STATE SENATOR CRAIG JOHNSON OF INDEPENDENCE SHARED THE TOPICS THAT SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE FOCUSED ON. JOHNSON DID NOT NAME A SPECIFIC DATE, BUT SAID HE EXPECTED LEGISLATIVE ADJOURNMENT DURING THE MIDDLE OF MAY.
A GROUP OF GUN OWNERS WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IOWA A SO-CALLED “SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY STATE.” RICHARD ROGERS IS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE IOWA FIREARMS COALITION. LAST WEEK DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, ROGERS NOTED THAT THE RIGHT TO KEEP WEAPONS HAS GAINED INCREASING ATTENTION IN SEVERAL STATES THIS SPRING. ROGERS SAYS SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY STATE RULES DON’T OVERRIDE FEDERAL LAWS, BUT THEY DO PREVENT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM USING THEIR RESOURCES TO ASSIST WITH FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT.
THERE IS A NEW MISS IOWA USA. KATIE WADMAN OF IOWA CITY WON THE TITLE OVER THE WEEKEND DURING A PAGEANT IN DES MOINES. WADMAN WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE MISS USA PAGEANT. ANGEL STRONG OF CENTRAL IOWA WAS NAMED MISS IOWA TEEN USA DURING THE WEEKEND GATHERING.
IOWA IS ON THE BRINK OF JOINING A HANDFUL OF OTHER STATE NOW OFFERING DIGITAL DRIVERS LICENSES. WITH THE INCREASING USE OF DIGITAL WALLETS AND PAPERLESS AIRLINE BOARDING PASSES, PEOPLE ARE RELYING MORE ON THEIR PHONES TO PROVE THEIR IDENTITY. AT LEAST FIVE STATES HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED A MOBILE DRIVER’S LICENSE PROGRAM. IOWA INTENDS TO LAUNCH ITS OWN BY NEXT YEAR. SOME CRITICS ARGUE THAT HAVING SO MUCH PERSONAL DATA ON SOMEONE’S PHONE IS RISKY, BUT INDUSTRY LEADERS SAY THERE ARE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE.
IOWA SECOND DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN MARIANETTE MILLER-MEEKS HAS CONCERNS ABOUT A DIFFERENT TOPIC IN CYBERSPACE. MILLER-MEEKS IS PART OF A GROUP OF LAWMAKERS THAT HAS WRITTEN A LETTER TO SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY TIK TOK, URGING APP MAKERS TO CRACK DOWN ON ILLICIT USES OF THE NETWORK. MILLER-MEEKS TOLD FOX’S “FOX AND FRIENDS WEEKEND” THAT THE ISSUE CAME INTO FOCUS DURING A TRIP BY LAWMAKERS TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER. A TIKTOK SPOKESPERSON TOLD FOX THE COMPANY STRICTLY PROHIBITS THE PROMOTION OR FACILITATION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES, AND WORKS WITH THIRD-PARTY INTELLIGENCE FIRMS ON IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL TRAFFICKING OR SMUGGLING…MAKING REPORTS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AS APPROPRIATE.
INCREASING OIL AND ETHANOL PRICES ARE PUSHING UP PRICES AT THE PUMP. THE NATIONWIDE AVERAGE IS $3.02 PER GALLON, UP SIX CENTS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND MORE THAN A DOLLAR FROM A YEAR AGO. PRICES MAY CONTINUE TO CLIMB AS THE RESULT OF A CYBERATTACK WHICH SHUT DOWN A FUEL PIPELINE BETWEEN TEXAS AND THE EAST COAST.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CELEBRATED ITS CLASS OF 2021 DURING GRADUATION EXERCISES OVER THE WEEKEND. ORIGINALLY A TEACHERS COLLEGE, EACH YEAR UNI STILL HELPS PREPARE HUNDREDS OF EDUCATION MAJORS FOR THE CLASSROOM. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING HER DIPLOMA, GRADUATE MARY KELLIS SPOKE TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 ABOUT HELPING ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. KELLIS WILL WORK WITH PRE-KINDERGARTENERS IN A WESTERN IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICT BEGINNING THIS FALL.
RICHARD ROGERS OF THE IOWA FIREARMS COALITION CALLS EFFORTS TO MAKE IOWA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY “SECOND AMENDMENT SANTUARY STATES” A HOT ISSUE. HE WAS A GUEST LAST WEEK DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND EXPLAINED THE PROPOSED DESIGNATION. HEAR MORE FROM ROGERS DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST AND FIND THE FULL INTERVIEW ON DEMAND AT KXEL.COM.
A FATAL BOATING ACCIDENT ON LITTLE WALL LAKE IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA EARLIER THIS YEAR PROMPTED AN EFFORT TO BETTER EQUIP A LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR WATER RESCUES. TWO MEMBERS OF THE IOWA STATE CREW CLUB WERE KILLED IN THE LAKE’S FRIGID WATERS DURING LATE-MARCH. A SUNDAY FUNDRAISER GENERATED ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF THE $40 THOUSAND NEEDED FOR TWO RESCUE BOATS AS WELL AS SUPPLEMENTARY GEAR AND TRAINING.
