DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – A bill providing paid parental leave to state employees has passed the Iowa House and Senate and is headed to the Governor’s desk. The bill provides four weeks of paid maternity leave to state employees, including employees who adopt a child. It also gives state employees one week of paid paternity leave. “After working on it for three years, the families first bill is finally headed to my desk,” said Governor Kim Reynolds. “Thank you to the House and Senate for passing this bill to give state employees paid parental leave, joining 24 other states and the federal government. This bill will provide the crucial time needed for employees to bond with their newborn children.”
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Governor Reynolds has ordered flags to fly at half-staff Thursday for National Peace Officers Memorial Day. “Today, we pay tribute to two sets of heroes. We honor those with the courage to wear the badge, accepting all the dangers and sacrifices it entails, even, potentially, the ultimate sacrifice. And we honor their loved ones who have the courage to share the people most precious to them for the sake of a better world,” said Reynolds. “To the families of officers killed in duty, the gratitude we owe you is unbounded. Your loved ones have left a legacy that lives on in the communities they served, in the lives they protected, and in the hearts of those who carry their memory forward. They remind us that peace is not promised—it is preserved by men and women of courage.” All flags at public facilities will fly at half-staff on Thursday. This includes the State Capitol Building. All others are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff as a sign of respect. The Iowa Peace Officer Memorial site has flown its flags at half-staff since Sunday. Flags will continue to fly at half-staff through Saturday in honor of National Police Week.
DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC/KCRG) – A Davenport man is charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teen. Kejuan Tye-Rique Davis, 22, is charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree sexual abuse and first-degree burglary. Davenport police responded Tuesday to an area hospital for a report of a sexual assault of a 14-year-old, according to an arrest affidavit. Davis earlier approached the teen at a public park in Davenport, saying, “If you don’t listen to my commands, I will shoot you,” police said. He then led her to a nearby home, onto an enclosed porch where he sexually assaulted her, according to the affidavit. The home did not belong to Davis, and he had no permission to be there. The teen later fled the scene and was treated at a local hospital, police said. Davis was later located at his Davenport home, according to the affidavit. The clothes he was described to be wearing were found in his home. Davis is being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond, court records show. A preliminary hearing is set for May 23 at the Scott County Courthouse. The most serious charge, first-degree kidnapping, carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole.
WASHINGTON (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley has issued a response to President Trump’s plan to accept a free airplane from Qatar. In a video call on Wednesday, Grassley stated that it is legally acceptable for President Trump to accept the airplane on the behalf of the United States. However, he did express national security concerns regarding the plane. “I would want to make sure that there’s technology that the national secrets of any president talking on that airplane would not be transferred to a foreign country. I don’t have an answer on that yet,” Grassley said.
