From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
Some areas are seeing up to a foot of snow from this first major storm of the winter season. Many eastern Iowa schools are closed for a second day. The weather service says the biggest weather factor we’re facing this morning is strong winds which are whipping up some of the snow and causing drifts. Road crews have been on the roads for hours, plowing and re-plowing routes as the snow continued to fall yesterday and the winds cause problems today.
White out conditions late yesterday caused several accidents on Interstate 80 from Des Moines to the Quad Cities. Accidents near Tiffin and Coralville stalled I-80 traffic for hours late yesterday afternoon. By 4 o’clock, Iowa State Patrol said it assisted more than 480 motorists, and troopers were called to 171 crashes. 18 people were injured in those incidents.
Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered her “Condition of the State” to state lawmakers last night. She began by talking of the tragedy of the Perry High school shooting last week that left a student dead and seven other people injured. The 17-year-old gunman died of a self inflicted wound. The governor then talked about education–she’s proposing $96 million in new money to increase starting teacher pay by 50%, to $50,000, and set a minimum salary of $62,000 for teachers with at least 12 years of experience. Reynolds is calling for $10 million for a merit-based grant program to reward teachers. The Governor also wants to require teachers to pass a nationally recognized test.
Gov. Reynolds is also proposing a bill to reduce the income tax rate to a flat 3.65%, retroactive to January 1st. She wants the tax rate to fall further, to 3.5%, in 2025.
In response, Iowa Democrat chair Rita Hart says Democrats are committed to lowering costs for all Iowans, safeguarding reproductive rights, ensuring quality education, and addressing the challenges faced within Iowa’s childcare and nursing home facilities.
The legislative session started Monday in Des Moines.
