Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Friday morning a bill that requires school districts to provide full-time in-class learning to parents who request it. She signed it just hours after Republicans in the Iowa Legislature approved the measure Thursday night, handing her a victory in her effort to get children back in school. Some teachers and other education professionals claim it is dangerous to require school staff who have not received the coronavirus vaccine to be in classrooms. Districts offering partial online learning likely will go to fully in-class learning once the bill takes effect two weeks from today. Online learning will still be a choice for families who choose it.
A Democrat state lawmaker says she has tested positive for COVID-19 and thinks she was infected with the virus at the Iowa Capitol, where legislative leaders have not mandated masks or required people to disclose positive cases. The announcement by North Liberty Rep. Amy Nielsen Saturday night marked the first confirmed case among state legislators, but there have been three other positive cases among people associated with the House since the legislative session began three weeks ago. One of those additional cases was announced by the House’s chief clerk Saturday. House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford says he cannot force members to wear masks, but critics note that House rules do require men to wear a tie and jacket when in session and blue jeans are prohibited.
Prosecutors have dropped trespassing charges against an activist who secretly recorded Iowa’s largest pork producer euthanizing hundreds of pigs last year as COVID-19 devastated the pork industry. Matt Johnson, an activist with the group Direct Action Everywhere, had been scheduled to stand trial today in Grundy County on two counts of trespassing at Iowa Select Farms properties. County prosecutors dismissed the charges Thursday at the request of Iowa Select, whose personnel had been subpoenaed to testify. A company spokeswoman says it “cannot be distracted by individuals who choose to break the law and grandstand.”
A mother and her two children were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries after an accident along Highway 30 shortly before 9:30 Sunday morning. Mistyn Leo-Lopez of Olin was driving west near Standing Rock Road when she hit a patch of ice, overcorrected, and lost control, rolling her car into the ditch. Leo-Lopez and her two children, ages 5 and 7, were pulled from the car by first responders.
Iowa reported a record 250 deaths linked to the coronavirus in a single day yesterday, but it’s not quite that simple. The state reported a total of 4,901 deaths linked to COVID-19 as of yesterday morning, 250 more than the number on Saturday. But not all those deaths occurred within that 24-hour period. Officials say it often takes weeks for deaths to be added to the state totals, so the total number is accurate…but the actual increase from day to day is likely closer to the 23-persons-per-day average of COVID-related deaths over the past week.
The Linn County Attorney says no one will be charged in the shooting death of a Hiawatha man. Joshua Lathrop died and three other people were wounded in May at a shootout at a mobile home in Hiawatha. Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden ruled the people who shot Lathrop were acting in self-defense. Investigators say two brothers carrying weapons went to the trailer park after hearing a woman had been attacked. An intoxicated Lathrop confronted the brothers and hit one of them. A gun battle involving up to 25 shots ensued and Lathrop was shot and ultimately died.
It was made official Saturday night…the route for the rescheduled Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI. The week-long event will stop overnight in Iowa Falls on Tuesday, July 27…in Waterloo on Wednesday, July 28…and Anamosa on Thursday, July 29. Pass-through cities along that stretch include Aplington, Parkersburg, New Hartford and Janesville on the way to Waterloo…and Evansdale, Raymar, Gilbertville, Brandon, Urbana, Center Point, Alice and Central City on the way to Anamosa.
The Iowa Legislature has again passed a resolution to add gun rights language to the Iowa Constitution. Iowa is one of only six states without specific gun rights language in its Constitution. It will go to voters in the November 2022 general election, since the Legislature also passed the resolution in 2019…the Iowa Constitution requires proposed constitutional amendments to be approved twice by the legislature before being placed on the ballot. The amendment would more broadly guarantee gun rights in Iowa than under the U.S. Constitution. It also adds a requirement that laws restricting gun rights be subject to the highest standard of judicial review.
