GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SIGNED A BILL MONDAY WHICH MAKES A VARIETY OF CHANGES TO THE STATE’S VOTING REGULATIONS. REPUBLICANS SAY THE ALTERATIONS TO EARLY AND ABSENTEE VOTING ARE NEEDED TO GUARD AGAINST VOTING FRAUD, THOUGH THEY NOTED IOWA HAS NO HISTORY OF ELECTION IRREGULARITIES. DEMOCRATS HAVE LABELLED THE NEW RULES VOTER SUPPRESSION AND SAY THE LAW HAS THE EFFECT OF DISENFRANCHISING A VARIETY OF GROUPS. IN THE LAST ELECTION, MORE THAN 70% OF DEMOCRATS VOTED EARLY.
WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING IN THE U.S. SENATE OVER THE LATEST ROUND OF COVID-19 RELIEF LEGISLATION, IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY SAYS REPUBLICAN VOTES WERE THERE IF THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS PACKAGE HAD BEEN PUT TOGETHER DIFFERENTLY. THE 1.9 TRILLION DOLLAR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN WHICH CLEARED THE SENATE LATE LAST WEEK WAS APPROVED ON A PARTY-LINE VOTE. A FINAL VERSION OF THE BILL IS EXPECTED TO BE RECONCILED BEFORE THE WEEK IS OVER. GRASSLEY’S COMMENTS CAME FROM THE “MORNINGS WITH MARIA” PROGRAM ON FOX BUSINESS NETWORK.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA PROVIDED MORE DETAILS ABOUT PLANS FOR IN-PERSON CLASSES DURING THE FALL SEMESTER. 85 TO 90 PERCENT OF LEARNING IS PROJECTED TO BE IN A CLASSROOM SETTING ON THE CEDAR FALLS CAMPUS, THE UNIVERSITY SAID IN A STATEMENT MONDAY. THAT’S UP FROM APPROXIMATELY 70 PERCENT THIS SPRING. UNI SAYS IT ALSO EXPECTS INCREASED CAPACITY IN CLASSROOMS, DINING CENTERS, AND COMMON SPACES, SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON PUBLIC HEALTH TRENDS.
THE CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS WILL GET AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE ON ITS REACTION TO THE AUGUST 10TH DERECHO. ATCHISON CONSULTING WILL ASSESS THE MUNICIPAL RESPONSE TO THE STORM, WHICH CAUSED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE REGION AND LEFT MANY IN CEDAR RAPIDS WITHOUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. THE OUTSIDE CONSULTANT WILL REPORT ON HOW THE CITY COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PREPARED FOR THE DISASTER AND WHAT POLICIES COULD BE ADOPTED TO BE READY FOR FUTURE EMERGENCIES. DETAILS ARE EXPECTED THIS SUMMER.
THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS REVIEWING SENATE CHANGES TO A 1.9 TRILLION DOLLAR COVID RELIEF BILL. OVER THE WEEKEND, THE SENATE APPROVED ITS VERSION OF THE BILL, INCLUDING 170 BILLION DOLLARS FOR SCHOOLS TO BE SPENT THROUGHOUT THE DECADE AHEAD. IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY SPOKE CRITICALLY ABOUT THAT PART OF THE MEASURE. GRASSLEY JOINED OTHER REPUBLICANS IN VOTING AGAINST THE BILL. HIS COMMENTS WERE MADE MONDAY ON THE FOX BUSINESS NETWORK.
IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PANDEMIC’S IMPACT ON IOWA’S TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY. JESSICA O’REILLY OF THE IOWA TOURISM OFFICE WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. O’REILLY NOTED THAT TOURISM OFFICIALS HAVE CREATED AN APP FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN DRIVING STATE DESIGNATED SCENIC BYWAYS. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW ANYTIME AT KXEL.COM.
A CEDAR RAPIDS MAN WHO PRODUCED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND SHARED IT ON THE INTERNET WILL GO TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS. NATHAN KREJCI WAS SENTENCED ON MONDAY. HE WAS ARRESTED IN 2019 AFTER PASSING ALONG FILES TO UNDERCOVER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AT THAT TIME. IN ADDITION TO DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, KREJCI ALSO ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY TO SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR AND BEING A DRUG USER IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM.
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS HAVE CRITICIZED THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF AND STIMULUS PLAN FOR WIDE-RANGING SPENDING, SOME OF WHICH IS UNRELATED TO COVID-19. DURING AN APPEARANCE ON THE FOX BUSINESS NETWORK, IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY OFFERED HIS THOUGHTS ON FEDERAL SPENDING PRIORITIES. THE 1.9 TRILLION DOLLAR COVID-19 PACKAGE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE FROM CAPITOL HILL TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN THE DAYS AHEAD.
IOWA’S “FIELDS OF OPPORTUNITY” SLOGAN HAS SOME NEW RESONANCE. THIS WEEK, U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT TAGGED IOWA AS THE NATION’S TOP STATE FOR OPPORTUNITY. THE DESIGNATION INDICATES THAT RESIDENTS HAVE RESOURCES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. MEASURES OF AFFORDABILITY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND EQUALITY ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE RANKING.
THE WATERLOO BLACK HAWKS HOST THE OMAHA LANCERS TONIGHT AT YOUNG ARENA. THE 7:05 P.M. GAME IS A RESCHEDULED MATCHUP AFTER THE TEAMS WERE UNABLE TO PLAY DURING THE FIRST WEEKEND IN NOVEMBER. TWO EARLIER HAWKS HOME GAMES AGAINST THE LANCERS HAVE GONE TO OVERTIME.
