From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
Cedar Rapids police arrested a man they say shot and killed a man early Wednesday morning. 21-year-old Brannon Johnson is charged with first degree murder. Investigators say he shot 27-year-old Jorge Maldonado-Vasquez around 4:45 in the morning. That’s when police responded to an apartment complex on Buckingham Drive Northwest, right near the corner of Ellis Road and Edgewood Road. Police found Maldonado-Vasquez there with multiple gunshot wounds. He later died at the hospital.
Former Vice President Mike Pence is lending his support to a group of Linn-Mar families, fighting a key social issue in eastern Iowa. Linn-Mar enacted a policy last year allowing students to request a gender support plan, and the school can’t share that plan with parents without a student’s consent. Pence spoke to supporters at the Cedar Rapids Pizza Ranch, where he said it’s important to stand up for parent’s rights against the “Radical Gender Ideology” that hurts students and families.
The University of Iowa wants to sell one of its oldest dorm buildings–Mayflower Hall. They’ll ask the board of Regents to approve that request today. University officials say this is part of significant upgrades to the housing system – planned for the next 5 years. With the money from the sale, administrators want to build a new residence hall for returning students. The new building would go on the east side of campus, closer to other dorms, academic buildings and food service.
A bill capping medical malpractice payouts will become law. Governor Reynolds says she’ll sign that measure later today. It caps non-economic damages for victims of medical malpractice at one million dollars. The cap is 2 million dollars for cases involving hospitals.
Iowa lawmakers are also moving forward with plans to cut supplemental food benefits to people in households that have assets worth more than $2,700. The changes would create what’s called an “assets test” to the food stamp program now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” better known as “SNAP” or “food stamps.” The issue goes before the Senate’s Health and Human Services committee.
