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Siouxland Public Media News, 5:32 Newscast

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A Senate panel has advanced a constitutional amendment that would restore voting rights to Iowans with felony convictions, but some Republican lawmakers are expressing doubts about its future.

The proposal—a priority of Republican Governor Kim Reynolds—overwhelmingly passed the Iowa House last week. It has to get through a Senate committee by the end of this week to remain eligible this year.

Republican Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs says he doesn’t know if that will happen because Republicans want to add restrictions.

0402dawson2: 13  “I think it’s safe to say the members of the caucus that I spoke to, there will not be a floor vote on this this year unless we see parameters established, whether it be a separate bill or within this bill as well.”

House Republicans also want to consider more restrictions, but they’ve said they’ll do that next year.

A rural water district official is worried about how to provide water for the thousands of people and cattle in his northern Nebraska county after a wall of water, ice and debris swept away a vital pipe.

Boyd County Rural Water District is working to repair about 1,500 feet (460 meters) of pipe that crosses beneath the Niobrara River and carries drinking water to the county, the Omaha World-Herald. The private entity supplies water to the towns of Spencer, Lynch and Anoka, as well as 500 local farms and ranches.

Replacing the supply line will cost more than $1 million, and the water district will be responsible for about $400,000, said Rex Black, the district board's volunteer chairman.

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