The Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill is considering appointing a replacement for Woodbury County Supervisor Rocky DeWitt. DeWitt won election to the state senate last week, defeating incumbent Democrat Jackie Smith. Gill said in a news conference this morning, under the Iowa code, a special committee of the Woodbury County auditor, attorney and treasurer, will meet to decide whether to appoint someone or hold a special election.
However, the committee cannot meet until Supervisor DeWitt formally resigns. If he does not formally resign, his seat would automatically vacate when he takes office Jan. 9, 2023. If the committee chooses to appoint a supervisor, the public can petition for an election with 10 percent of voter signatures in the district, or roughly 3,000 voters.
Republican leaders in the Iowa House have created a standalone committee that will take up any significant reforms to the state’s education system in the upcoming legislative session. The five-person Education Reform Committee will be chaired by House Speaker Pat Grassley.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has said she plans to revive a proposal that would use state funding to help certain students pay to go to private schools. Even with majority control, House Republicans have failed to pass her school choice proposals over the last two years.
But after the midterms, the GOP majority is larger and some members who opposed the governor’s plans lost their primary elections to challengers Reynolds had endorsed.
Woodbury County positive COVID-19 tests increased slightly last week, but community transmission remains "low," according to the CDC. Data updated by the Iowa Department of Public Health yesterday, shows 89 positive tests, which is up from 83 positive tests reported on Nov. 8. Sixty-seven positive tests were reported on Nov. 1.
When community transmission is low, the CDC recommends that individuals stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms. Wearing a mask is advised on public transportation and when a person has symptoms, tests positive for the virus, or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
On Tuesday, the Siouxland Big Give distributed checks totaling 200,000 to local philanthropies. Representatives of the Siouxland Community Foundation handed out the checks. The Big Give was held September 30th.
Likely 2024 presidential candidate,Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson is suggesting the Republican Party needs to separate itself from former President Trump.
Hutchinson is among the many potential presidential candidates of 2024 to campaign with Iowa GOP candidates before the election, but he’s the first to return to the state after the November 8th election.
Hutchinson’s second term as governor of Arkansas ends in early January and he had planned to announce his decision about a presidential race in January. But Hutchinson told reporters from Radio Iowa and the Des Moines Register that Trump’s jump into the 2024 race may prompt him and others to make their declarations soon.
The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments today as the state seeks to remove the governor and her former spokesperson from a lawsuit by former Iowa Department of Public Health communications director Polly Carver-Kimm.
Carver-Kimm says she was forced to resign after fulfilling public information requests to reporters during the pandemic that the governor thought reflected poorly on her administration. The attorney for the state argued the governor should not be part of the lawsuit because she did did not employ Miss Carver-Kimm, and they did not have the legal authority to discharge her.
