The Sioux City Human Rights Commission has proposed to add a Citizen Advisory Committee.
Karen Mackey, Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission, told Siouxland Public Media, “The purpose of the committee would be to work with the HRC and staff to help strengthen connections without our community, provide recommendations on various issues and assist with event planning”.
Members who were on the Inclusive Advisory Committee would be offered a seat at the Citizen Advisory Committee as well as other community members.
The Human Rights Commission meeting to see if the proposed committee will be approved is June 26th.
If the committee is approved, it would be established this summer.
*Additionally, tomorrow, there will be a United We Stand rally, held on the same day there is a nationwide No Kings protest. The rally will start in South Sioux City and end in Sioux City.
Jess Lopez-Walker, organizer of the rally, said that the original idea for this rally was to bring the Native and Latino communities together and emphasized that all people are welcome.
Lopez-Walker also said that the United We Stand rally was to give people another option so they wouldn’t have to travel long distances for the 50501 No Kings protests.
On the same day, a military parade will take place to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States Army in Washington, D.C. The last military parade was in 1991.
*In other news, the Trump administration proposed steel and aluminum tariffs earlier this year. Discussions on tariffs are causing significant fluctuations in future steel prices.
The tariffs on steel and aluminum have impacted State Steel Company Supply in Sioux City.
David Bernstein, Officer and Co-Owner of State Steel Supply Company, said that people who use steel and aluminum are only buying what they absolutely need.
Bernstein also said that the uncertainty seems to suppress the steel and aluminum markets in general.
*Additionally, today Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Osceola and Palo Alto counties regarding the June 11th severe weather.
The proclamation allows the counties to use state resources and initiates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program for those counties.
Households earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level can receive up to $7,000 from the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program.
Applicants for the grant program have 45 days from the proclamation date to apply.
The Disaster Case Advocacy program helps with disaster related hardship or injury.
Disaster Case Advocates help clients create a recovery plan and guide them in getting needed resources and services. This program does not have an income requirement and closes 180 days from the proclamation.
The proclamation expires July 13th, 2025.
*In other news, Central Iowa Water Works supplies around 600,000 people in the Des Moines area. Businesses and residents that get water from its members in the region are now prohibited from watering their lawns.
The hope is conservation will allow treatment facilities to keep nitrate in drinking water below the legal limit of 10 parts per million.
Water works executive director Tami Madsen says levels going out of the plant are currently around 9 parts per million.
Madsen says it’s the first time the metro water system has put mandatory restrictions in place because of nitrates. She says they’ll go on as long as levels are high in the rivers.
