Iowa Democrats are calling on Republicans in the legislature to approve the second plan to establish new boundaries for congressional districts and districts for Iowa House and Senate seats. It was presented yesterday by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency.
State law does not allow lawmakers to amend this second plan.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn said yesterday during an online news conference that it was vitally important that to keep the current process free of political interference and to ensure that all Iowans have a voice,”
State Senate minority leader Zac Wahls of Coralville says he hopes to approve the maps next week.
“Just like the first map, this second map is fair and meets the legal and constitutional requirements. It addresses all of the purported concerns of the Republicans from the first map. Senate Democrats will vote for it, and Legislative Republicans should join us in voting for fair, non-partisan maps.
“As we said after the first map, there was no legitimate reason for Republicans to vote down the first LSA map, and there will be no legitimate reason to vote down the second map either. If Republicans vote down the second map, that will be the clearest sign yet that they are rushing to gerrymander Iowa’s legislative map and rig election outcomes in their favor.”
Wahls said the agency addressed the concerns Republicans raised about the first plan, and Plan 2 meets legal and constitutional requirements.
If the Republican-led legislature rejects Plan 2 for redistricting in a special session next Thursday, state law would allow amendments to the third plan produced by the Legislative Services Agency. At least six Northwest Iowa legislators would be tossed into districts with another incumbent under a proposed redistricting plan released yesterday.
Iowa’s unemployment rate for September dropped slightly to 4%, a state agency reported Friday.
Iowa Workforce Development said the rate declined from 4.1% in August as the total number of unemployed Iowans dropped by nearly 2,000 to 66,100 people.
Iowa’s rate left it tied with two other states for the nation’s 17th lowest unemployment rate. Nebraska had the lowest rate of 2%.
The nation’s unemployment rate for September was 4.8%.
South Dakota State University is launching a $500 million fundraising campaign for “Bold & Blue,” with a large portion of funds going to scholarships for students, endowments for faculty, and leadership and research positions.
Four overarching areas will see investment from the campaign, including “Our People, Our Places, Our Traditions, and Our Innovations.”
The most significant portion of the campaign will focus on people, including the scholarships and endowments, and positions that will attract and retain top academic talent.
The “places” portion of the campaign will include an investment in new and revitalized facilities, including the renovation of SDSU’s nearly 50-year-old basketball arena. First Bank & Trust has donated $20 million in a naming gift for that project, which is estimated at $50 million.
