Siouxland Public Media News

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On a campaign swing through western Iowa today (yesterday/Tuesday), Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker met with students and teachers in Sergeant Bluff.

Booker wants to prioritize public education and special needs education.

At a roundtable discussion at Sergeant Bluff-Luton (LOOT-tin) Senior High School, Senator Cory Booker told teachers that special needs education should be federally funded at 40 percent.

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The board that oversees Iowa’s public universities won’t consider new tuition rates at its meeting this week because lawmakers are still working out their differences on state funding. Iowa Senate Republicans are proposing less money for the regents than Republicans in the House and governor’s office.

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Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker was in Sioux City last night and this morning.  At an event at the Sioux City Public Museum last night, Booker unveiled his proposal to considerably expand the Earned Income Tax Credit that low-income people can receive.

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Randy Feenstra, one of the three fellow Republicans trying to oust U.S. Rep. Steve King, brought in four times more campaign cash than the congressman over the first three months of the 2019-20 election cycle.

King's campaign organization reported he raised a little more than 61 thousand dollars for the first quarter, which trailed the $260 thousand raised by Feenstra, a state senator from Hull, Iowa.  Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who is now the U.S. Ambassador to China, donated to Feenstra’s campaign.

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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is establishing a board to coordinate flood recovery efforts and is asking lawmakers for state funding to help those efforts along.  Lawmakers will consider a request of 15-million dollars for flood mitigation projects and 10-million dollars for housing tax credits. 

Representative David Sieck (SEEK), a Republican from Glenwood, says the funding is a good start. And he says the advisory board will be important moving forward.

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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers for $15 million from the ending balance of the current year's budget for immediate work on levees and repairs in flooded communities. She's also seeking $10 million from next year's budget to accelerate housing improvements.

Reynolds announced her request Monday, saying federal money often takes months or years to arrive.

The announcement that long-time Congressman Dave Loebsack is retiring is opening up a race in a district thought to be reliably Democratic. But some politicos say that may not remain the case. 

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The political news website Roll Call has changed its rating of Iowa’s second congressional district from solid Democratic to a toss-up. After long-time Representative Dave Loebsack announced he’s retiring, the southeast corner of the state may not stay reliably democratic. That’s according to Central College political scientist Andrew Green.

0415green: 16

041519 432

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers for $15 million from the ending balance of the current year's budget for immediate work on levees and repairs in flooded communities. She's also seeking $10 million from next year's budget to accelerate housing improvements.

Reynolds announced her request Monday, saying federal money often takes months or years to arrive.

Reynolds also announced the creation of a Flood Recovery Advisory Board, which will coordinate state recovery efforts. Reynolds says she'll lead the panel of up to 15 people.

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Governor Kim Reynolds is creating a new state board to oversee the response to last month’s catastrophic flooding.

Reynolds said, To move forward, it’s critical that we not only provide funding at the state level but also have a central point of coordination and plan to use the funds.

Reynolds issued an executive order this morning, establishing a 15-member Flood Recovery Advisory Board. She’ll be the board’s chairwoman.

041519 1204

The political news website Roll Call has changed its rating of Iowa’s second congressional district from solidly Democratic to a toss-up. After long-time Representative Dave Loebsack announced he’s retiring, the southeast corner of the state may not stay reliably democratic. That’s according to Central College political scientist Andrew Green.

0415green: 16