Iowa House Republicans Propose ‘Tough On Crime’ Bills
(Des Moines, IA) — Three bills that deal with fighting crime are being considered in the state House. Republicans are pushing a bill that would create a three-strike system that would force offenders to serve a 20-year sentence without parole if they reach the three-strike limit. They are also proposing adjustments to the bail system to keep up with inflation. A third bill would create a dashboard for citizens to see sentencing, bond and court efficiency data. The bills will have to pass through a subcommittee before being heard on the House floor and then passed on to the Senate.
Hinson And Grassley Push Funding Bill As Shutdown Deadline Looms
(Undated) — U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson is defending her vote in favor of a bill to fund ICE. The House passed a government funding bill on Wednesday but Senate Democrats have indicated they will not approve funding for ICE after recent law enforcement activities led to the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis this month. Senator Chuck Grassley says there’s no time to send it back to the House with amendments before the government shutdown kicks in on Saturday. Hinson says she supports ICE and trusts them to do their job. Both said they support full and transparent investigations into the shootings.
Senate Lawmakers Advance Bill To Revoke Public Pensions From Felons
(Des Moines, IA) — A Senate bill would revoke pensions from public employees convicted of felonies. The bill passed through a subcommittee on Tuesday and now goes to the Senate Workforce Committee for further debate. In its current form, the bill would revoke pension benefits and return the employee’s contributions through civil forfeiture. Subcommittee members are asking the full committee to consider an amendment limiting forfeiture to cases related to the offender’s employment. The lone nay voter stated that common felony convictions like driving while intoxicated would trigger the forfeiture they way it’s currently constructed.
The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt Is On
(Des Moines, IA) — More than 600-million dollars in personal property is on display at the State Treasurer’s Office. The contents of safe deposit boxes that haven’t been paid for in three years are turned over to the treasurer, who tries to return the items to family members if possible. It’s called the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt. This year, State Treasurer Roby Smith is working on returning various items such as baseball cards, bonds and a birthday card from the 1800s. Smith unveiled a display of some of the new items on Wednesday.
Riley Green To Debut At Iowa State Fair Grandstand
(Des Mines, IA) — Country music star Riley Green will debut at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand in August. He was announced as the latest headliner to the annual concert series, joining Hardy, Rod Stewart, Lainey Wilson, and Josiah Queen. Mackenzie Carpenter will join Green as a special guest. The two take the stage on August 20th. The fair runs from August 13th through August 23rd, with concert tickets ranging between 20 and 134 dollars online.
