Week in Iowa: Recap of news from across the state

1 Iowan dies in powerful storms: One person died in Iowa as a powerful storm system swept across the Great Plains and Midwest amid unseasonably warm temperatures, bringing hurricane-force wind gusts and spawning reported tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota in a weather outbreak experts described as extremely unusual for December. In Eastern Iowa, a semitrailer struck by high winds Wednesday evening rolled onto its side on southbound Highway 151, killing the driver, the Iowa State Patrol said.

Guard vaccines: Gov. Kim Reynolds and four other Republican governors asked the U.S. Defense Department to withdraw its vaccine mandate for National Guard members who are mobilized or activated by their governor for active duty under state control.

Commutations denied: Gov. Kim Reynolds rejected five applications by prison inmates seeking to have their life sentences commuted to a period of years, making them potentially eligible for release. The Iowa Board of Parole had unanimously recommended the governor consider granting the requests.

River funding: A bipartisan group of Iowa and Illinois lawmakers — including U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill. — called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize funding included in the recently passed federal infrastructure bill to rebuild river locks and dams.

They said …

“I haven’t reflected on it exactly.”

— U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, when asked how the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol have impacted the politics of Congress

“I have been through five of these in different capacities with the commission: very spirited conversations, very difficult decisions.”

— Brian Ohorilko, administrator of Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, on a proposed new casino in Cedar Rapids

Odds and ends

Unemployment changes: Changes to the state’s unemployment process — including a doubling of the number of work searches a person must make to qualify for benefits — will go into effect Jan. 9.

Justice review: Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen is forming a task force to do a “holistic” review of the continuum of care in the state’s juvenile justice system.

Water cooler

Treasurer candidate: Iowa Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, a key figure in recent GOP-led changes to state election laws, announced he is running for Iowa state treasurer, challenging 39-year Democratic incumbent Michael Fitzgerald.

Tax help: GovConnectIowa is available for business owners and business tax filers to access new, user-friendly tools to simplify filing and paying taxes. Learn more at govconnect.iowa.gov.

More in the news

More budget growth expected: A panel of budget experts delivered Christmas cheer to state government leaders, reporting the Iowa economy is robust and is expected to deliver growing tax revenues — about 3 percent more this fiscal year and 1.7 percent more next year. At the same time, the three-member Revenue Estimating Conference charged with forecasting state revenues warned that inflation, a persistent labor shortage and slow employment growth create uncertainty in economic projections. The panel projected slightly higher growth rates than it had in its last forecast in October.

Sports betting: Betting an average of $9.6 million a day on sports, Iowa gamblers and sportsbooks operators were giving thanks for legalized sports betting in November, posting yet another monthly record with wagering topping $287 million, state data showed.

Alcohol sales: Iowans set a record for liquor sales for the second consecutive fiscal year, with the latest total surpassing $400 million for the first time and increasing by an “unprecedented” 13.2 percent over the previous record, according to an annual report.

Lawsuit over rejection: Alden Global Capital has filed a lawsuit against Lee Enterprises, a sign the company isn’t backing away from its hostile attempt to take over the Davenport-based newspaper publisher. Lee earlier this month unanimously rejected a takeover bid from Alden.