Capitol Notebook: Latest Iowa storms lead to state disaster declaration from Gov. Reynolds

DES MOINES — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday issued disaster proclamations for Hancock, O’Brien, Osceolo and Sioux counties in Northwest Iowa in response to severe weather that hit the area Monday.

The governor’s proclamation makes state resources available to the area’s storm recovery efforts.

The proclamation is effective immediately and expires Aug. 28.

The proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, which is available to households with income up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level and provides grants up to $7,000 to provide reimbursement for home or car repairs, property or food replacement, and temporary housing expenses.

The proclamation also activates the Disaster Case Advocacy Program, in which case advocates work with impacted residents to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referrals to obtain services or resources, according to the governor’s office. There is no income threshold for the Disaster Case Advocacy Program, and it remains available for 180 days after the proclamation.

More information on both programs, including an application for the grant program, can be found on the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website, homelandsecurity.iowa.gov.

Iowa AG Bird objects to Schwab settlement

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Saying lawyers would receive millions while Iowans would receive nothing, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has filed an objection to the proposed settlement in a lawsuit against the retail brokerage Charles Schwab.

Plaintiffs claimed Schwab’s purchase of TD Ameritrade violated antitrust laws. The parties reached a settlement, which calls for three named plaintiffs to receive $5,050 each, and lawyers fees of $9 million. Customers, which include Iowans, Bird’s office said, would receive no compensation.

“As Attorney General of Iowa, it’s my job to represent the citizens of this state, including those who have Charles Schwab accounts. In this settlement, lawyers are pocketing $9 million while Iowans receive nothing but a promise that lawyers will ‘monitor’ Schwab. It’s not right or fair,” Bird said in a press release. “Fees are supposed to be based on what lawyers win for their clients. These lawyers won nothing, so they should be paid nothing until a better deal is cut. No deal is better than this deal.”

Rural grocers picked for state grants

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Rural grocers and food producers were among eight recipients of the latest Iowa Rural Innovation Grants, announced by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The eight grants totaled $72,624 and will support projects designed to enhance local services and promote economic development, according to an IEDA press release.

The Rural Innovation Grant program encourages creative solutions to challenges faced by towns that have fewer than 20,000 residents and are not located next to cities with populations of 40,000 or more, according to IEDA.

“Rural businesses are essential to the health and prosperity of Iowa’s small towns,” Debi Durham, director of IEDA and the Iowa Finance Authority, said in the press release. “From improving access to fresh food to reaching new customers, they serve as anchors in their communities. This funding helps them modernize, grow and continue meeting the evolving needs of Iowans.”

IEDA said it received 10 applicants and eight programs were chosen. The highest-dollar grants were $25,000 for a grocer in Minden to add a drive-thru window for grocery pickup, and $19,984 for a Winthrop grocer toward equipment for take-and-bake meals and delivery.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

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