Gazette Daily News Podcast, April 20

Warmer weather is on its way and with that comes a chance for rain. According to the National Weather Service there will be a chance for rain all of Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area but showers and potentially a thunderstorm should appear after 1 p.m. The high temperature is expected to be 52 degrees with a listed chance for precipitation at the day at 100 percent. On Wednesday night the temperature will drop down to 39 degrees and the chance for rain down to 50 percent.

The forecast for the week has high temperatures in the 70s and more chances for rain at the end of the week.

A decision by a federal judge in Florida to throw out a national mask mandate for public transportation across the United States has created a confusing patchwork of rules for passengers as they navigate airports and transit systems.

The ruling gives airports, mass transit systems, airlines and ride-hailing services the option to keep mask rules or ditch them entirely, resulting in rules that vary by city and mode of transportation. The White House on Tuesday signaled they might appeal the ruling but only if the Center for Disease Control tells them the continuation of mandates are warranted.

Locally the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids posted on Twitter Tuesday morning that, “Passengers, employees and guests are no longer required to wear masks or face coverings in the terminal.” Many airlines have also announced that masks are no longer required on flights.

Public transit in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids will no longer require passengers to wear masks following the ruling. Coralville Transit also lifted its mask mandates for public transit following the court ruling and a statement from the Transportation Security Administration.

The panel undertaking a once-in-a-decade review of Cedar Rapids’ governing document is considering whether to recommend an overhaul of the local electoral system to do away with runoff elections and instead establish ranked choice voting, should it become allowed under state law.

Prompted by a contentious and costly local election cycle last November, the changes the Charter Review Commission may recommend to the City Council are intended to simplify voting, promote fair and nonpartisan elections and offer a solution to low-turnout, more expensive runoff contests.

A majority of the three-person working group that reviewed Article III of Cedar Rapids’ charter recommended adding language to the document to switch to a ranked-choice system if Iowa lawmakers ever move to adopt it. The group also is recommending adjusting council member terms so the five district representatives would be voted on in one election year, then two years later the three at-large seats and mayor would be on the ballot.

For at-large elections resulting in multiple winners, the group recommended the “single transferable voting” method — similar to “instant runoff,” but for multi-member vacancies. To decide a contest, voters rank all candidates. Votes are transferred if a candidate reaches a certain quota to be elected, or from the least-popular candidates — once eliminated in initial tallies — to other candidates based on the preference indicated by the voter.

Several citizens and members of nonprofit election reform group Better Ballot Iowa have written to the commission urging consideration of ranked choice voting.

Support for this news update was provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa’s destination for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and you can order online through Co-op Cart at newpi.coop.