Week in Iowa: Recap of news from across the state

New maps would pair incumbents: Democrat Cindy Axne and Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks would be pushed into the same congressional district under new Iowa redistricting maps. The proposal from Iowa’s nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency also would keep the Democratic counties of Johnson and Linn in separate districts, unlike a previous plan rejected by Republicans this month. The proposal would move Miller-Meeks into the 3rd District, now represented by Axne. State legislators approved the new maps Thursday.

Striker killed: Richard Rich, a UAW Local 79 member, was struck and killed walking to the picket line at John Deere in Milan, Ill. According to police, Rich was crossing the Rock Island-Milan Parkway at Deere Drive when he was struck by a motorist.

OSHA complaint: A safety complaint was filed at John Deere Seeding Group in Moline, Ill., on Oct. 19 to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Peoria, Ill. The complaint covered employees who were affiliated with a union and was filed six days into the strike.

Vaccine avoidance: Republican state lawmakers introduced legislation to grant unemployment benefits to workers who are fired for not complying with an employer’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement. The measure also specified the circumstances and procedures for employees to claim medical and religious exemptions from workplace requirements. The late add to the Iowa Legislature’s special session agenda passed with bipartisan support but did not go as far as some GOP lawmakers hoped.

They said ...

“It appears the party will be sitting out the primaries … not having a thumb on the scale.”

- Michael Franken, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate

“You can’t expect people to get too involved until they know the district and who they will be running against.”

- Former state legislator Andy McKean, on the delayed redistricting process

Odds and ends

Election lawsuit: The League of United Latin American Citizens filed a lawsuit challenging local and state election officials’ failure to provide non-English election materials to voters with limited English proficiency.

Timeline issue: Iowa’s Republican U.S. senators, Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, signed a bipartisan letter expressing their disappointment with the Pentagon’s proposed timeline for implementing newly recommended measures to combat sexual assault in the military.

Crop report: The Iowa harvest continues ahead of normal with 60 percent of Iowa’s corn and 83 percent of soybeans harvested despite rainfall last week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The water cooler

Pipeline meetings: The Iowa Utilities Board has scheduled informational meetings for landowners in 36 Iowa counties about a proposed 1,300-mile carbon capture pipeline across Iowa. For information about the proposed pipeline and meetings, visit iub.iowa.gov.

Solar project: MidAmerican Energy is adding sun power to its renewable energy portfolio, with its first utility-scale solar energy project in Waterloo, according to company officials.

Deer warning: The state Department of Natural Resources is advising drivers to stay alert over the coming weeks due to increased deer movement during crop-harvesting time that increases the risk of vehicle-deer collisions.

More in the news

Iowa Guard has first female infantry soldier: An Ankeny resident and Iowa State University student has become the first female enlisted infantry soldier in the Iowa National Guard. Pfc. Taylor Patterson returned from basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia last month and is with Company C, 168th Infantry, the Guard said. There are about 9,000 service members in the Iowa National Guard. It’s been five years since the U.S. Army opened combat arms positions to women. An infantry soldier must complete a 22-week training stint, where they learn skills ranging from squad tactics to close-quarter combat training.

Trooper funeral: Hundreds of people and law enforcement officers filled the Waukon High School gymnasium for the funeral of Iowa State Patrol Trooper Ted Benda, 37, who died Oct. 20 from injuries he received in a car crash in the line of duty.

Information limited: Iowa doctors accused of doing something dangerous or inappropriate could keep the allegations private until a regulatory board makes a final determination and issues a report under a state Supreme Court decision.

Unemployment down: Iowa’s unemployment rate for September dropped slightly to 4 percent, a state agency reported. Iowa’s rate left it tied with two other states for the nation’s 17th lowest unemployment rate. Nebraska had the lowest rate of 2 percent.