Homers & Gomers

HOMERS

ROCKING THE VOTE:

Iowa voters turned out in record numbers for last month's midterm election, according to the official canvass certified last week. A total of 1,142,311 Iowans cast a ballot - more than have voted in any non-presidential election in the past three decades.

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STAYING NEUTRAL:

Top Republicans have pledged not to publicly endorse any of their party's contenders in the lead-up to the 2016 precinct caucuses. State party chairman Jeff Kaufmann told reporters the neutrality of leadership and staff of the Republican Party of Iowa will send a clear message to presidential candidates that the process will be fair and impartial.

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A NEW RIDE:

Ride-sharing giant Uber made its first pickups in Cedar Rapids last week, offering one more way for residents to get around. The service pairs vetted drivers with would-be riders and processes payment for the ride.

City officials say they welcome the service, and will draft rules to govern Uber and similar ride-share services in the coming weeks.

GOMERS

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD:

Iowa City school officials have until Jan. 31 to decide whether to revise or scrap a two-year-old diversity policy that would have used U.S. Department of Agriculture data to redistribute low-income students throughout the district's schools. The USDA notified the district the policy, which has drawn criticism from the outset, would not adequately protect the privacy of students who qualify for free- and reduced-priced meals.

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CUTS AHEAD:

State lawmakers say to expect more belt tightening as they work to balance lagging tax receipts with multiyear budget commitments. 'We're going to have to make cuts,” Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said. 'We're not going to be able to fulfill all of the commitments that we have on the books. It's really that simple.”

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E-POT?:

Last week, Iowa's drug czar warned of trends in marijuana production and consumption, including the use of marijuana oils in electronic cigarettes, making the drug more difficult to detect. He blamed legalization of recreational marijuana in other states for an explosion of drug-related innovations.

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