A preliminary state budget has been released, and it calls for a total spending of $7.3 billion starting July 1st. The deal also shows a 2.62 percent increase in state funding for K-through-12 grade schools for the upcoming school year, including a one-time spending sum of $55.7 million. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, however, says she and the governor’s staff have a lot to look over.
The U.S. Senate let key sections of the Patriot Act expire at midnight yesterday, but voted to advance a new security bill – the USA Freedom Act. Senator Chuck Grassley isn’t in favor of some of the aspects of the new Freedom Act, and he wants the GOP to look carefully over privacy concerns and national security included in the bill. The USA Freedom Act likely won’t be passed until later this week.
With the state of emergency extended through the end of this month, poultry farmers continue to receive extra help and funding from the USDA and the state Department of Agriculture to help clean up and prevent the spread of the bird flu. 70 cases of the virus have been confirmed in Iowa so far, affecting around 29 million turkeys and chickens.
In Iowa Caucus news, Martin O’Malley is trailing Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the latest Iowa poll from the Register and Bloomberg. On the GOP side, Scott Walker has a commanding lead, 7 percent above nearest contenders Rand Paul and Ben Carson, at 17 percent.
ISU appears to be about to lose their head basketball coach. Fred Hoiberg and the Chicago Bulls are supposed to meet today to finalize a deal agreed to in principle. A formal announcement is expected tomorrow.
The University of Iowa Health Care has launched a virtual clinic that lets you use your laptop, PC, tablet or smartphone to check in with your doctor. You have to have a webcam on your Internet-connected unit, and it’ll cost you 50 bucks per visit.
The Homestead has launched its telehealth technology to teach parents in remote areas how to work with autistic children. Telehealth will help the Homestead provide services to families who live at least 30 miles away from its clinics in Altoona, Clive, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport.
Seventeen Iowa Red Cross volunteers are heading down to Texas and Oklahoma to help victims of the severe storms and flooding there. 100 counties in Texas have experiencing flash floods, and 25 counties in Oklahoma were impacted as well.
The Republican presidential field just got more crowded. South Carolina Lindsey Graham announced in his home state earlier today that he’s vying for the White House. He’ll be in Iowa on Friday to meet with voters in West Des Moines…and then participate in Senator Joni Ernst’s “Roast and Ride” to Boone on Saturday.
Unity Point Health expands its LifeFlight service from Des Moines to Fort Dodge, starting today. Basing a second helicopter at Trinity Regional Medical Center allows the center to provide improved emergency transportation services to the north central region of Iowa.
