Iowa

Critics warn against Iowa’s plan to dismantle corrections program

Published

1 year ago

February 27, 2023

Critics warn against Iowa’s plan to dismantle corrections program

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Iowa lawmakers are contemplating dismantling a system that has for many years given native officers oversight of hundreds of legal offenders launched from incarceration.

Why it issues: Gov. Kim Reynolds and her administration contend the reorganization would streamline providers and save thousands and thousands of {dollars} annually.

However dozens of native advocates — together with county supervisors from throughout the state and a former Iowa Division of Corrections district director — predict disastrous outcomes, together with extra Iowans in jail.

Catch up quick: Iowa’s Group Based mostly Corrections (CBC) has supervised convicted offenders on parole or probation, or others on pretrial launch, for greater than 40 years.

It usually serves as an alternative choice to incarceration for these typically thought-about to be much less severe offenders and at the moment oversees round 41,200 folks — greater than 5 instances the 7,900 who’re in Iowa prisons.

The way it works: A neighborhood board for every of the state’s eight judicial districts oversees their CBC packages, that are thought-about impartial businesses. Every company has a director and lots of of employees members.

Every of their boards is made up of about 20 volunteers, principally supervisors but in addition judges and some residents.
Every board units coverage, supplies finances enter and oversees operations.

What’s occurring: Reynolds is asking lawmakers to consolidate Iowa’s 37 cupboard businesses into 16, together with the Iowa Division of Corrections (DOC).

CBC boards would turn into advisory councils solely. CBC administrators would report back to the DOC as a substitute of the native boards.

What they’re saying: About 100 folks — principally CBC board members — participated in an internet assembly earlier this month with DOC director Beth Skinner that Axios attended.

None spoke in favor of the merger and dozens left the assembly early after Skinner declined to reply questions.

“When you thought one thing was damaged, why have not you come to us because the boards of those businesses?” Story County Supervisor Linda Murken, a former judicial district director of the DOC, requested Skinner.

Zoom in: The CBC reorganization lacks particulars in how packages which might be custom-made throughout state districts would perform, which might result in extra folks in jail, a number of audio system warned Skinner.

Dubuque County Supervisor Ann McDonough alleged the reorganization is a step in direction of privatizing the corrections providers to for-profit companies.

The opposite facet: Skinner instructed lawmakers earlier this month that CBC administrators have to be accountable to the DOC moderately than native boards for the reason that state authorities supplies the majority of CBC funding, per the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

What’s subsequent: A Senate committee permitted the almost 1,600-page invoice final week, making it eligible for additional consideration and incomes reward from Reynolds.

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Iowa

These Iowa communities want traffic cameras

Published

6 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

These Iowa communities want traffic cameras

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray TV Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – The Iowa Department of Transportation confirmed to Gray TV Iowa that 25 cities and one county have applied to operate traffic cameras. Lawmakers passed legislation this past session that requires communities to apply for a permit through IDOT if they want traffic cameras.

IDOT reported that these communities applied for a traffic camera permit by the July 1st deadline:

Buffalo
Cedar Rapids
Charles City
Chester
Davenport
Des Moines
Fayette
Fort Dodge
Fredericksburg
Hazleton
Hudson
Independence
La Porte City
Le Claire
Lee County
Marion
Marshalltown
Muscatine
Oelwein
Postville
Prairie City
Sioux City
Strawberry Point
Tama
Waterloo
Webster City
West Union

Some lawmakers have tried for the past several years to ban traffic cameras. Instead, legislators agreed to require changes that took away some of the local authority.

Communities have to demonstrate the need for the cameras, provide annual reports detailing collisions and citations at the intersections, and they can only give a ticket if a driver is going at least 11 miles per hour above the posted speed limit.

There are several changes for drivers. Previously, the owner of the vehicle that received the traffic citation received the ticket. Owners can now notify the jurisdiction if someone else was driving.

Drivers will also notice standardized fines in all communities, another state mandate by the legislature.

Fines for speeding offense:

11-20 miles per hour above the speed limit: $75
21-25 miles per hour above the speed limit: $100
26-30 miles per hour above the speed limit: $250
More than 30 miles per hour above the speed limit: $500

About the author: Midwest native Dave Price is Gray Television’s Iowa Political Director for 10 stations that broadcast in the state and has been covering local, state and national politics from Iowa since 2001.

Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly, in-depth show focused on interviews with top leaders on politics, issues, challenges and solutions that impact the state.

He has written two books about the Iowa Caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email him at dave.price@gray.tv. Follow him on X (Twitter): @idaveprice Meta/Facebook: DavePriceNews Instagram: idaveprice and LinkedIn: Dave Price.

Dave welcomes your thoughts on what answers to seek from politicians and what issues challenge our communities.

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Iowa

Iowa DOT announces partial re-opening of I-29 and I-680

Published

13 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Iowa DOT announces partial re-opening of I-29 and I-680

ATLANTIC, Iowa (WOWT) – Iowa Department of Transportation announced Wednesday a partial re-opening of Interstate 29 and I-680.

Following the closures of I-29 and I-680 amidst the flooding of the Missouri River, the Iowa DOT is announcing re-openings of the two roadways, though there will still be intermittent lane closures and head-to-head traffic. All lanes will be open on I-29 south of I-680.

Iowa DOT also reminds drivers that the westbound I-29 on-ramp from Crescent remains closed.

Currently, flood waters do remain in the area, and they ward drivers to never drive over roads that are still covered in water. Drivers are also reminded not to go around barricades or fencing, as they are there to keep drivers away from flood waters.

If you have any questions, Iowa road closures are updated regularly on their 511 website, and to download the Iowa 511 app on whatever devices are available to them. You can also contact the Iowa DOT for any general information at 712-388-6893.

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Iowa

Iowa couple ticketed after old license plates turn up in NYC

Published

20 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Iowa couple ticketed after old license plates turn up in NYC

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) – A mystery has resurfaced in Pottawattamie County and more vehicle owners are frustrated by a lack of answers.

Two years ago, 6 News exposed how old Iowa license plates turned into the treasurer a decade ago have been caught on speed cameras in New York City, most recently in April.

It’s been 12 years since Vern and Debra Harness turned in their Iowa license plates that recently showed up on a bumper in New York City.

“I’ve never been to New York City, and I’ve never had an inkling to go there,” Debra Harness said.

However, New York City Traffic citations have sure come to them. The NYC finance department sent threats of a civil judgement if the couple doesn’t pay $300 on four speeding tickets since April. All the citations on a van caught by a school zone camera with their old license plates.

“They don’t care, they just want us to pay these bills, and if we pay these bills, we are admitting that they’re still our plates and I’m not going to do that,” Debra said.

The Pottawattamie County Treasurer says there are about 40 vehicle owners in the same boat.

“Well, I hope it solves all of them,” Pottawattamie Co. Treasurer Lea Voss said. “This is just ridiculous what these people have gone through, and I’ve contacted everybody.”

The Harnesses say when they turned in those plates 12 years ago, they came off their pickup truck. Now, those same plates turned up on a white van in New York City and it shouldn’t take the world’s greatest detective those plates are on the wrong vehicle.

“It seems very simple, but they’re not being helpful at all,” Debra Harness said.

The New York speed camera caught the same van on the same street in less than a month, so innocent Iowans say undeserving fine notices can be averted by New York’s finest.

“Pull over the vehicle, detain them until they come up with why they got that plate,” Vern Harness said. “When, where, and why.”

That might help Iowa’s department of transportation investigation into how ole plates got new life in New York City, because for years Iowa Department of Corrections picked them up.

“I didn’t ask, I just assume they are going to recycle them.” Voss said.

The DoT Investigations Bureau Director says solving this ongoing issue has not been easy. He says unfortunately investigations have not been able to determine if the Iowa plates in New York are counterfeit, or actual plates issued in Iowa at one time. Multiple attempts to work with New York Law Enforcement will continue, as does the mystery for the Harnesses and many other Iowans who turned in plates, never expecting to see them again.

“If I turn mine in, I turn them into them but from now on they’ll be cut in half,” Vern Harness said.

In a positive development, Vern and Debra Harness got an email from the New York City Finance Department saying all the speeding citations against them have been dismissed. The treasurer hopes that others with undeserved fines will have the same outcome.

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