Connect with us

Iowa

Iowa Senate Democrats call for return to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits for Tyson workers in Perry

Published

on

Iowa Senate Democrats call for return to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits for Tyson workers in Perry


DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Iowa Democrats are calling on Republican leaders in the state Senate to help out workers who will be affected by the Tyson plant closure in Perry.

Of the nearly 1300 workers receiving a pink slip in June, 729 of them live in Perry city limits.

With the city’s population around 8,000, State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott of Dallas County says the plant closure is going to hurt more than the affected employees. “It’s not just 729 people who are impacted. It’s spouses who also work and contribute to that community. It’s children who attend the Perry Schools, and it’s every single one of their neighbors,” Trone Garriott said.

Trone Garriott says the layoffs will also hurt Perry Schools, who are still reeling from a school shooting in January that killed a principal and student. “A sudden and significant drop in the number of students attending Perry Schools would mean budget cuts and staff cuts, and that will hurt every single Perry student. Because school funding is per student, and the budget guarantee is not much comfort in this situation because it only helps them maintain funding for a year if they raise property taxes,” Trone Garriott said.

Advertisement

In 2022, lawmakers cut the length of unemployment benefits for plant workers from 39 weeks to 26.

Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum says they’re calling on Senate Republicans to reverse course. “That would return unemployment benefits for workers facing a plant closure to the full 39 weeks. It’s just simply the right thing to do and we’re calling on Republican leaders in the Senate to introduce a leadership bill to make it happen,” Jochum said.

At this point in the session, only the majority floor leader can introduce a bill. When speaking with reporters Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said he didn’t have an opinion on the plan yet, as he didn’t have time to read the proposal.

In a statement, State Senator Jason Schultz of Crawford County says the changes to the unemployment insurance program are a success.

“Plant closing and job losses are traumatic experience for employees affected by the closing, their families, and the entire community. Iowa Workforce Development and Tyson are both fully engaged in finding new employment for the impacted workers in Perry.

The changes to the unemployment insurance program are a success. This policy has halved the number of people on unemployment. It has also halved the amount of time it has taken to get another job. This program is designed to be a bridge to the next job because a job is the best way for Iowans to provide for themselves and their families. Iowa currently has more than 58,000 job openings, including more than 13,000 in central Iowa and I am optimistic new career opportunities will be available for everyone impacted by yesterday’s announcement,” Schultz said.

Advertisement

Tyson is encouraging affected employees to apply to other open positions in the company. The nearest Tyson plant to Perry is 109 miles away in Storm Lake.

Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Television-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Iowa

Lakeshore takes Game 1 from Iowa in quarterfinals – American Press

Published

on

Lakeshore takes Game 1 from Iowa in quarterfinals – American Press


Lakeshore takes Game 1 from Iowa in quarterfinals

Published 1:01 am Friday, May 3, 2024

WESTLAKE — The rematch of last year’s nonselect Division II baseball state championship game went extra innings Thursday night as No. 20 Lakeshore beat No. 12 Iowa 7-5 in nine innings.

Game 2 of the best-of-3 quarterfinals series will be Saturday at 11 a.m. If necessary, Game 3 will start at 1:30 p.m.

Advertisement

The Titans broke a 2-2 tie with five runs in the top of the ninth inning. They quickly loaded the bases on a single, error and a walk. Mason Maldonado hit a RBI single to left field for the go-ahead run and an error on the same play allowed another run to cross the plate. Reese Sanzone gave Lakeshore plenty of breathing room with a two-run triple.

Iowa (20-12) attempted a two-out comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning and cut Lakeshore’s (17-19) lead to two on Tyler Dartez’s bases-clearing double, but Mason Gegenheimer induced a ground out to end the game.

Iowa forced extra innings when Reed Dupre hit a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, but the Yellow Jackets left a runner on second and third base.

The Yellow Jackets left a runner on third again in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cole Corbello led off by drawing a base on balls, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and ground out before Titan starting pitcher Owen Guth got a ground out to end the threat.

Guth pitched eight innings to earn the win before being relieved by Mason Gegenheimer in the ninth inning. He allowed two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and five walks.

Advertisement

Dupre took the loss in relief, allowing five runs, three earned, on three hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. Corbello started on the mound for Iowa and allowed one earned run in seven innings with four strikeouts and four walks.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Iowa

2024 tornado outbreak: Nebraska, Iowa governors push for federal disaster relief

Published

on

2024 tornado outbreak: Nebraska, Iowa governors push for federal disaster relief


OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The governors of Nebraska and Iowa are asking for federal funds to help residents recover from last Friday’s devastating tornadoes.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a state of emergency for Pottawattamie County hours after a deadly tornado struck Minden, Iowa, severely injuring Nicholas Ring, who died a day later. She later added eight other counties to the declaration: Clarke, Crawford, Harrison, Mills, Polk, Ringgold, Shelby, and Union counties.

On Thursday, Reynolds requested “expedited” relief, urging President Biden to declare a federal disaster for the area, which would release funding for affected counties from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Saturday that President Biden had expressed support.

Advertisement

“The federal government is here to help us every single step of the way and we’ll being having declarations soon. So we’ll make sure that we’re helping everybody,” Pillen said then.

TORNADO RECOVERY
How to help — and find help

Here are ways you can assist those in Nebraska and Iowa who are recovering from tornadoes that hit on Friday, April 26.

"Thank you everybody" is seend spray painted on a damaged home Monday in Elkhorn. The area was...

Pillen issued Nebraska’s state of emergency proclamation for Douglas, Washington, and Lancaster counties on Sunday.

On Thursday, his office reported that had formally submitted an application to the president requesting “federal assistance for a wide range of emergency relief costs, including debris removal, emergency protective measures and individual assistance,” according to a news release.

“Preliminary cost assessments submitted to FEMA for public infrastructure damage in all counties is $11.5 million. Over $8 million of that is for damage assessed to public infrastructure in Douglas and Washington,” the release states.

Authorities have estimated that nearly 400 homes in Nebraska were impacted by Friday’s tornadoes, including about 160 that were completely destroyed. Pottawattamie County officials have reported that about 300 homes and businesses sustained some sort of damage; 48 homes in Minden were entirely destroyed.

Advertisement

Get the latest updates delivered to your inbox. Sign up for 6 News email alerts.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Iowa

Iowa City community rallies against state law that criminalizes ‘illegal reentry’ into state

Published

on

Iowa City community rallies against state law that criminalizes ‘illegal reentry’ into state


More than 250 Iowa City community members joined several other gatherings across the state Wednesday, May 1 to rally against a state law that criminalizes “illegal reentry” into Iowa.

The bill, Senate File 2340, passed through the Senate in March and was signed into law in April. It bars anyone who has been previously deported from the United States from entering or attempting to enter the state. It mirrors a Texas law that remains blocked by the courts.

Many people held up signs during the rally in College Green Park, chanting in Spanish and proudly displaying flags from various countries in Central and South America. The demonstrators eventually marched through downtown Iowa City.

Advertisement

Rallies were also held Wednesday night in Davenport, Waterloo and Des Moines.

More: Iowa Senate votes to criminalize ‘illegal reentry’ into state, mirroring halted Texas law

Supporters encouraged by local turnout

Manny Gálvez said he was happy to see Iowa City’s Latino, Black, and white communities come together during the rally.

“I feel like no matter what the governor says every day, that we are criminals, we are drug dealers,” Gálvez said. “She’s lying. She’s using us.”

Advertisement

The demonstrators marched along major downtown streets as police halted traffic, chanting “Un pueblo unido, jamás será vencido,” which translates to “A people united will never be defeated,” and “Somos familias, no somos criminales,” meaning “We are families, we’re not criminals.”

More: Hakes: Driving across U.S. in a 1924 Model T? Two local men are on 100th anniversary team

Advertisement
play

Hundreds from Iowa City community rally against ‘illegal reentry’ law

Hundreds of members of the Iowa City community rallied together on Wednesday night against a state law criminalizing “illegal reentry” into the state.

Demonstrators held up signs in English and Spanish, reading “No human is illegal,” “Love one another” and “Mas amor,” or “More love.”

One young child held up a sign that read, “I need my family.”

The march brought demonstrators to the Iowa City City Hall, where they received a proclamation from Mayor Bruce Teague.

Teague said he stands in unity with everyone who participated in the protest and said none of the local community members he has talked to “has the same desires” as those in the statehouse.

Advertisement

“We are working because we want a bright future,” Gálvez said. “Not just for today, but for the future of all the children. And what the governor is doing right now is sending this message (about) who has the right to have a future and who doesn’t.”

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending