January 30, 2022

House Halts Governor's Hydrogen Bill

New Mexico lawmakers from both parties have stymied Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s controversial plan to build what she calls a clean hydrogen economy.

After nearly six hours of debate Thursday, the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted 6-4 to table House Bill 4 — aimed to make the state a hub of hydrogen production by offering tax incentives to develop the infrastructure to separate the energy source from natural gas.

The hearing was the bill’s first hurdle during the legislative session. It’s unclear whether it will get a second chance. Legislation that has been tabled in a committee rarely is revived for discussion or another vote.

A spokeswoman for Lujan Grisham said the governor expects to work with the Legislature to “identify a successful path forward for this important legislation” before the end of the session in mid-February.

Read more: https://abq.news/2022/01/house-halts-gov-s-hydrogen-bill/

January 30, 2022

Rio Rancho hospital workers seek the right to form a union

Hospital workers in Rio Rancho are one step closer to overcoming their bosses’ objections to forming a union.

Senate Bill 41 would expand the definition of a public-sector worker to include 600 health care workers at the University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center, who want to form a union but say they have no legal right to do so under state law.

They’re the only health care workers in the state who can’t form a union, according to Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), a co-sponsor of the measure.

“Paradoxically, they’re also the only public health workers in the state who can strike, because they’re not being treated as public employees under the Public Employee Bargaining Act,” Stewart said.

Read more: https://sourcenm.com/2022/01/26/rio-rancho-hospital-workers-seek-the-right-to-form-a-union/

January 30, 2022

Abbott running comfortably ahead of O'Rourke in DMN-UT-Tyler poll; Paxton could face runoff

Source: Dallas Morning News

By Robert T. Garrett
5:00 AM on Jan 30, 2022


AUSTIN — Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is running 11 percentage points ahead of Democrat Beto O’Rourke in this year’s race for Texas governor, according to a Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll released Sunday.

Buoyed by 2-to-1 support among whites and a growing number of voters who identify as Republican, Abbott leads O’Rourke in a hypothetical matchup, 47%-36%. He even holds a narrow lead over O’Rourke among Hispanics, 40%-39%.

Registered voters are not in a great mood about Texas’ current direction: 50% say things are on the wrong track, compared with 49% who say the state is headed in the right direction.

Still, Abbott dodges much of the blame. His job rating has held at a respectable net approval, 50%-45%. While he’s still underwater with independent voters, with only 37% of them approving of how he’s performing, he draws unfavorable views from just 38% of all voters.



Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/01/29/abbott-running-comfortably-ahead-of-orourke-in-dmn-ut-tyler-poll-paxton-could-face-runoff/

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Obviously a lot can happen between now and November. The poll results have Beto performing in the same range as Lupe Valdez in 2018. I have difficulty reconciling the poll results with Beto's continued popularity among Texas Democrats and believe that the margin between Abbott and O'Rourke is in the six to seven point range instead.

January 30, 2022

Jail guard union president warns of heightened chances for a riot at MDC

ALBUQUERQUE -- The head of the union representing guards at the Metropolitan Detention Center is skeptical that calling in the New Mexico National Guard will solve the problems there.

Joseph Trujeque is the president of AFSCME Council 18 Local 2499, the union representing guards at MDC. He works there, too, and has for around 20 years.

A big staffing shortage and a cyberattack has left inmates locked in their cells. The low morale and harsh conditions raise his concerns about the place erupting in violence.

He said he is always worried about a jail riot, no matter the circumstances, but there is a heightened threat of a riot right now. On lockdown, inmates cannot take showers, contact their loved ones or have visitors. And after the ransomware attack, they couldn’t access their commissary, Trujeque said, which is one of the only sources of relief for them.

Read more: https://sourcenm.com/2022/01/28/jail-guard-union-president-warns-of-heightened-chances-for-a-riot-at-mdc/

January 30, 2022

National Democrats take aim at Iowa's caucuses as discussions begin over 2024 calendar

Members of the Democratic National Committee took aim at Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses Saturday as the group considers changes to the 2024 presidential nominating process.

Though there were few explicit mentions of Iowa and the collapse of its 2020 caucuses, those were the clear subtext of comments calling for the elimination of caucuses, restructuring the order of the early primary states and increasing diversity and inclusion throughout the presidential nominating process.

"While there are some benefits to caucuses, I think it is hard to argue that primaries don't bring more voices into the process. And I think that is a key value of the Democratic Party," said DNC member Mo Elleithee.

He said in addition to prioritizing primaries over caucuses, the party should emphasize diverse states and bring general election battleground states into the process far earlier.

Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/29/democrats-take-aim-iowas-first-nation-2024-presidential-caucuses-primary/9255571002/

January 30, 2022

Iowa Senate leader: Jail time for teachers over books 'not a good idea'

DES MOINES — Teachers should not have to worry about jail time for distributing books that some people might consider vulgar, Republican Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said Friday.

Whitver made the comment while appearing on this weekend’s episode of “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS.

Whitver was asked about comments made before the legislative session by two Senate Republicans — Sens. Jake Chapman of Adel and Brad Zaun of Urbandale — who said they felt educators should face jail time for distributing literature that they deemed vulgar or obscene.

When asked about the possibility of criminal penalties for teachers, Whitver on Friday appeared to dismiss the idea.

“I think charging anyone with felonies for these types of things, I don’t think is a good idea,” he said. Whitver said no legislation has been proposed in the Senate that would criminalize the distribution of certain literature in schools.

Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/iowa-senate-leader-jail-time-for-teachers-over-books-not-a-good-idea/
(Cedar Rapids Gazette)

January 30, 2022

Former president of GO Cedar Rapids pleads guilty to bank fraud to fund newbo evolve festival

CEDAR RAPIDS — The fired leader of a now-defunct Cedar Rapids tourism agency became the organization’s second convicted executive this week when he admitted Thursday to bank fraud — lying that the 2018 “newbo evolve” music and cultural festival was on track to turn a profit when it actually lost millions.

Former GO Cedar Rapids president and chief executive officer Aaron M. McCreight, 47 — now tourism director for Dothan, Ala. — pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of felony bank fraud. He waived his right to have a grand jury indictment.

McCreight admitted to participating along with one of the employees he oversaw, Douglas S. Hargrave, 55, former finance director of GO Cedar Rapids, to defrauding Bankers Trust. McCreight admitted that the tourism agency didn’t have enough money to pay for alcohol to be sold at the three-day event or to pay one of the headline acts, singer Kelly Clarkson.

McCreight admitted that he made false misrepresentations to the bank regarding a budget in support of increasing its loan. The faked budget overstated evolve’s expected revenues, expenses and expected profit to be $65,654, according to court documents.

Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/former-president-of-go-cedar-rapids-pleads-guilty-to-bank-fraud/
(Cedar Rapids Gazette)

January 30, 2022

Governor's tax plan would harm rural Iowa, young farmers

Governor Kim Reynolds wants to exempt all cash rent income for retired farmers from state income tax. This horrible idea would harm rural Iowa and make it even harder for young people to break into the profession of farming.

Iowa already has a problem with an aging population of farm operators. According to the USDA’s 2021 census of agriculture, the average age of farmers in Iowa is 57.1 years. Four times as many farmers are over the age of 65 than under the age of 35. In other words, we don’t have a new generation of farmers to replace the ones already retired.

Why would we want a tax policy that would worsen the problem?

The governor’s proposal would allow any farmer over age 55 to exempt income from cash rent of farmland as well as capital gains from land sales. Let’s say our 55-year-old farmer went out on his own in 1994, at the age of 27.

I use “his” intentionally; women are still underrepresented in agriculture, and 30 years ago even more so. (Even now, when the USDA wants to communicate information about land that’s held solely in my name, the addressee is always my husband. That’s a discussion for another day, though.)

Read more: https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2022/01/29/governors-tax-plan-would-harm-rural-iowa-young-farmers/

January 30, 2022

Puppy mill operator has yet to pay $60,000 in state fines

The former Wayne County puppy mill operator who was forced to surrender more than 500 dogs last year has yet to pay $60,000 in state fines.

Last September, federal authorities took Daniel Gingerich, owner of Maple Hill Puppies, to civil court in an effort to shut down his rural Iowa dog-breeding operation. That effort culminated with Gingerich surrendering more than 500 dogs to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and agreeing to never again participate in a licensed business covered by the federal Animal Welfare Act.

About the same time the federal civil action was initiated, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship imposed $20,000 in administrative penalties against Gingerich and suspended his Iowa license for 60 days. Both the state and federal actions were based on more than 100 alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Late last year, the department imposed an additional $40,000 in fines against Gingerich based on the findings of inspectors who toured his facilities the same day the $20,000 fine was imposed.

Read more: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/01/28/puppy-mill-operator-has-yet-to-pay-60000-in-state-fines/

January 30, 2022

GOP Senators Argue That Less Money Makes Public Schools Better

Competition, choice, and opportunity. Those are the main arguments from Republican lawmakers for the revival of a bill—Senate File 128—which would give Iowa parents and guardians money from the state to enroll their child or children in nonpublic schools.

During an education subcommittee meeting Tuesday, the majority of speakers were opposed to the idea of creating a statewide school voucher system in everything but name. The major concerns were lack of accountability or transparency in private schools, the lack of anti-discrimination requirements, and that funneling state money to private schools takes that money away from public schools.

Melissa Petersen of the Iowa State Education Association, which is registered against the bill, summed up the main argument.

“We are serving more than 484,000 students in our public education system and we are doing that to the best of our abilities with the finite resources the state has,” she said. “We think those resources need to go to support those 484,000 students.”

Read more: https://iowastartingline.com/2022/01/25/gop-senators-argue-that-less-money-makes-public-schools-better/