Former adviser says Vander Plaats obsessed with the gay-marriage issue

Hopes for gay-rights gains shift to courts
WASHINGTON — Gay-rights Activists, acknowledging they will lose momentum for their agenda in Congress when Republicans assume control of the House this week, are pinning their hopes for further gains in 2011 on a series of incremental measures and a host of Federal Court cases. Last month’s historic Repeal of the ban on gays and Lesbians serving openly in the Military signaled an expanding political acceptance of fuller integration of gays into American life. Yet activists and obser...

Terry Branstad: The pre-inauguration interview
Following is an edited transcript of Register political writer Thomas Beaumont’s interview with Gov.-elect Terry Branstad on Monday: Q: What have you learned about the Budget that you didn’t know during the campaign? Well, we found out more of the specifics. We knew they used a lot of one-time money for ongoing expenses. Medicaid, of course, is the biggest problem because that is an entitlement program. Pays Health Care for low-income Iowans, and there’s a significant shortfall in that budg

Activists to Branstad: Keep current voting rights rule
A coalition of about 20 Activist groups asked Gov.-elect Terry Branstad on Monday not to follow through on a pledge to rescind an Executive Order that automatically restores Voting Rights to ex-convicts. The groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, sent a letter to Branstad expressing support for a statewide policy adopted in 2005. That's when Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack issued a blanket order restoring voting r...

Cleantech momentum gives reason to be optimistic in 2011
Coca-Cola has pledged a "gigaton-scale commitment" to phase out HFC refrigerants by 2015.Photo: The Coca-Cola companyIf there's one thing Americans agree on in these divided times, it's the urgent need to move toward cleaner energy. Polls taken as recently as November show a majority of Americans favoring comprehensive energy reform that limits Pollution, develops domestic sources, and stimulates renewable power. We're not likely to get comprehensive reform in the year ahead, but I still see str...

GOP-led House plans to fight Obama pollution plan
Source: Associated Press WASHINGTON – The incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is promising a fight over the Obama Administration's new approach on limiting greenhouse Gas Emissions. Congress failed last year to pass limits and let companies buy and sell Pollution permits. That system was known as "Cap and Trade" — but to Republicans it was "cap and tax" because they said it would raise Energy Prices. The administration now say it'll act on its own to clamp down on power ..

Republicans plan to fight Obama pollution plan
WASHINGTON (AP) — The incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Sunday promised a fight over the Obama Administration's new approach on limiting greenhouse Gas Emissions. Congress failed last year to pass limits and let companies buy and sell Pollution permits. That system was known as "Cap and Trade" — but to Republicans it was "cap and tax" because they said it would raise Energy Prices. The administration now says it will act on its own to clamp down on power...

House May Fight Obama Pollution Plan
WASHINGTON (AP) - The incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is promising a fight over the Obama Administration's new approach on limiting greenhouse Gas Emissions. Congress failed last year to pass limits and let companies buy and sell Pollution permits. That system was known as "Cap and Trade" — but to Republicans it was "cap and tax" because they said it would raise Energy Prices. The administration now say it'll act on its own to clamp down on Power Plant and oil ...

Judicial Retention and the Missouri Plan: Thoughts from Iowa
Thanks to Dan and crew for inviting me back, I’m thrilled to be here.  I am just about to send out a short online-type piece explaining some of my thoughts about the judicial retention Elections last month here in Iowa.  As you probably know, a coalition of social Conservatives managed to vote out the three Iowa Supreme Court justices that were up for retention last month.  This, of course, was a retaliation vote for last year’s unanimous decision upholding Same-Sex...

Statists Have To Be Cruel To Be Kind
She'll hit you over the head with that gavel, but really, it's for your own good. Remember the song “Cruel to Be Kind” by Nick Lowe? It ought to be the progressive theme song. It seems that everything they do, every policy they enact, involves being cruel to one to be kind to another. I do my best to understand dear But you still mystify and i want to know why I pick myself up off the ground To have you knock me back down again and again And when i ask you to explain well y...

Blue State Meltdown: Illinois Has Days to Plug $13 Billion Deficit
Liberal social programs and powerful Public Employee Unions have taken a toll on the state of Illinois. They are facing a $13 billion Deficit and few good options. (Bloomberg)- Illinois lawmakers will try this week to accomplish in a few days what they have been unable to do in the past two years -- resolve the state’s worst Financial Crisis. The legislative session that began today as the House convened will take aim at a Budget Deficit of at least $13 billion, including a backlog of more...

A Budget Crisis The Size Of Texas
Very few Villagers are talking about the biggest red state with a massive Budget Crisis, Texas. Sure, people mention California, Michigan, and Illinois all the time. But Texas has a massive fiscal hole...and a GOP super-majority that won't raise a dime in revenues. This month the state's part-time legislature goes back into session, and the state is starting at potentially a $25 billion Deficit on a two-year Budget of around $95 billion. That's enormous. And there's not much fat to cut. The whol...

DPS to lay off school bus attendants who help special needs kids
Keith January, president of the AFSCME Local 345, which represents the bus attendants, said layoff notices were mailed out Monday to 88 of 175 bus attendants. The layoffs will be effective Jan. 14 because of the district's Deficit. DPS has about 15,000 special education Students, about half of whom are transported by School Bus, January said. He said the district plans to provide attendants only for students whose individualized education plans require...

Whole Foods said to be location-scouting in the Metro
Officials in Des Moines and West Des Moines are pitching locations for Iowa’s first Whole Foods Market store with the possibility that a decision could be announced as early as next month. “We have looked at a number of sites in Des Moines for a couple of years,” Whole Foods spokeswoman Kate Klotz said Monday, although she declined to discuss specific locations. Local officials said the leading site appears to be the Water Tower Place Shopping Center at 4100 Ave. in West Des Moines, althoug

Adam Robinson Kicked Off: Iowa RB's Career Over After Marijuana Arrest
Des Moines, Iowa — Running back Adam Robinson's promising career at Iowa is over. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced Monday that Robinson had been dismissed from the Hawkeyes one week after he was arrested for marijuana possession. The coach said he would have no further comment. Robinson, 21, was charged with possession of marijuana on Dec. 27 in his hometown of Des Moines. The Iowa State Patrol said Robinson was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over for not having a front license plate. ...

River rage: Why Iowa's flood risk is rising
Changes in Iowa's weather patterns, landscape, cities and farms have rendered some of the state's most trusted flood prevention safeguards outmoded and inadequate, a review by The Des Moines Register shows. That includes the state's system of dams - including Saylorville upstream from Des Moines - which were designed to meet climate conditions and a lay of the land that some scientists say haven't existed for decades. That leaves Iowans, their homes and their businesses increasingly at risk fo...

Iowa kicks RB Robinson off team
Iowa has kicked running back Adam Robinson off the team a week after he was arrested for marijuana possession. Coach Kirk Ferentz announced the move in a statement Monday, adding that he would not comment further. Robinson was charged Dec. 27 in his hometown of Des Moines. He was suspended for Iowa's win over Missouri in the Insight Bowl for failing to comply with team policies. Robinson rushed for a team-high 941 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010 as the Hawkeyes' featured back. The Iowa State Pat...

Reducing runoff key to flood fight
Every major Iowa flood is followed by a gush of committees, Task Forces, and state proclamations determined to reduce the damage next time. Few of the ideas ever materialize. A mixture of tight Money, a shortage of political will and competing interests stand in the way. Seldom has Iowa seen major Flooding twice in a three-year period, as it did this year and in 2008. And plenty of Iowans still remember the record Flooding in 1993, which spawned massive reports from state and federal task forc...

Whole Foods is eyeing D.M. metro
Officials in Des Moines and West Des Moines are pitching locations for Iowa's first Whole Foods Market store with the possibility that a decision could be announced as early as next month. "We have looked at a number of sites in Des Moines for a couple of years," Whole Foods spokeswoman Kate Klotz said Monday, although she declined to discuss specific locations. Local officials said the leading site appears to be the Water Tower Place Shopping Center at 4100 University Ave. in West Des Moines....

US 1 Yellow Soybean Prices were mostly 22 cents lower for a state average of 13.16.
Southeast 5.72 ? 6.03 5.89 13.14 ? 13.33 13.23 Corn basis to STATE AVERAGE PRICE for the CBOT Mar. contract is -.38 Soybean basis to STATE AVERAGE PRICE for the CBOT May contract is -.63 This report was prepared by the Marketing Bureau, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. An audio version is available at 800-383-3755. Source: USDA Market News Des Moines, Iowa 515-284-4460 www.marketnews.usda.gov Iowa Dept of Agriculture 515-281-8604 www.iowaagriculture.gov/dailygrain.html 16:16 ...

New year kicks off on a frigid note across Iowa
Snow and ice moved out of Iowa in time for the New Year's holiday but left behind strong winds and frigid temperatures. An arctic air mass moved into the state overnight Friday, bringing with it wind gusts of 20 to 30 miles an hour and wind chill readings of between 20 and 30 degrees below zero in parts of central and north-central Iowa. Overnight lows were expected to dip to 14 degrees below zero in parts of northwest Iowa and zero in the Des Moines area, National Weather Service meteorologis...

State, city roads aren't on a low-salt diet
Iowa's roads, salted like French Fries for decades, now are getting an even bigger dose. Yes, the hundreds of thousands of tons of salt dropped statewide eats cars and harms river life. But nothing seems to carry out the primary mission - keeping drivers safe - as cheaply or effectively. Des Moines tried to use more sand and less salt a few years ago. The result? Less traction, clogged sewers and an earful of complaints from residents who were tracking the stuff into cars and homes.

Schools & Other Stuff
I have a few items of interest to report to you this morning. The Indiana Department of Education is investigating "irregularities" in recent ISTEP tests.  According to the DOE, a number of elementary tests came back with a high number of erasures which raised some red flags in the Office.   DOE Chief of Staff Heather Neal won't say the erasures are the product of cheating, but they have put School Districts on notice about the problem.   In addition, Indianapolis Public Scho...

HOPE, pre-k funds face cuts in new legislative session
One sure bet this legislative session: Changes are coming that will affect the bottom line for participants in the popular lottery-funded HOPE and pre-kindergarten programs. Ga. Politics news, helpful links Lawmakers have been warned that the programs -- collectively serving about 200,000 College Students and about 82,000 preschoolers -- have to be scaled back, given forecasts of a $320 million Deficit in lottery money to cover the programs' expenses for Fiscal Year 2012. A variety of potential...

Costs trimmed for Branstad inauguration
Let's see: You might have heard The Economy stinks, Iowa is facing a general fund Deficit and Gov.-elect Terry Branstad campaigned on promises of cost-efficient cuts in state spending. Not to mention that Branstad has walked this road before, five times if you count his inauguration as Lieutenant Governor four years before he was first elected Governor. Those all add up to a slate of inaugural festivities on Jan. 13 and 14 that will toe the line between a distinguished, stately historical even...

Jerry Brown takes governor's reins again
(01-03) 04:00 PST Sacramento - -- Edmund G. Brown Jr. was sworn in as California's 39th Governor in a low-key ceremony Monday during which he invoked the spirit of the state's past while chiding lawmakers for political Partisanship that has eroded the public's Trust in Government. In a 17-minute Speech that was both soaring and sobering, he spoke of his family's California experience, while promising significant changes in how much money the state spends and how it is spent. California is fac...