state spending

Deer Collisions, Hail Help Drive Up Cost To Repair Iowa’s Public Safety Vehicles in 2018

By K. Rambo | October 11, 2019

Iowa Department of Public Safety vehicles sustained a five-year high of $849,878 worth of damage in 220 incidents in 2018, department officials said. Although only six more incidents were reported in 2018 than in 2017, the total damage reported in 2017 was worth $519,429 — $330,449 less than in 2018. The total damage for the two years combined cost $1.37 million. Lt. Rick Pierce, commander of Iowa State Patrol Fleet and Supply, said the cost of repairs may sound like a lot, but the Department of Public Safety has approximately 650 vehicles.

The most common cause of damage was “act of nature damage,” including at least 59 accidents involving deer reported in both 2017 and 2018, funding requests sent to the Executive Council of Iowa reveal. Hail was the second most common with 36 accidents reported to the council in the same time span, records examined by IowaWatch showed.

higher education

UNI President Says Being Spared Mid-Year Budget Cuts Reflects University’s Mission

By Jeff Stein, with Lyle Muller | February 26, 2018

University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook said a proposed mid-year funding cut for the University of Iowa and Iowa State University but not the University of Northern Iowa reflects each university’s distinct mission, not favoritism. This IowaWatch Connection podcast covers that and other topics in an interview with Nook.

Iowa government spending

Care About State Spending In Iowa? This Podcast Updates You On How The Legislature Is Handling That

By Jeff Stein, with Lyle Muller and Trent Rice/KASI Radio (Ames) | February 12, 2018

The Republican-led Iowa Senate came up with $31.9 million in spending cuts for this fiscal year, which ends June 30, bringing that legislative house closer to cuts the House and governor’s office find to be acceptable. This IowaWatch Connection podcast brings you up to date on how this Iowa General Assembly is handling spending.