The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors members plan to take no raises to their pay in the year ahead.
In discussions on the 2025-26 budget in their weekly Tuesday meeting, the supervisors voted to not accept the recommendation of a special panel that recommends salary amounts for all nine of the county elected officials.
That entity, the Woodbury County Compensation Board, recommended 4 percent raises for the five county supervisors.
The supervisors will decide later on the comp board proposal to raise the pay of the Woodbury County sheriff, auditor, treasurer and attorney by 4 to 8 percent.
Any decisions on the pay rates for county elected officials, and all other aspects of the budget, will not be fully set until the supervisors vote on the entire budget in about one month.
*Additionally, the Iowa Senate has passed a bill that would require schools to show students a fetal development video starting in fourth grade.
The video would have to be a “high-quality, computer generated rendering or animation…or real image that depicts the humanity of the unborn child.”
It also says schools must provide instruction related to human development inside the womb and show an ultrasound video of vital organs in early pregnancy.
Republican state Senator Kevin Alons, of Woodbury County, said the bill represents an intersection between life and technology.
“I just don’t see any downside to presenting the humanity of life from conception on. I think it increases our respect for life and showing respect to everybody,” Alons said.
All but one Democrat opposed the bill, saying it forces schools to present specific, biased information to students.
*Additionally, the recent weeks of increasing gas prices in Iowa have resulted in the price being above $3 for the first time since early fall.
Since mid-December, the weekly price has gone up seven times over 10 weeks. Now in the third week of February, the weekly release by AAA shows the average price in Iowa for unleaded self-serve gasoline is $3.01 per gallon.
Before that, the weekly price had only risen twice in the prior 17 weeks dating back to August.
According to AAA, the statewide price of $3.01 is 8 cents more than a year ago at this time, and the current national average is $3.07.
Many Siouxland stations are currently selling unleaded in the range from $2.84 to $3.05.
*In South Dakota, a legislative effort to repeal the state’s voter-approved medical marijuana program fell short in committee on Tuesday.
Medicinal cannabis was approved by South Dakota voters on a wide mandate in 2020 with Initiated Measure 26, which passed with nearly 70 percent support.
The bill, which would essentially gut the state medical marijuana system, was brought by Republican Representative Travis Ismay. He claimed the state’s current system is effectively full legalization, which is a sentiment flatly rejected by medical marijuana advocates.
In the 2020 election, recreational marijuana was approved by voters, though that result was thrown out by the state Supreme Court on a technicality. Since then, two recreational bills failed in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
*A public hearing on the proposed replacement of the Gordon Drive Viaduct will be held Thursday in Sioux City.
The viaduct that spans over several railways beneath it is nearly 90 days old.
The project will cost more than $150 million, and the estimated starting year is 2028. Transportation officials with the state of Iowa and Sioux City have been discussing possible plans, and the public hearing will take place at the Seaboard Triumph Foods Expo Center.
There will be a formal presentation and question & answer session beginning at 5:30 p.m.
