BY&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Nearly 8,000 seniors and Missourians with disabilities could lose at-home care over the next year after a new eligibility algorithm went into effect this week, a spokesperson for the state health department told The Independent.

Starting Oct. 1, Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services implemented a change in the scoring algorithm they use to determine eligibility during annual reviews and enrollment for those receiving help with everyday tasks like going to the bathroom, getting dressed and taking their prescriptions. The assistance is part of a Medicaid-funded program called home and community based services designed to provide an alternative to those who would otherwise need to receive institutional care.&nbsp;

That change, according to the department, is designed to help ensure those who truly need the services receive them, and those who don’t — for instance, because their conditions have improved or they’re not severe enough to qualify — are removed.

“We want to ensure those with higher acuity needs are receiving the care they need,” said DHSS spokesperson Lisa Cox. “That is what this transformation is about—to ensure we are providing the right services, in the right setting, at the right time to those who would go into a facility placement if not for [home and community based services].”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

But advocates are raising alarm that certain people who still need services will lose them, causing their health to decline or forcing them into institutional settings like nursing homes.&nbsp;

Jennifer Gundy, who runs a center for independent living in southwest Missouri, which provides in-home care support for 370 people, estimates 18% of her clients will fall off the rolls.

And most of them will still be in need of services, she said, including cases of those with severe diabetes, mobility issues, complicated medication regimes and other issues that are eased by current assistance but will worsen without it.

“So that’s our concern,” she said. “And we’ve been voicing that concern with the state for probably the last two years,” she said.

Joel Ferber, director of advocacy at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, said there are “truly needy folks who are going to lose services.”&nbsp;

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has been working with national advocacy groups to analyze the new algorithm and its effects,&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WH2Erz4P2IzLdAONZPBliiStb0hKM9dx6EJrMYtRo5o/edit" target="_blank">and provide guidance.</a>&nbsp;One client they identified, a 70-year-old woman who receives 40 hours of weekly paid help, won’t be eligible after her review, according to LSEM. She weighs under 100 pounds and has had a stroke.

Without a caretaker, she won’t be able to make herself meals or bathe, and has no family in the area. She may have to be hospitalized or go to a nursing home.

State Rep. Deb Lavender, a Democrat of Manchester, said thousands will lose services, “without any support from the state” to fill in the gap.

“They’re going to be people who have received services for years,” she said, “and we have provided that for them — to then drop them because they don’t meet the new algorithm doesn’t seem right.”

Cox said 7,818 people are at risk of losing services, but she didn’t provide an estimate of any possible net change, saying the program will “continue to add more participants every month due to the increase in needs of our population.”&nbsp;

There were around 68,000 people monthly on the program last fiscal year, Cox said.

The new algorithm has been years in the making.&nbsp;

The legislature in 2017 grew concerned with the home and community based services program “just blossoming” in participation and cost, said Jessica Schaefer, program director for home and community based services in a&nbsp;<a href="https://stateofmo.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/stateofmo/recording/8d5b5ed15984103dbfd6d6c4b67e734f/playback" target="_blank">recent training.&nbsp;</a>

To cut the budget, the legislature in 2017 raised the threshold for eligibility. It also capped costs for services at a lower level.&nbsp;

The program is jointly funded by the state and federal government, and states vary widely in how they run the programs.

The department found those changes weren’t entirely effective, Schafer said — that some people who needed services most didn’t qualify anymore — so they launched a “transformation” of the eligibility criteria. It was designed to be more accurate at directing limited services to the correct people.

The “transformation is about ensuring those most in need of care receive the services needed to remain independent in their community,” Cox said.

There have been several delays in implementing the new algorithm — most recently because of federal rules tied to accepting American Rescue Plan Act funds. Since 2021, the department has used both the new and old algorithm, so that anyone who qualified on either basis could qualify for the program.

The state has generally characterized those who will lose coverage as people who don’t have needs significant enough to qualify in the first place.

In a slideshow for providers during a recent training, the state recommended when delivering the news of ineligibility to individuals, that they “exude confidence” and “put a positive spin on ineligibility,” along with connecting them to other resources and expressing sympathy.

Because the department has been providing two scores, advocates can see which clients will not qualify under the new algorithm and have been able to track it.

Advocates say they’ve repeatedly brought up concerns with the state based on clients they see are desperately in need of services who will no longer qualify.

“The only thing that we can do is just go ahead and allow them to do this, and then if there’s enough people that fall off the services and end up going to the nursing home, going in the hospital, having lots of problems because they’re not getting the services, then we can look at doing a class action lawsuit,” said Gundy, the southwest Missouri advocate.

“Which is really sad, because those people have to get hurt or have really bad health problems for something to get done.”

States across the country have made similar cuts to the program, based on automated decisions, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/02/algorithm-crucial-healthcare-decisions" target="_blank">Arkansas</a>, where the algorithm was successfully&nbsp;<a href="https://www.btah.org/case-study/arkansas-medicaid-home-and-community-based-services-hours-cuts.html" target="_blank">challenged</a>&nbsp;in court.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and a group of national advocates published a&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WH2Erz4P2IzLdAONZPBliiStb0hKM9dx6EJrMYtRo5o/edit" target="_blank">toolkit for providers and participants to understand the changes</a>&nbsp;and track those who lose services.

Emily Paul, project director at Upturn, a national organization that advocates for equity and justice in technology, has been involved in that analysis.

“What we understand in general is that automation is a tool that states are using to deal with inadequate funding for these programs, and to create a rationale for who doesn’t get services,” Paul said.

“Underfunding really drives the need to have this whole rationale for trying to distribute the resources and trying to make claims to fairness and objectivity within a system that is not really set up to actually meet people’s needs,” she said. “And so that’s the fundamental issue. States can still try to make better or worse choices about how they allocate the resources.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647707989275.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Nearly 8,000 seniors and Missourians with disabilities could lose at-home care over the next year after a new eligibility algorithm went into effect this week, a spokesperson for the state health department told The Independent.Starting Oct. 1, Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services implemented a change in the scoring algorithm they use to determine eligibility during annual reviews and enrollment for those receiving help with everyday tasks like going to the bathroom, getting dressed and taking their prescriptions. The assistance is part of a Medicaid-funded program called home and community based services designed to provide an alternative to those who would otherwise need to receive institutional care.&nbsp;That change, according to the department, is designed to help ensure those who truly need the services receive them, and those who don’t — for instance, because their conditions have improved or they’re not severe enough to qualify — are removed.“We want to ensure those with higher acuity needs are receiving the care they need,” said DHSS spokesperson Lisa Cox. “That is what this transformation is about—to ensure we are providing the right services, in the right setting, at the right time to those who would go into a facility placement if not for [home and community based services].”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But advocates are raising alarm that certain people who still need services will lose them, causing their health to decline or forcing them into institutional settings like nursing homes.&nbsp;Jennifer Gundy, who runs a center for independent living in southwest Missouri, which provides in-home care support for 370 people, estimates 18% of her clients will fall off the rolls.And most of them will still be in need of services, she said, including cases of those with severe diabetes, mobility issues, complicated medication regimes and other issues that are eased by current assistance but will worsen without it.“So that’s our concern,” she said. “And we’ve been voicing that concern with the state for probably the last two years,” she said.Joel Ferber, director of advocacy at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, said there are “truly needy folks who are going to lose services.”&nbsp;Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has been working with national advocacy groups to analyze the new algorithm and its effects,&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WH2Erz4P2IzLdAONZPBliiStb0hKM9dx6EJrMYtRo5o/edit" target="_blank">and provide guidance.</a>&nbsp;One client they identified, a 70-year-old woman who receives 40 hours of weekly paid help, won’t be eligible after her review, according to LSEM. She weighs under 100 pounds and has had a stroke.Without a caretaker, she won’t be able to make herself meals or bathe, and has no family in the area. She may have to be hospitalized or go to a nursing home.State Rep. Deb Lavender, a Democrat of Manchester, said thousands will lose services, “without any support from the state” to fill in the gap.“They’re going to be people who have received services for years,” she said, “and we have provided that for them — to then drop them because they don’t meet the new algorithm doesn’t seem right.”Cox said 7,818 people are at risk of losing services, but she didn’t provide an estimate of any possible net change, saying the program will “continue to add more participants every month due to the increase in needs of our population.”&nbsp;There were around 68,000 people monthly on the program last fiscal year, Cox said.The new algorithm has been years in the making.&nbsp;The legislature in 2017 grew concerned with the home and community based services program “just blossoming” in participation and cost, said Jessica Schaefer, program director for home and community based services in a&nbsp;<a href="https://stateofmo.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/stateofmo/recording/8d5b5ed15984103dbfd6d6c4b67e734f/playback" target="_blank">recent training.&nbsp;</a>To cut the budget, the legislature in 2017 raised the threshold for eligibility. It also capped costs for services at a lower level.&nbsp;The program is jointly funded by the state and federal government, and states vary widely in how they run the programs.The department found those changes weren’t entirely effective, Schafer said — that some people who needed services most didn’t qualify anymore — so they launched a “transformation” of the eligibility criteria. It was designed to be more accurate at directing limited services to the correct people.The “transformation is about ensuring those most in need of care receive the services needed to remain independent in their community,” Cox said.There have been several delays in implementing the new algorithm — most recently because of federal rules tied to accepting American Rescue Plan Act funds. Since 2021, the department has used both the new and old algorithm, so that anyone who qualified on either basis could qualify for the program.The state has generally characterized those who will lose coverage as people who don’t have needs significant enough to qualify in the first place.In a slideshow for providers during a recent training, the state recommended when delivering the news of ineligibility to individuals, that they “exude confidence” and “put a positive spin on ineligibility,” along with connecting them to other resources and expressing sympathy.Because the department has been providing two scores, advocates can see which clients will not qualify under the new algorithm and have been able to track it.Advocates say they’ve repeatedly brought up concerns with the state based on clients they see are desperately in need of services who will no longer qualify.“The only thing that we can do is just go ahead and allow them to do this, and then if there’s enough people that fall off the services and end up going to the nursing home, going in the hospital, having lots of problems because they’re not getting the services, then we can look at doing a class action lawsuit,” said Gundy, the southwest Missouri advocate.“Which is really sad, because those people have to get hurt or have really bad health problems for something to get done.”States across the country have made similar cuts to the program, based on automated decisions, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/02/algorithm-crucial-healthcare-decisions" target="_blank">Arkansas</a>, where the algorithm was successfully&nbsp;<a href="https://www.btah.org/case-study/arkansas-medicaid-home-and-community-based-services-hours-cuts.html" target="_blank">challenged</a>&nbsp;in court.Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and a group of national advocates published a&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WH2Erz4P2IzLdAONZPBliiStb0hKM9dx6EJrMYtRo5o/edit" target="_blank">toolkit for providers and participants to understand the changes</a>&nbsp;and track those who lose services.Emily Paul, project director at Upturn, a national organization that advocates for equity and justice in technology, has been involved in that analysis.“What we understand in general is that automation is a tool that states are using to deal with inadequate funding for these programs, and to create a rationale for who doesn’t get services,” Paul said.“Underfunding really drives the need to have this whole rationale for trying to distribute the resources and trying to make claims to fairness and objectivity within a system that is not really set up to actually meet people’s needs,” she said. “And so that’s the fundamental issue. States can still try to make better or worse choices about how they allocate the resources.”

Missourians with disabilities and seniors could lose at-home care under new eligibility algorithm

(Radio Iowa) - A report shows Iowa made significant strides in advancing renewable energy over the last two decades with wind and solar rising to 64-percent of Iowa’s electricity generation last year. 

Steve Guyer, the main author of the report for the Iowa Environmental Council, says the state's utilities need to speed up efforts to transition away from coal to reach national and international targets to help stave off climate change. Guyer says Iowa relied predominately on coal back in the year 2000, but wind generation started to really pick up around 2008, and 2019 was the cross-over point where Iowa started generating more power from wind than coal. Guyer says to reduce emissions further, utilities need to shut down the state’s remaining coal plants. 

MidAmerican Energy, Iowa's largest utility, says it plans to do that and reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by investing more in wind and solar, as well as nuclear.

(Radio Iowa) - A report shows Iowa made significant strides in advancing renewable energy over the last two decades with wind and solar rising to 64-percent of Iowa’s electricity generation last year. Steve Guyer, the main author of the report for the Iowa Environmental Council, says the state's utilities need to speed up efforts to transition away from coal to reach national and international targets to help stave off climate change. Guyer says Iowa relied predominately on coal back in the year 2000, but wind generation started to really pick up around 2008, and 2019 was the cross-over point where Iowa started generating more power from wind than coal. Guyer says to reduce emissions further, utilities need to shut down the state’s remaining coal plants. MidAmerican Energy, Iowa's largest utility, says it plans to do that and reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by investing more in wind and solar, as well as nuclear.

Study: Iowa sees progress toward wind and solar

(Radio Iowa) - Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the Midwestern agricultural sector is now in a "significant recession," and the region's economic picture is lagging. 

Creighton's monthly survey of business leaders and supply managers in Iowa and eight other states finds the overall Business Conditions Index fell below growth neutral during September -- for the fifth time this year. On a scale of zero-to-100, a score of 50 is considered growth neutral, and the Midwest economy showed a score of just over 48 last month. 

Iowa's score was even lower, dropping about a point from August to just above 43 for September, indicating the state's economy is significantly slowing. Goss says the overall economy is not in a recession, but the manufacturing sector is in a slight recession, while the ag sector is in a "fairly significant recession."

(Radio Iowa) - Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the Midwestern agricultural sector is now in a "significant recession," and the region's economic picture is lagging. Creighton's monthly survey of business leaders and supply managers in Iowa and eight other states finds the overall Business Conditions Index fell below growth neutral during September -- for the fifth time this year. On a scale of zero-to-100, a score of 50 is considered growth neutral, and the Midwest economy showed a score of just over 48 last month. Iowa's score was even lower, dropping about a point from August to just above 43 for September, indicating the state's economy is significantly slowing. Goss says the overall economy is not in a recession, but the manufacturing sector is in a slight recession, while the ag sector is in a "fairly significant recession."

Survey: Midwest economy is slumping, Iowa's economy is worse

Whether or not the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans
Memorial Airport in St. Joseph lands the latest C-130 cargo planes remains up
in the air.

Competition among Air National Guard wings remains fierce.

The 139th currently flies C-130H model planes. The
wing has applied for the new “J” models, but was passed over during the initial
allocation made by the Pentagon.

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves succeeded in getting
funding added to the Defense Budget for two additional C-130J planes, hoping 10
new planes will be located to St. Joseph.

“We’re working on that and I know that the 139th has
done everything they can, too, to fix all of the problems that the team that
came out and evaluated all the different bases around the country and set that
priority list for getting C-130Js,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “They
fix all their problems. So, we’re just going to continue to move forward and
continue to push.” 

The Air Guard base at Rosecrans fell short in that evaluation,
mostly due to the outdated facilities at the St. Joseph airport. Those are
being addressed. A new terminal with a new air traffic control tower are being
built. A new landing strip has been constructed. Other improvements are
underway as an unprecedented amount of money has been pouring in to Rosecrans
from the city, Buchanan County, and the state of Missouri. The tens of millions
being spent all have the same mission:&nbsp;
address the deficiencies that cost the 139th from getting the
new cargo planes during the first round.

Graves has been making the case in Washington, saying the 139th
can make a strong argument for getting the latest, modern cargo planes.

“The best thing we’ve got going for us is the Advanced Airlift
Tactics Training Center,” Graves says, pointing to the center that trains crews
from across the country as well as NATO.&nbsp;
“Because we are training crews in C-130Js, yet our crews are in C-130Hs.
And so, we need to make sure that they have the latest technology as well.”

Other Air Guard bases are also pressing their needs.

“Reno is one of the areas we’re competing with and one of
their missions is a firefighting mission,” Graves says. “I think our mission is
more important, but obviously they’re pushing their side of it. We’re competing
against bases all over the country and they’re all trying to make their case
the same as us. It’s hard to handicap it and the military keeps their cards very
close to their chest, too, when it comes to those decisions.”

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727809258428.jpeg" alt="C-130 cargo plane/Photo courtesy of the Air Guard 139th Airlift Wing" />
 <figcaption>C-130 cargo plane/Photo courtesy of the Air Guard 139th Airlift Wing</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostWhether or not the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans
Memorial Airport in St. Joseph lands the latest C-130 cargo planes remains up
in the air.Competition among Air National Guard wings remains fierce.The 139th currently flies C-130H model planes. The
wing has applied for the new “J” models, but was passed over during the initial
allocation made by the Pentagon.Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves succeeded in getting
funding added to the Defense Budget for two additional C-130J planes, hoping 10
new planes will be located to St. Joseph.“We’re working on that and I know that the 139th has
done everything they can, too, to fix all of the problems that the team that
came out and evaluated all the different bases around the country and set that
priority list for getting C-130Js,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “They
fix all their problems. So, we’re just going to continue to move forward and
continue to push.” The Air Guard base at Rosecrans fell short in that evaluation,
mostly due to the outdated facilities at the St. Joseph airport. Those are
being addressed. A new terminal with a new air traffic control tower are being
built. A new landing strip has been constructed. Other improvements are
underway as an unprecedented amount of money has been pouring in to Rosecrans
from the city, Buchanan County, and the state of Missouri. The tens of millions
being spent all have the same mission:&nbsp;
address the deficiencies that cost the 139th from getting the
new cargo planes during the first round.Graves has been making the case in Washington, saying the 139th
can make a strong argument for getting the latest, modern cargo planes.“The best thing we’ve got going for us is the Advanced Airlift
Tactics Training Center,” Graves says, pointing to the center that trains crews
from across the country as well as NATO.&nbsp;
“Because we are training crews in C-130Js, yet our crews are in C-130Hs.
And so, we need to make sure that they have the latest technology as well.”Other Air Guard bases are also pressing their needs.“Reno is one of the areas we’re competing with and one of
their missions is a firefighting mission,” Graves says. “I think our mission is
more important, but obviously they’re pushing their side of it. We’re competing
against bases all over the country and they’re all trying to make their case
the same as us. It’s hard to handicap it and the military keeps their cards very
close to their chest, too, when it comes to those decisions.”You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Graves says 139th still competing for new cargo planes

Now that the farm bill extension reached its deadline on Monday, what’s next? While the bill expired on September 30th, the funds don’t run out until the end of the year. Some lawmakers, including Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman, have called for another one-year extension. House Republicans said that another extension would fail to stop the bleeding in the current farm economy. 

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries puts the farm bill third on his list of must-pass bills for the lame-duck session of Congress, behind only averting a government shutdown and assuring military preparedness. “Farmers and ranchers do not have the luxury of waiting until the next Congress for an enactment of an effective five-year farm bill,” says House Ag Committee Chair Glen Thompson. Earlier this month, over 300 ag groups flew to Washington to lobby for an expedient, modernized farm bill passage.

Now that the farm bill extension reached its deadline on Monday, what’s next? While the bill expired on September 30th, the funds don’t run out until the end of the year. Some lawmakers, including Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman, have called for another one-year extension. House Republicans said that another extension would fail to stop the bleeding in the current farm economy. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries puts the farm bill third on his list of must-pass bills for the lame-duck session of Congress, behind only averting a government shutdown and assuring military preparedness. “Farmers and ranchers do not have the luxury of waiting until the next Congress for an enactment of an effective five-year farm bill,” says House Ag Committee Chair Glen Thompson. Earlier this month, over 300 ag groups flew to Washington to lobby for an expedient, modernized farm bill passage.-NAFB

Lawmakers push for post-election farm bill 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marymccuebell/">MARY MCCUE BELL</a>

WASHINGTON — Through 26 years as a legislator, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer traveled back and forth from work to be with his family in St. Elizabeth.

Luetkemeyer has another agenda for this fall’s election season&nbsp;<a href="https://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401023" target="_blank">rather than campaigning</a>: spending time on a small family farm in the Ozark foothills.

His seven grandchildren, aged from 2 to 17, were never old enough to cast a vote while Luetkemeyer was in Congress, but they will learn about his official activities with time.

“I want them to know that grandpa made a difference,” Luetkemeyer said.

The 72-year-old congressman, who usually arrives on Capitol Hill in the early morning during session weeks, said he plans to sleep in a little later and address the general upkeep of his quiet farm, leaving behind the pressures of solving national banking issues and addressing threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

He’s stepping away from power, prestige and decades of service on the national stage — and he’s doing it at a time when he was considered a front-runner to be elevated to an even more prominent position in Congress.

Since he was first elected to Congress in 2009, Luetkemeyer has helped pass legislation to preserve community banks and has chaired a powerful financial subcommittee, dealing with issues such as bank regulation.

He is among 45 of the 435 House members who have announced they are not seeking re-election in 2024, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_U.S._Congress_incumbents_who_are_not_running_for_re-election_in_2024" target="_blank">Ballotpedia</a>.

He’s represented Missourians in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/member/district/blaine-luetkemeyer/L000569" target="_blank">sprawling district</a>&nbsp;that stretches from St. Louis to the Lake of the Ozarks to Boonville. His district’s border includes part of Columbia: practically everything south of Broadway.

Sitting in front of his desk adorned with family photos and mementos in the Rayburn House Office Building this summer, Luetkemeyer told the Missourian that he intends to step out of the political ring completely; he has no lobbying aspirations.

“I’ve been a public servant for the last 26 years. I’ve done my time. I participated and represented folks,” Luetkemeyer said. “So I think it’s time for me to step back and be somebody who’s supportive of somebody else who wants to take that job.”

Luetkemeyer said it’s his belief that he hails from the smallest town of anyone in Congress: St. Elizabeth, located 30 miles south of Jefferson City with a population of 341, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://stelizabethmo.org/" target="_blank">town website</a>. While this presented a distinctive set of challenges during his time in Congress, an old-fashioned mix of hard work and determination overcame them.

But before Luetkemeyer nestles into retirement, he has to finish up his committee work.

He serves on the House Financial Services Committee, bringing his&nbsp;prior&nbsp;experience as a bank examiner for the state of Missouri and a loan officer and vice president at the Bank of St. Elizabeth, a family institution founded by his great-grandfather.

The announcement of his retirement in January was somewhat of a surprise,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2024-01-04/missouri-congressman-blaine-luetkemeyer-wont-run-for-reelection-in-2024" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio reported</a>, because Luetkemeyer was seen as a leading candidate to&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/2023/12/12/luetkemeyer-hill-favorites-for-top-financial-services-republican" target="_blank">succeed Rep. Patrick McHenry</a>, R-North Carolina, in the next Congress as the top Republican on the committee. Being home with family and retirement trumped that, Luetkemeyer said.

Reuters once called Luetkemeyer “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-luetkemeyer/elections-could-put-wall-streets-favorite-lawmaker-in-top-finance-role-idUSKCN1N4160" target="_blank">Wall Street’s favorite congressman</a>,” describing him as responsive to bankers’ complaints that excessive regulation was hurting the economy.

McHenry dubbed him “the champion for community banks.” He credits this title to Luetkemeyer’s time in multiple leadership roles in the House Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance and International Financial Institutions.

Ranking subcommittee member U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, described Luetkemeyer as a “dedicated public servant and scholar in Financial Services.”

“I enjoyed his steadfast leadership as chairman, and it was a pleasure working with him to advance bipartisan legislation and engage in meaningful discussions that have shaped our financial landscape,” Beatty said.

The vice chairwoman of the subcommittee, Rep. Young Kim, R-California, said that as chairman, Luetkemeyer would organize roundtable discussions that served as prep sessions before the committee hearing for members to understand the key issues and witnesses better. This type of leadership was important for Kim and her colleagues to comprehend the intricacy of the topic at hand, she said.

Kim said that when Luetkemeyer gets passionate, “he will always bang the table to really make a point.”

Luetkemeyer, who Kim thinks of as a “national security policy hawk,” is also on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. In the past year, this committee has examined China’s role in the fentanyl crisis and its cyber threats to U.S. national security.

Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan, the committee chairman, told the Missourian that he appreciated Luetkemeyer’s passion and leadership, adding that he will “serve as an example to others long after his retirement.”

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, chairman of the House Committee on Small Businesses, praised the expertise and experience Luetkemeyer brings as a member of that committee. Williams, who called Luetkemeyer one of his best friends in Congress, said his committees will be missing a “real business owner” and banker who “represented the people.”

The Center for Effective Lawmaking, a partnership between the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University that ranks policymakers, gave Luetkemeyer an&nbsp;<a href="https://thelawmakers.org/find-representatives" target="_blank">overall rating</a>&nbsp;for the last session of Congress that shows he is “exceeding expectations,” Craig Volden, the group’s co-director, said. The organization gave Luetkemeyer high marks in the area of banking and commerce that indicate he is “producing legislation and moving it forward at the rates equivalent of if he were actually 10 members of Congress.”

Some of the legislation Luetkemeyer was involved in included the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3244#:~:text=Stop" target="_blank">Stop Fentanyl Money Laundering Act of 2023</a>&nbsp;to combat fentanyl trafficking; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/4136" target="_blank">Water Resources Development Act of 2022</a>&nbsp;concerning water resources for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1799#:~:text=/30/2021)-,PPP" target="_blank">Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Extension Act of 2021</a>&nbsp;to aid small businesses in response to COVID-19; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3700" target="_blank">Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016</a>, which was the first rule bill to pass unanimously in both the House and Senate in 25 years, according to his office; and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/1457?q={" target="_blank">William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act</a>&nbsp;to review awarding the Medal of Honor to Jewish-American World War I veterans.

When Congress is in session, Luetkemeyer said that he travels back and forth each week from the Capitol to St. Elizabeth to be with his family and stay “grounded” with his constituents. He said he enjoys the work his office does helping constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy; if he can go home at night knowing that he helped a constituent that day, “that’s a good feeling.”

“I always tell people I’m just a liaison between you and your government,” Luetkemeyer said. “It’s not my government; it’s your government.”

Garrett Hawkins, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, an organization that has previously endorsed Luetkemeyer, said that he appreciates how the congressman is “not always looking to make the news.” He praised Luetkemeyer’s work on issues that affect farmers, small businesses and rural communities, such as advocating for flood control and navigation on the rivers.

Learning of the congressman’s departure was a “bittersweet feeling,” Hawkins said.

“I’m hoping that Blaine (and) his family get a chance to catch their breath,” Hawkins said. “He really has served with distinction. He’s worked hard, and he certainly deserves this retirement.”

While in office, Luetkemeyer said he often missed barbecues and birthdays with friends and family due to his commitments in Washington, D.C. Now, he’s eagerly anticipating the chance to enjoy uninterrupted family dinners.

“(Family) is a big part of my life, and I want to make it an even bigger part of it,” Luetkemeyer said.

In the race to fill his seat in Congress, Luetkemeyer had endorsed Kurt Schaefer, a lobbyist and former two-term state senator from Columbia. But Schaefer was defeated in the Aug. 6 Republican primary by former state Sen. Bob Onder of Lake St. Louis, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Bethany Mann, whom Luetkemeyer defeated in 2022, advanced from the Democratic primary as did Jordan Rowden of the Libertarian Party.

The general election is Nov. 5, when Luetkemeyer plans to keep up with the election stats while back home in St. Elizabeth after over two and a half decades as a public servant.

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/elections/missouri-congressional/its-time-for-me-to-step-back-blaine-luetkemeyer-looks-to-retirement/article_bc5c0c60-706e-11ef-810c-6bf99c3a271e.html" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727809887166.png" alt="Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marymccuebell/">MARY MCCUE BELL</a>WASHINGTON — Through 26 years as a legislator, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer traveled back and forth from work to be with his family in St. Elizabeth.Luetkemeyer has another agenda for this fall’s election season&nbsp;<a href="https://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401023" target="_blank">rather than campaigning</a>: spending time on a small family farm in the Ozark foothills.His seven grandchildren, aged from 2 to 17, were never old enough to cast a vote while Luetkemeyer was in Congress, but they will learn about his official activities with time.“I want them to know that grandpa made a difference,” Luetkemeyer said.The 72-year-old congressman, who usually arrives on Capitol Hill in the early morning during session weeks, said he plans to sleep in a little later and address the general upkeep of his quiet farm, leaving behind the pressures of solving national banking issues and addressing threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.He’s stepping away from power, prestige and decades of service on the national stage — and he’s doing it at a time when he was considered a front-runner to be elevated to an even more prominent position in Congress.Since he was first elected to Congress in 2009, Luetkemeyer has helped pass legislation to preserve community banks and has chaired a powerful financial subcommittee, dealing with issues such as bank regulation.He is among 45 of the 435 House members who have announced they are not seeking re-election in 2024, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_U.S._Congress_incumbents_who_are_not_running_for_re-election_in_2024" target="_blank">Ballotpedia</a>.He’s represented Missourians in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/member/district/blaine-luetkemeyer/L000569" target="_blank">sprawling district</a>&nbsp;that stretches from St. Louis to the Lake of the Ozarks to Boonville. His district’s border includes part of Columbia: practically everything south of Broadway.Sitting in front of his desk adorned with family photos and mementos in the Rayburn House Office Building this summer, Luetkemeyer told the Missourian that he intends to step out of the political ring completely; he has no lobbying aspirations.“I’ve been a public servant for the last 26 years. I’ve done my time. I participated and represented folks,” Luetkemeyer said. “So I think it’s time for me to step back and be somebody who’s supportive of somebody else who wants to take that job.”Luetkemeyer said it’s his belief that he hails from the smallest town of anyone in Congress: St. Elizabeth, located 30 miles south of Jefferson City with a population of 341, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://stelizabethmo.org/" target="_blank">town website</a>. While this presented a distinctive set of challenges during his time in Congress, an old-fashioned mix of hard work and determination overcame them.But before Luetkemeyer nestles into retirement, he has to finish up his committee work.He serves on the House Financial Services Committee, bringing his&nbsp;prior&nbsp;experience as a bank examiner for the state of Missouri and a loan officer and vice president at the Bank of St. Elizabeth, a family institution founded by his great-grandfather.The announcement of his retirement in January was somewhat of a surprise,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2024-01-04/missouri-congressman-blaine-luetkemeyer-wont-run-for-reelection-in-2024" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio reported</a>, because Luetkemeyer was seen as a leading candidate to&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/2023/12/12/luetkemeyer-hill-favorites-for-top-financial-services-republican" target="_blank">succeed Rep. Patrick McHenry</a>, R-North Carolina, in the next Congress as the top Republican on the committee. Being home with family and retirement trumped that, Luetkemeyer said.Reuters once called Luetkemeyer “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-luetkemeyer/elections-could-put-wall-streets-favorite-lawmaker-in-top-finance-role-idUSKCN1N4160" target="_blank">Wall Street’s favorite congressman</a>,” describing him as responsive to bankers’ complaints that excessive regulation was hurting the economy.McHenry dubbed him “the champion for community banks.” He credits this title to Luetkemeyer’s time in multiple leadership roles in the House Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance and International Financial Institutions.Ranking subcommittee member U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, described Luetkemeyer as a “dedicated public servant and scholar in Financial Services.”“I enjoyed his steadfast leadership as chairman, and it was a pleasure working with him to advance bipartisan legislation and engage in meaningful discussions that have shaped our financial landscape,” Beatty said.The vice chairwoman of the subcommittee, Rep. Young Kim, R-California, said that as chairman, Luetkemeyer would organize roundtable discussions that served as prep sessions before the committee hearing for members to understand the key issues and witnesses better. This type of leadership was important for Kim and her colleagues to comprehend the intricacy of the topic at hand, she said.Kim said that when Luetkemeyer gets passionate, “he will always bang the table to really make a point.”Luetkemeyer, who Kim thinks of as a “national security policy hawk,” is also on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. In the past year, this committee has examined China’s role in the fentanyl crisis and its cyber threats to U.S. national security.Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan, the committee chairman, told the Missourian that he appreciated Luetkemeyer’s passion and leadership, adding that he will “serve as an example to others long after his retirement.”Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, chairman of the House Committee on Small Businesses, praised the expertise and experience Luetkemeyer brings as a member of that committee. Williams, who called Luetkemeyer one of his best friends in Congress, said his committees will be missing a “real business owner” and banker who “represented the people.”The Center for Effective Lawmaking, a partnership between the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University that ranks policymakers, gave Luetkemeyer an&nbsp;<a href="https://thelawmakers.org/find-representatives" target="_blank">overall rating</a>&nbsp;for the last session of Congress that shows he is “exceeding expectations,” Craig Volden, the group’s co-director, said. The organization gave Luetkemeyer high marks in the area of banking and commerce that indicate he is “producing legislation and moving it forward at the rates equivalent of if he were actually 10 members of Congress.”Some of the legislation Luetkemeyer was involved in included the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3244#:~:text=Stop" target="_blank">Stop Fentanyl Money Laundering Act of 2023</a>&nbsp;to combat fentanyl trafficking; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/4136" target="_blank">Water Resources Development Act of 2022</a>&nbsp;concerning water resources for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1799#:~:text=/30/2021)-,PPP" target="_blank">Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Extension Act of 2021</a>&nbsp;to aid small businesses in response to COVID-19; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3700" target="_blank">Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016</a>, which was the first rule bill to pass unanimously in both the House and Senate in 25 years, according to his office; and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/1457?q={" target="_blank">William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act</a>&nbsp;to review awarding the Medal of Honor to Jewish-American World War I veterans.When Congress is in session, Luetkemeyer said that he travels back and forth each week from the Capitol to St. Elizabeth to be with his family and stay “grounded” with his constituents. He said he enjoys the work his office does helping constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy; if he can go home at night knowing that he helped a constituent that day, “that’s a good feeling.”“I always tell people I’m just a liaison between you and your government,” Luetkemeyer said. “It’s not my government; it’s your government.”Garrett Hawkins, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, an organization that has previously endorsed Luetkemeyer, said that he appreciates how the congressman is “not always looking to make the news.” He praised Luetkemeyer’s work on issues that affect farmers, small businesses and rural communities, such as advocating for flood control and navigation on the rivers.Learning of the congressman’s departure was a “bittersweet feeling,” Hawkins said.“I’m hoping that Blaine (and) his family get a chance to catch their breath,” Hawkins said. “He really has served with distinction. He’s worked hard, and he certainly deserves this retirement.”While in office, Luetkemeyer said he often missed barbecues and birthdays with friends and family due to his commitments in Washington, D.C. Now, he’s eagerly anticipating the chance to enjoy uninterrupted family dinners.“(Family) is a big part of my life, and I want to make it an even bigger part of it,” Luetkemeyer said.In the race to fill his seat in Congress, Luetkemeyer had endorsed Kurt Schaefer, a lobbyist and former two-term state senator from Columbia. But Schaefer was defeated in the Aug. 6 Republican primary by former state Sen. Bob Onder of Lake St. Louis, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.Bethany Mann, whom Luetkemeyer defeated in 2022, advanced from the Democratic primary as did Jordan Rowden of the Libertarian Party.The general election is Nov. 5, when Luetkemeyer plans to keep up with the election stats while back home in St. Elizabeth after over two and a half decades as a public servant.This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/elections/missouri-congressional/its-time-for-me-to-step-back-blaine-luetkemeyer-looks-to-retirement/article_bc5c0c60-706e-11ef-810c-6bf99c3a271e.html" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

‘It’s time for me to step back’: Missouri’s Blaine Luetkemeyer looks to retirement from Congress

The St. Joseph School District recently completed an expansion of the Hillyard Technical Center that added space for new programs and expansion of others.  

Superintendent Gabe Edgar says the expansion was designed to help address employment needs in the community, from manufacturing to healthcare.  

Edgar says the school district worked with a special advisory board to figure out where those needs were prior to the expansion 

"What kind of welding employees they needed, what kind of precision manufacturing employees they needed, what kind of mechanics they needed, all of that stuff has kind of come to fruition," Edgar tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  

Edgar says these partnerships will not only benefit the school district, but also the area employers and the community as a whole.  

One program that the facility has helped expand is the diesel tech program.  School Board Vice President Mike Moore says when that program began, there wasn't even room for a shop for students to work.  

Since the expansion however, several partnerships have helped enhance the capabilities of the program.  One in particular Moore says, was with Daimler Truck North America to provide a diesel truck for students to work on 

"So, we're talking a $100,000 plus vehicle that has got the latest control systems, the latest hydraulics, braking, everything that the students need that's very relevant for the trucks that are being made today," Moore explains. 

Moore says that just recently they had an opportunity to deliver the truck to Hillyard 

"They filled the driveway, they clapped for the truck as it came in, they immediately crawled underneath it and started asking questions and looking at it," Moore says. "And so, yeah I think there's strong evidence that kids are responding to this." 

The partnership with Daimler is one of many to provide state of the art equipment to the facility, so students can work on the equipment that they would work on once they are out of school.  

Since the expansion, Edgar says students in the welding programs have nearly doubled. But what the best part of the expansion is, Edgar says, is that the space is a simulated facility 

"So, all these specialized training centers are right next to each other, so these kids can actually learn a little bit of everything," Edgar explains. "So, if somebody didn't like welding and they wanted to try precision machines, they can move right over there and try precision machines, so it's more of a partnership." 

Edgar says a space like this will be good for students as they explore interests at Hillyard which will help expand future workforce endeavors in the community. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677777811928.png" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The St. Joseph School District recently completed an expansion of the Hillyard Technical Center that added space for new programs and expansion of others. Superintendent Gabe Edgar says the expansion was designed to help address employment needs in the community, from manufacturing to healthcare. Edgar says the school district worked with a special advisory board to figure out where those needs were prior to the expansion "What kind of welding employees they needed, what kind of precision manufacturing employees they needed, what kind of mechanics they needed, all of that stuff has kind of come to fruition," Edgar tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. Edgar says these partnerships will not only benefit the school district, but also the area employers and the community as a whole. One program that the facility has helped expand is the diesel tech program. School Board Vice President Mike Moore says when that program began, there wasn't even room for a shop for students to work. Since the expansion however, several partnerships have helped enhance the capabilities of the program. One in particular Moore says, was with Daimler Truck North America to provide a diesel truck for students to work on "So, we're talking a $100,000 plus vehicle that has got the latest control systems, the latest hydraulics, braking, everything that the students need that's very relevant for the trucks that are being made today," Moore explains. Moore says that just recently they had an opportunity to deliver the truck to Hillyard "They filled the driveway, they clapped for the truck as it came in, they immediately crawled underneath it and started asking questions and looking at it," Moore says. "And so, yeah I think there's strong evidence that kids are responding to this." The partnership with Daimler is one of many to provide state of the art equipment to the facility, so students can work on the equipment that they would work on once they are out of school. Since the expansion, Edgar says students in the welding programs have nearly doubled. But what the best part of the expansion is, Edgar says, is that the space is a simulated facility "So, all these specialized training centers are right next to each other, so these kids can actually learn a little bit of everything," Edgar explains. "So, if somebody didn't like welding and they wanted to try precision machines, they can move right over there and try precision machines, so it's more of a partnership." Edgar says a space like this will be good for students as they explore interests at Hillyard which will help expand future workforce endeavors in the community.

Hillyard expansion tries to fit community needs

(Radio Iowa) - An analysis from the group Food &amp; Water Watch says Iowa is the top-ranking state for producing manure from livestock feeding operations at 109 billion pounds annually.

 The nonprofit organization’s research director, Amanda Starbuck, says the livestock waste in Iowa is estimated to be 25 times more than what’s produced by the state’s human population. Starbuck says there is a difference between the two types of waste as human waste is treated but animal waste is not. 

While manure can add nutrients and organic matter to farm fields, Starbuck says the sheer amount of waste is too much for the land to handle and it runs off in rainstorms, enters rivers and streams and seeps into groundwater and ends up becoming an environmental burden.

(Radio Iowa) - An analysis from the group Food &amp; Water Watch says Iowa is the top-ranking state for producing manure from livestock feeding operations at 109 billion pounds annually. The nonprofit organization’s research director, Amanda Starbuck, says the livestock waste in Iowa is estimated to be 25 times more than what’s produced by the state’s human population. Starbuck says there is a difference between the two types of waste as human waste is treated but animal waste is not. While manure can add nutrients and organic matter to farm fields, Starbuck says the sheer amount of waste is too much for the land to handle and it runs off in rainstorms, enters rivers and streams and seeps into groundwater and ends up becoming an environmental burden.

Group Says Iowa Top Animal Manure Producer

(Radio Iowa) - The one-year extension of the Farm Bill expired yesterday (Monday) and the temporary spending package congress approved last week to keep the government operating through December 20th did not include even a temporary continuation of Farm Bill policies. 

Two Republican congressmen from Iowa -- Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra -- serve on the House Ag Committee, which passed its version of the Farm Bill four months ago. Nunn wrote the House Speaker a letter, asking him to schedule a vote in the House before congress left town -- and now congress won't return until November 12th. Feenstra says given low commodity prices and declining farm income, congress needs to approve a new Farm Bill to deliver certainty and relief for Iowa agriculture. 

Ryan Melton, the Democrat who's running against Feenstra, says Feenstra is serving in the least productive U.S. House in modern history and the Farm Bill is long overdue.

(Radio Iowa) - The one-year extension of the Farm Bill expired yesterday (Monday) and the temporary spending package congress approved last week to keep the government operating through December 20th did not include even a temporary continuation of Farm Bill policies. Two Republican congressmen from Iowa -- Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra -- serve on the House Ag Committee, which passed its version of the Farm Bill four months ago. Nunn wrote the House Speaker a letter, asking him to schedule a vote in the House before congress left town -- and now congress won't return until November 12th. Feenstra says given low commodity prices and declining farm income, congress needs to approve a new Farm Bill to deliver certainty and relief for Iowa agriculture. Ryan Melton, the Democrat who's running against Feenstra, says Feenstra is serving in the least productive U.S. House in modern history and the Farm Bill is long overdue.

Farm Bill has expired, congress doesn't return until after election

KU professor says Walz, Vance to target swing-state, middle-class voters

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — The debate between vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance on Tuesday could offer an unusually consequential blend of policy provocation, personal attack and rhetorical flair given the tight presidential race with a month left in the campaign.

Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas professor of communication studies who has written extensively about political messaging, said during a recording of the Kansas Reflector podcast that Vance and Walz would be assigned similar tasks of avoiding a humiliating stumble and making people a bit more comfortable with them in the No. 2 spot on the Republican and Democratic tickets.

“I do think it means this debate is important,” said Rowland, sitting in a KU office populated with political memorabilia of George H.W. Bush, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. “I think the potential for a gaffe is important.”

At the same time, he said, the vice presidential nominees were certain to lock onto talking points of the GOP’s Donald Trump, who won the presidential election in 2016 and lost in 2020, and Democrat Kamala Harris, the vice president and part of the team with President Joe Biden that dethroned Trump.

Rowland said a special assignment for Vance would be to humanize himself for voters who might be uncertain whether he cared about Americans broadly rather than exclusively the MAGA base.

“Vance is fulfilling a role often played by vice presidential candidates — attack dog carrying the nationalist populist message of Donald Trump. The focus of his campaign has been on activating core Trump supporters,” Rowland said.

Vance, a first-term Republican U.S. senator from Ohio and the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” might be able to do that by focusing on the economy and high consumer pricing that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rowland also said Vance could drill into U.S. election integrity and concerns about undocumented immigration, despite Trump’s demand that Republicans derail a bipartisan federal legislation that would have dealt with elements of border security.

Rowland said Walz, as a two-term governor of Minnesota, former member of the U.S. House and one-time teacher and football coach, would most certainly track Harris’ agenda on abortion rights, health care, taxation, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The objective would be for Walz to address those issues in a manner easily consumed by rural, male Midwestern voters, Rowland said.

“In a way, both Vance and Walz present a vision of the paternal — of what a father might look like,” Rowland said. “But Vance comes across as a very judgmental thou-shalt-not father. Walz comes across as the kind of loving, goofy dad. It’ll be a battle between those persons.”

Rowland said Vance should be careful not to insult potential voters, including women generally, while espousing conservative political ideals. Vance ought to leave backstage his critique of “childless cat ladies” because there was nothing to be gained by attacking Taylor Swift and millions of her fans, he said.

Walz would help himself by avoiding comments that portrayed himself as a radical liberal. Walz should avoid the temptation to get too far into the policy weeds on issues, Rowland said.

“Walz is broadening the message,” he said. “It’s obviously an appeal to rural voters and an appeal to the working class. Walz made a point of saying that he and none of his friends went to Yale — a jab at Vance.”

Rowland said Vance could deal with anti-Trump statements he made in the past by confessing to having had “bad information” and that his appreciation for the former president had grown over the years. It likely wouldn’t be fruitful for Walz to delve into Trump’s ongoing criminal and civil legal problems because that information has already been baked into the minds of voters, Rowland said.

Rowland anticipated fact-checkers would remain busy during the debate — a job made increasingly problematic by erosion of “shared facts” in the United States.

Rowland said the vice presidential candidates would appreciate the elevated potential of the debate in New York City at 8 p.m. Tuesday on CBS. They would be expected to shape remarks to make the most of an opportunity to influence undecided voters in swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

To this point in the campaign, Rowland said, Vance’s mission was narrow and concentrated on exciting the most fervent MAGA Republicans. The shift toward a wider message could be tricky, Rowland said.

“He’s not been chosen as an outreach candidate. Often candidates are chosen to broaden the appeal of the president. In 2016, (Trump running mate) Mike Pence was the nominee because he was an appeal to evangelicals who had questions about Donald Trump’s morality. Vance, on the other hand, is even more MAGA in some ways that Donald Trump is, but lacking his charisma,” he said.

Rowland said Vance had underperformed expectations as the running mate for Trump, while Walz exceeded what Harris assumed he brought to the table.

“Governor Walz has been perhaps the most effective spokesperson for the message&nbsp;of&nbsp;the Kamala Harris campaign — that Trump, Vance and other MAGA Republicans are weird,” Rowland said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727787044066.png" alt=" Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas professor of communication studies, says Tuesday’s vice presidential debate between Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz carries elevated importance given the extremely close presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas professor of communication studies, says Tuesday’s vice presidential debate between Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz carries elevated importance given the extremely close presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>KU professor says Walz, Vance to target swing-state, middle-class voters</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE — The debate between vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance on Tuesday could offer an unusually consequential blend of policy provocation, personal attack and rhetorical flair given the tight presidential race with a month left in the campaign.Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas professor of communication studies who has written extensively about political messaging, said during a recording of the Kansas Reflector podcast that Vance and Walz would be assigned similar tasks of avoiding a humiliating stumble and making people a bit more comfortable with them in the No. 2 spot on the Republican and Democratic tickets.“I do think it means this debate is important,” said Rowland, sitting in a KU office populated with political memorabilia of George H.W. Bush, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. “I think the potential for a gaffe is important.”At the same time, he said, the vice presidential nominees were certain to lock onto talking points of the GOP’s Donald Trump, who won the presidential election in 2016 and lost in 2020, and Democrat Kamala Harris, the vice president and part of the team with President Joe Biden that dethroned Trump.Rowland said a special assignment for Vance would be to humanize himself for voters who might be uncertain whether he cared about Americans broadly rather than exclusively the MAGA base.“Vance is fulfilling a role often played by vice presidential candidates — attack dog carrying the nationalist populist message of Donald Trump. The focus of his campaign has been on activating core Trump supporters,” Rowland said.Vance, a first-term Republican U.S. senator from Ohio and the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” might be able to do that by focusing on the economy and high consumer pricing that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.Rowland also said Vance could drill into U.S. election integrity and concerns about undocumented immigration, despite Trump’s demand that Republicans derail a bipartisan federal legislation that would have dealt with elements of border security.Rowland said Walz, as a two-term governor of Minnesota, former member of the U.S. House and one-time teacher and football coach, would most certainly track Harris’ agenda on abortion rights, health care, taxation, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The objective would be for Walz to address those issues in a manner easily consumed by rural, male Midwestern voters, Rowland said.“In a way, both Vance and Walz present a vision of the paternal — of what a father might look like,” Rowland said. “But Vance comes across as a very judgmental thou-shalt-not father. Walz comes across as the kind of loving, goofy dad. It’ll be a battle between those persons.”Rowland said Vance should be careful not to insult potential voters, including women generally, while espousing conservative political ideals. Vance ought to leave backstage his critique of “childless cat ladies” because there was nothing to be gained by attacking Taylor Swift and millions of her fans, he said.Walz would help himself by avoiding comments that portrayed himself as a radical liberal. Walz should avoid the temptation to get too far into the policy weeds on issues, Rowland said.“Walz is broadening the message,” he said. “It’s obviously an appeal to rural voters and an appeal to the working class. Walz made a point of saying that he and none of his friends went to Yale — a jab at Vance.”Rowland said Vance could deal with anti-Trump statements he made in the past by confessing to having had “bad information” and that his appreciation for the former president had grown over the years. It likely wouldn’t be fruitful for Walz to delve into Trump’s ongoing criminal and civil legal problems because that information has already been baked into the minds of voters, Rowland said.Rowland anticipated fact-checkers would remain busy during the debate — a job made increasingly problematic by erosion of “shared facts” in the United States.Rowland said the vice presidential candidates would appreciate the elevated potential of the debate in New York City at 8 p.m. Tuesday on CBS. They would be expected to shape remarks to make the most of an opportunity to influence undecided voters in swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.To this point in the campaign, Rowland said, Vance’s mission was narrow and concentrated on exciting the most fervent MAGA Republicans. The shift toward a wider message could be tricky, Rowland said.“He’s not been chosen as an outreach candidate. Often candidates are chosen to broaden the appeal of the president. In 2016, (Trump running mate) Mike Pence was the nominee because he was an appeal to evangelicals who had questions about Donald Trump’s morality. Vance, on the other hand, is even more MAGA in some ways that Donald Trump is, but lacking his charisma,” he said.Rowland said Vance had underperformed expectations as the running mate for Trump, while Walz exceeded what Harris assumed he brought to the table.“Governor Walz has been perhaps the most effective spokesperson for the message&nbsp;of&nbsp;the Kamala Harris campaign — that Trump, Vance and other MAGA Republicans are weird,” Rowland said.

KU professor: Vice presidential debate in close race elevates potential damage of stage gaffe

HOUSTON —The International Longshoremen’s Association shut down all ports from Maine to Texas at 12:01am on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, as tens of thousands of ILA rank-and-file members began setting up picket lines at waterfront facilities up and down the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, according to a media release from the Union.

The ILA rejected United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) final proposal made on Monday, setting the stage for the first ILA coast wide strike in almost 50 years.  The USMX last offer fell far short of what ILA rank-and-file members are demanding in wages and protections against automation.

“USMX brought on this strike when they decided to hold firm to foreign owned Ocean Carriers earning billion-dollar profits at United States ports, but not compensate the American ILA longshore workers who perform the labor that brings them their wealth,” said President Harold Daggett, the leader of the 85,000-member ILA union.

 “We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve.”Even the leaders in Washington who encouraged the ILA and USMX to keep negotiations going up until the September 30th deadline, concluded on Monday that USMX and the greedy foreign companies they represent are only interested in protecting their fat revenues and not taking care of hard-working ILA longshore workers.

The ILA said USMX’s supposed wage increase offer fell far short of the demands of ILA rank-and-file members for them to ratify a new contract.“USMX owns this strike now,” said ILA President Daggett.  “They now must meet our demands for this strike to end.”    Contact:  Jim McNamara, ILA.  jmcnamara@ilaunion.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727747586214.png" alt="Image ILA" />
 <figcaption>Image ILA</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON —The International Longshoremen’s Association shut down all ports from Maine to Texas at 12:01am on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, as tens of thousands of ILA rank-and-file members began setting up picket lines at waterfront facilities up and down the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, according to a media release from the Union.The ILA rejected United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) final proposal made on Monday, setting the stage for the first ILA coast wide strike in almost 50 years. The USMX last offer fell far short of what ILA rank-and-file members are demanding in wages and protections against automation.“USMX brought on this strike when they decided to hold firm to foreign owned Ocean Carriers earning billion-dollar profits at United States ports, but not compensate the American ILA longshore workers who perform the labor that brings them their wealth,” said President Harold Daggett, the leader of the 85,000-member ILA union.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727776601084.png" alt="Image courtesy ILA" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ILA</figcaption>
 </figure> “We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve.”Even the leaders in Washington who encouraged the ILA and USMX to keep negotiations going up until the September 30th deadline, concluded on Monday that USMX and the greedy foreign companies they represent are only interested in protecting their fat revenues and not taking care of hard-working ILA longshore workers.The ILA said USMX’s supposed wage increase offer fell far short of the demands of ILA rank-and-file members for them to ratify a new contract.“USMX owns this strike now,” said ILA President Daggett. “They now must meet our demands for this strike to end.” Contact: Jim McNamara, ILA. jmcnamara@ilaunion.org.

Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas go on strike

Jamie Reed shared hundreds of pages of documents containing details of patient care with Missouri Attorney General’s Office

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

The former caseworker whose account of her time working at a pediatric gender clinic in St. Louis jumpstarted the legislative push to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors testified in defense of Missouri’s restriction on Monday.

Jamie Reed, who for four and a half years worked as a case manager at the Washington University Transgender Center, was the first witness called by the state in the two-week trial over the constitutionality of the law. Reed’s public statements and sworn affidavit about her experience at the clinic were the genesis for&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/14/proposed-ban-on-medical-transitions-for-minors-gains-renewed-traction-in-missouri-senate/">Missouri lawmakers prioritizing the ban</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/09/missouri-agencies-launch-investigation-into-health-center-for-transgender-youth/">spurred broad investigations</a>&nbsp;by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office into practitioners statewide.

Reed testified as a fact witness, meaning she couldn’t speak as an expert but could provide insight into her experiences working at the Transgender Center. Many of Monday’s questions gravitated toward the records she kept — and later shared — that contained information on the center’s patients.

Under the 2023 law, health care providers can’t prescribe new gender-affirming care medications to minors or refer them for surgery, and the state’s Medicaid program is barred from paying for gender-affirming medical care for any age. Transgender Missourians, their families and health care providers filed a lawsuit in July 2023, calling the law unconstitutional because it discriminated against transgender people.

Last week, plaintiffs called witnesses that testified that their medical record numbers and treatment information were listed in a document that Reed shared with Attorney General Andrew Bailey and at least one reporter.

When asked Thursday about his daughter’s information being shared, J.K. (who testified using his initials as a pseudonym) said he never consented to the information being spread.

“It’s confusing and mystifying,” he said. “I don’t know why this person would share our information. I have no idea what this person is up to.”

He didn’t interact with Reed, he said, apart from getting an email after an appointment with follow-up information from her. But somehow, his daughter’s information was in Reed’s table.

Elliott, a college student who went to the Transgender Center as a teenager and testified using only their first name, said Friday that Reed was never in appointments with them. Elliott is “terrified” that the attorney general has information related to their medical care.

“I don’t know what they’ll do with that information,” Elliott said. “I don’t think it’s any of (the state’s) business that I’m trans.”

Elliott also thought Reed’s affidavit, which was released to the public, described them in a paragraph that was so specific friends and family could identify them.

“I was extremely upset (when I read the affidavit),” Elliott said. “I didn’t think it was an accurate representation of the care I received at Wash U. There was a line I thought could represent me, and if so, I am angry that I was used without my permission.”

Reed testified on Monday that this part of her affidavit was describing multiple patients. Other paragraphs talking about “a patient” were also a compilation of more than one person, she said.

The affidavit was based on medical records, patient visits and “firsthand knowledge” she testified.&nbsp;

Reed didn’t dispute that Elliott’s information was shared in a 23-page document that listed patients’ medical record numbers instead of names. She didn’t consider this private health information protected by federal law because someone would need a key with names alongside medical record numbers to identify patients.

She sent this data to Bailey after a subpoena, she testified, but she also sent it to a New York Times reporter.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Gillian Wilcox asked about the 300 pages sent to the reporter. Reed said she sent “redacted documents that contained no (private health information).”

Reed, for part of her time at the Transgender Center, tracked patients she was concerned about on a “red-flag list.” She called it that because red flags at the beach mean to “proceed with caution,” she testified.

There were 27 patients on the list, identified by name instead of medical record number. Reed says she monitored them with a nurse at the center who shared concerns with Reed that too many children were receiving cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.

Reed sent this list to Bailey in early February 2023 at the time of her affidavit, she said.

Other records she sent to Bailey include emails compiled from her Washington University email account, a list of therapists the center often referred patients to and copies of referral letters from therapists.

Reed told The Independent previously that she redacted names in the referral letters. This was not asked in court Monday.

Wilcox asked about a letter Reed sent Bailey in April 2024, long after she ended her employment with the Transgender Center.

The letter shared information from the center’s schedule that Reed believed showed the center was accepting new patients, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/washington-university-the-second-missouri-provider-to-stop-transgender-care-for-minors/">public statements</a>&nbsp;that it would not.

Reed currently works as executive director of the LGBT Courage Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates against gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

She recently traveled to the American Academy of Pediatrics convention in Florida to help volunteers “educate” pediatricians on gender-affirming care. A press release on the group’s participation described it as a “peaceful protest,” but Reed did not characterize the demonstration as a protest.

She wouldn’t answer whether she supported gender-affirming care for adults or not, though she had indicated support in prior testimony. She cited “changes in (her) personal life.”

At the beginning of questioning, she testified that her spouse was “detransitioning,” or stopping testosterone treatments. Sunday evening, her spouse’s perspective was published in The Free Press, the same website that launched Reed as a whistleblower in February 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727746322211.png" alt=" A former case worker of the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital testified Monday in the trial challenging Missouri's restrictions on gender-affirming care (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> A former case worker of the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital testified Monday in the trial challenging Missouri's restrictions on gender-affirming care (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Jamie Reed shared hundreds of pages of documents containing details of patient care with Missouri Attorney General’s Office</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>The former caseworker whose account of her time working at a pediatric gender clinic in St. Louis jumpstarted the legislative push to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors testified in defense of Missouri’s restriction on Monday.Jamie Reed, who for four and a half years worked as a case manager at the Washington University Transgender Center, was the first witness called by the state in the two-week trial over the constitutionality of the law. Reed’s public statements and sworn affidavit about her experience at the clinic were the genesis for&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/14/proposed-ban-on-medical-transitions-for-minors-gains-renewed-traction-in-missouri-senate/">Missouri lawmakers prioritizing the ban</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/09/missouri-agencies-launch-investigation-into-health-center-for-transgender-youth/">spurred broad investigations</a>&nbsp;by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office into practitioners statewide.Reed testified as a fact witness, meaning she couldn’t speak as an expert but could provide insight into her experiences working at the Transgender Center. Many of Monday’s questions gravitated toward the records she kept — and later shared — that contained information on the center’s patients.Under the 2023 law, health care providers can’t prescribe new gender-affirming care medications to minors or refer them for surgery, and the state’s Medicaid program is barred from paying for gender-affirming medical care for any age. Transgender Missourians, their families and health care providers filed a lawsuit in July 2023, calling the law unconstitutional because it discriminated against transgender people.Last week, plaintiffs called witnesses that testified that their medical record numbers and treatment information were listed in a document that Reed shared with Attorney General Andrew Bailey and at least one reporter.When asked Thursday about his daughter’s information being shared, J.K. (who testified using his initials as a pseudonym) said he never consented to the information being spread.“It’s confusing and mystifying,” he said. “I don’t know why this person would share our information. I have no idea what this person is up to.”He didn’t interact with Reed, he said, apart from getting an email after an appointment with follow-up information from her. But somehow, his daughter’s information was in Reed’s table.Elliott, a college student who went to the Transgender Center as a teenager and testified using only their first name, said Friday that Reed was never in appointments with them. Elliott is “terrified” that the attorney general has information related to their medical care.“I don’t know what they’ll do with that information,” Elliott said. “I don’t think it’s any of (the state’s) business that I’m trans.”Elliott also thought Reed’s affidavit, which was released to the public, described them in a paragraph that was so specific friends and family could identify them.“I was extremely upset (when I read the affidavit),” Elliott said. “I didn’t think it was an accurate representation of the care I received at Wash U. There was a line I thought could represent me, and if so, I am angry that I was used without my permission.”Reed testified on Monday that this part of her affidavit was describing multiple patients. Other paragraphs talking about “a patient” were also a compilation of more than one person, she said.The affidavit was based on medical records, patient visits and “firsthand knowledge” she testified.&nbsp;Reed didn’t dispute that Elliott’s information was shared in a 23-page document that listed patients’ medical record numbers instead of names. She didn’t consider this private health information protected by federal law because someone would need a key with names alongside medical record numbers to identify patients.She sent this data to Bailey after a subpoena, she testified, but she also sent it to a New York Times reporter.Plaintiffs’ attorney Gillian Wilcox asked about the 300 pages sent to the reporter. Reed said she sent “redacted documents that contained no (private health information).”Reed, for part of her time at the Transgender Center, tracked patients she was concerned about on a “red-flag list.” She called it that because red flags at the beach mean to “proceed with caution,” she testified.There were 27 patients on the list, identified by name instead of medical record number. Reed says she monitored them with a nurse at the center who shared concerns with Reed that too many children were receiving cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.Reed sent this list to Bailey in early February 2023 at the time of her affidavit, she said.Other records she sent to Bailey include emails compiled from her Washington University email account, a list of therapists the center often referred patients to and copies of referral letters from therapists.Reed told The Independent previously that she redacted names in the referral letters. This was not asked in court Monday.Wilcox asked about a letter Reed sent Bailey in April 2024, long after she ended her employment with the Transgender Center.The letter shared information from the center’s schedule that Reed believed showed the center was accepting new patients, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/washington-university-the-second-missouri-provider-to-stop-transgender-care-for-minors/">public statements</a>&nbsp;that it would not.Reed currently works as executive director of the LGBT Courage Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates against gender-affirming care for transgender youth.She recently traveled to the American Academy of Pediatrics convention in Florida to help volunteers “educate” pediatricians on gender-affirming care. A press release on the group’s participation described it as a “peaceful protest,” but Reed did not characterize the demonstration as a protest.She wouldn’t answer whether she supported gender-affirming care for adults or not, though she had indicated support in prior testimony. She cited “changes in (her) personal life.”At the beginning of questioning, she testified that her spouse was “detransitioning,” or stopping testosterone treatments. Sunday evening, her spouse’s perspective was published in The Free Press, the same website that launched Reed as a whistleblower in February 2023.

Former caseworker testifies in defense of Mo. transgender health care ban

KANSAS CITY—A ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday celebrated a new bridge named after a Kansas City Champion Buck O’Neil! Thanks to all who helped us celebrate, the bridge is set to open to traffic later in October.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The bridge links downtown Kansas City and North Kansas City&nbsp; and will accomodate over 50,000 vehicles daily, offers a direct connection from I-35 to US-169, a new bike/pedestrian lane, and improved access to the downtown airport, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727739430395.png" alt="Photo Missouri Governor Mike Parson" />
 <figcaption>Photo Missouri Governor Mike Parson</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday celebrated a new bridge named after a Kansas City Champion Buck O’Neil! Thanks to all who helped us celebrate, the bridge is set to open to traffic later in October.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727739732143.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;The bridge links downtown Kansas City and North Kansas City&nbsp; and will accomodate over 50,000 vehicles daily, offers a direct connection from I-35 to US-169, a new bike/pedestrian lane, and improved access to the downtown airport, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Kansas City celebrates with ribbon cutting for new Buck O’Neil Bridge 

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds spent about a third of the month of September on a trade mission in India. 

Reynolds says the groundwork for her meetings was laid decades ago by the Iowa native who won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his research that improved wheat and rice yields. Borlaug took a wheat variety he'd developed to India in the mid-1960s and increased wheat production there by 60 percent. 

Reynolds says she and the other Iowans who were part of the delegation spent a lot of time talking about how Iowa and India can take that next step and continue to feed and fuel the world together.

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds spent about a third of the month of September on a trade mission in India. Reynolds says the groundwork for her meetings was laid decades ago by the Iowa native who won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his research that improved wheat and rice yields. Borlaug took a wheat variety he'd developed to India in the mid-1960s and increased wheat production there by 60 percent. Reynolds says she and the other Iowans who were part of the delegation spent a lot of time talking about how Iowa and India can take that next step and continue to feed and fuel the world together.

Kbct