On March 23, two inmates attempted to escape Anamosa State Penitentiary. They violently attacked and killed a nurse and correctional officer with hammers. They also held another staff member hostage and seriously injured a fellow inmate who attempted to render aid. It’s the first time an inmate has killed a worker since 1972.
This terrible tragedy never should have happened, and it was preventable. The warning signs have been there for a long time:
* Rising violence with offender assaults on staff escalating in recent years.
* Overcrowded prisons, by nearly 10% above inmate capacity.
* Cuts to staffing, with more than 600 employee positions lost over the last decade.
* Inadequate funding for prisons. In Anamosa alone, funding is $800,000 lower today than it was in 2016.
* Inability to negotiate workplace safety provisions since 2017, when Republican lawmakers stripped collective bargaining rights for public servants.
As legislators, it’s our job to keep the staff and public safe, especially in places like Anamosa.
I’m ready to take immediate action. This session, the Legislature must:
* Fully fund the prisons and fill all positions
* Conduct an independent investigation at Anamosa
* Implement new training procedures in our prisons
* Restore bargaining rights for prison workers and other public employees
2nd funnel limits bills
Last week, the Legislature passed a key deadline, the “second funnel.” For Senate policy bills to remain eligible for consideration, they had to be approved by a House committee, and House policy bills had to be approved by a Senate committee to remain alive.
The funnel helps legislators narrow our focus to what has a real chance of becoming law this year. Fortunately, some bad ideas have died, and many good opportunities could make it to the Governor’s desk.
Wherever there is an opportunity to spend more of our hard earned money, Amanda Ragan will be there!
Where ever there is an opportunity for RepublicQns to kill more Americans, they will be there with their thoughts and prayers and little else.
Hello, I am the ghost of former President Ronald Reagan and am Amanda Ragan’s father. I fathered her with Yoko Ono. Former Manly Mayor Regan Banks is Amanda’s step brother. Bank’s was born to Yoko Ono after she had a night of infidelity with Bob Ross and Ronald McDonald. Amanda and Regan were both very politically involved as young children, often making trips to the state capitol in Des Moines. Amanda and Regan liked to refer to the capitol building as the Taj Mahal of Des Moines. They also referred to it as the House that Branstaad built. Sylvester Stalone is Amanda’s butler when she is in Des Moines working feverishly on new legislation. Stalone is also Bank’s and Amanda’s cousin, born To John Lennon and Miranda Lambert.
using legal or illegal drugs
The answer is simple. Cut administration community and in the prison systems by 25% and then add front line workers
It’s the union vote that she wants not solutions
Cut administration add front line workers !!! NO NEED FOR ALL THE community corrections DISTRICTS IN RURAL IOWA SO MUCH WASTE !!!! There are 8 fir for god sakes. 8 directors $135,000, 8 assistant directors $115,000 per all kinds of supervisors $95k per year. Doing nothing but sitting around trying to figure out to get more money for programs that don’t work
did you not read the article before you?
Greedy rich Republicans, who claim to be law and order types, have been ramming budget cuts through the legislature for years, to be signed immediately by whatever learning-impaired GOPuke gov is in office at the time. That includes prison staffs, who are now chronically understaffed, underpaid, and vastly outnumbered, as a result of the Repubs actions, not Democrats. Sen. Ragan cares about her working-class constituents, including prison guards, but the GOP ruling class elite sure as hell doesn’t.
I seem to recall the Communists, I mean Demonrats,sorry, Democrats saying they were the party of “Law and Order”. Of course that was when they were pushing the BS line for impeachment of a NON-SITTING-PRESIDENT which is not possible.
They themselves have proven they are against “Law and Order” by their actions.
They claimed Trump was because he “incited” riot in the capital (you know telling people to be peaceful).
Unlike Comm–Democrats, who incited riots and assaults of Trump supporters(illegal, but it’s ok, they are good commies). To setting up bail funds for those that were actually arrested for rioting, looting, arson, rape, assault, or even murder (that was your VP Headboard Harris).
Then you have Bend over for Beijing Biden.
He has gutted every law that had teeth. From his actions, you would think he was trying to destroy the country.
You seriously are a very ill person – both mentally and physically.
Reinstate capital punishment and then it won’t be so crowded
EXACTLY!!! And none of this 10 years on death row. The day after conviction, fry-em. It will save the hard working tax payers a lot of money.
You don’t work hard. You hardly work.
l am not from your family
Rejected again? Too bad snowflake. Go back to scrubbing that floor.
Keep printing your daily diary there bub, it is hilarias
Hello, I am the ghost of former President Ronald Reagan. Amanda is my daughter, I fathered her with Yoko Ono, this really upset John Lennon. Growing up Amanda and her brother, former Manly Mayor Regan Banks became very interested in politics. Banks is actually Amanda’s step brother after John Lennon and Bob Ross had a threesome with Yoko Ono. John Lennon, although not Amanda’s biological father, was very fond of her and actually wrote the song “Imagine” about her. As a token of her appreciation Amanda wrote “Strawberry Fields” for the Beatles.
Damn socialists.