KHOI

Originally broadcast 01/18/2017
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Professor Emeritus Cornelia Flora joined us this week to explore Political Capital in state and local elected policy makers and organizations. We started the show with a brief clip from Governor Branstad's Condition of the State Address revealing his plan to replace state employees' union-negotiated health insurance with a state imposed plan. Senator Herman Quirmbach(D) and Representative Beth Wessel-Kroschell(D) raised concerns about the effect of this plan on state employees who have often negotiated lower salaries in exchange for strong health insurance. Moving from the state level to the county level, we interviewed Bill Petersen, executive director of the Iowa State Association of Counties, telling us how that organization assists counties in cooperating to deal with common problems. Newly elected county supervisor, Lauris Olson(D), spoke with reporter Greta Anderson about the way the Story County Supervisors approach difficult problems in a cooperative bi-partisan fashion. She described some of the details of two issues in which local control is being undercut by actions at the state level. These issues are (1)the siting of Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and the use of the MATRIX to determine whether to grant permits, and (2)the effects of the governor's plan to end collective bargaining for unionized workers' health insurance. Cornelia Flora explained the importance of local control as an organizing principle of county politics.

Originally broadcast 01/13/2016
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The show started with host, Gale Seiler, speaking with Erin Davison-Rippey, the Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland about a law introduced in the Iowa Legislature this week that would block some funding for the healthcare provided by Planned Parenthood. Kay Puttock provided an interview with Josie Staylin from Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA)’s food pantry. Al Biela and his daughter, Naomi Biela, told about Music Underground Ames, an open-mic music event for youth on Saturday in Ames. Merry Rankin dropped by for her monthly sustainability segment. She brought Jerry Rupert, Director of the Outdoor Recreation Program at ISU, and they shared ideas for how we can keep a sustainability mindset when we are doing activities outdoors.

Originally broadcast 01/09/2017
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After the weather forecast from Elwynn Taylor, and news of winter hikes and library presentations from the Outdoor Alliance of Story County, we hear from George Belitsos, board chair of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking, about lobbying and education going on at the state house during the first day of the new legislative session. Interview with award-winning scientist Iver Anderson, of the Ames Laboratory at ISU about his work in metallurgy that resulted in patents worth millions of dollars. Dr. Verena Paepcke-Hjeltness of the College of Design at ISU, together with three of her students, talk with Keith Morgan of the Emergency Response Agency of Story County about how a the design process has helped improve the way the EMA responds to disasters.