Iowa Attorney General Criticizes State Auditor for Failing to Address $7.2 Million Shortfall in Crime Victim Services 2024-10-25

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird responded to the State Auditor's oversight that shorted her office's Crime Victim Compensation Fund by more than $7.2 million. Bird stated that the failure to address the nearly $53 million misallocation of funds has cost the entire state, and that no domestic violence victim should have to stay with their abuser because they cannot afford to leave. The State Auditor's office, which is the 'tax-payer watchdog,' failed to conduct a proper audit, according to Bird.

crime

Fugitive Arrested in Des Moines After Escaping House Arrest 2024-10-25

Kyle Boutchee, 25, who was wanted after escaping house arrest in August, was arrested by U.S. Marshals near 10th Street and Keosaqua Way in Des Moines on Thursday afternoon. Boutchee was sentenced to 64 months in federal prison in 2020 and was furloughed to a halfway house in Des Moines in May 2023, where he was on house arrest until he allegedly cut his ankle monitor on Aug. 28. Authorities tracked him to an apartment on the 900 block of School Street, where he jumped from a second-story unit before being apprehended by the U.S. Marshals.

crime

Iowa's Road Infrastructure Funding Shorted by $10.4 Million Due to Misallocated Court Fees 2024-10-24

The Iowa Judicial Branch reported that the state's Road Use Tax Fund was shorted by $10.4 million over four budget years due to the misallocation of more than $27.5 million in court fees. The funds were erroneously sent to the state's general fund instead of the proper sources, including the Road Use Tax Fund, the Crime Victim Compensation Fund, and the Juvenile Detention Home Fund. The issue arose after lawmakers changed the court fees distribution system in 2020 and 2021, leading to programming errors. The Iowa Judicial Branch is working to implement changes to correct the problem.