Page 30 - Ras Smith News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

'We cannot stop now; we have to keep going': Iowa leaders react to jury's verdict on Derek Chauvin Nick Coltrain, Des Moines Register Jury says Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges in George Floyd's death Replay Video UP NEXT A jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd last summer, an incident that spurred waves of protest across the nation and in Iowa and renewed pushes to address racial inequality. Chauvin, who is white, kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes last Memorial Day as police responded to reports that Fl...

Radio Iowa You are here: Home After Chauvin verdict, Iowa House Black Caucus says there’s more work to be done Members of the Iowa House Black Caucus are expressing both relief and resolve after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter today for causing George Floyd’s death. Representative Ras Smith, a Democrat from Waterloo, said he had to go on a walk after he heard the jury’s verdict. “The relief that I felt was confusing,” Smith said, “confusing because justice felt like a relief.” Smith posted a short video on Twitter, expr...

DES MOINES -- Ras Smith watched as the guilty verdict was read. His initial reaction, he said, was a sense of relief that justice had been served for George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis who was killed while in police custody. Smith’s relief turned to a sense of confusion, he said, when on the TV screen he saw live video of people celebrating in the streets of Minneapolis. “We’re celebrating justice as if it’s this rare thing that we rarely get to taste,” said Smith, a state legislator and Black man from Waterloo. “We’re celebrating like we’re fee...

Radio Iowa You are here: Home House sends governor ban on diversity plans in 5 Iowa districts House Republicans have sent the governor a bill that immediately forbids five Iowa school districts from using voluntary diversity plans to deny student transfers. It’s one in a group of “school choice” bills Republican Representative Dustin Hite of New Sharon has guided through the House this year. “Education should be about the kids and not about the school district themselves,” Hite said. The districts impacted by the bill that cleared the House Tuesday are Des Moines, Waterloo, Davenpor...

Ban on Iowa schools' voluntary diversity plans will go to Gov. Kim Reynolds after approval from House Ian Richardson, Des Moines Register What are school's voluntary diversity plans, and how do they work? Replay Video UP NEXT Five Iowa school districts could no longer weigh factors like a student's socioeconomic status or English language learner status to prioritize open enrollment requests, according to a bill headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk.  The Iowa House voted 56-37 Tuesday to end the voluntary diversity plans that the districts use to maintain diversity in their e...