Capitol Notebook: Iowans honored for heroic acts at Capitol ceremony

DES MOINES — Seven Iowans — a mixture of first responders and citizens — were honored Wednesday at the 2024 Sullivan Brothers’ Award of Valor and Governor’s Lifesaving Awards ceremony at the Iowa Capitol.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens honored the seven individuals in a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda.

Four individuals were honored by the Governor’s Lifesaving Awards Program. Those honorees were, according to Iowa DPS:

Randy Hartley, of Adel, was honored with the Outstanding Service Award, which is presented to individuals who have performed a courageous act in an attempt to save an individual who was in danger of losing his or her life, or to individuals who unselfishly rendered service in a time of emergency.

In October of 2023, Hartley called 911 for help with a co-worker who has experiencing a medical emergency. Medical experts credited Hartley’s quick action for giving his co-worker, who has since recovered, a better chance of survival.

Tyler Borneman, of Waterloo, was honored with the Lifesaving Award, which is awarded to those individuals who have attempted to save the life of another individual, but did not put their own life in jeopardy.

In January of 2024, Borneman performed CPR on a fellow coach during a high school girls basketball practice. Medical professionals later said Borneman’s actions had a significant impact on the coach’s survival.

Evan Scheck, of Spirit Lake, and Joseph Salmon, of Spencer, were honored with the Lifesaving with Valor Award, which is awarded to individuals who at the risk of their own life attempted to save that of another.

Scheck in May of 2024 rescued two 12-year-old boys who had been swept away while trying to cross a bike path flooded by the Little Sioux River. Salmon in February of 2023 rescued an 83-year-old man and his dog after the man’s Jeep plunged through ice into East Okoboji Lake.

“Today’s award winners met moments of sudden, life-threatening danger or severe hardship with inspiring courage and presence of mind,” Reynolds said in the DPS news release. “They are true heroes who represent the very best of our state, and it was a privilege to recognize them this morning.”

Three officers from the Oelwein Police Department were honored with the Sullivan Brothers’ Awards of Valor. The honor is named after the five Waterloo brothers who died together in a World War II attack on the USS Juneau in 1942.

This year’s honorees were Officers Gage Voshell, William Ward and Codi Wurzer of the Oelwein Police Department. In February of 2024, the officers responded to a fire and rushed into a smoke-filled apartment building and rescued a man who was still in his apartment.

“These Iowans intentionally and selflessly provided aid and assistance in times of need,” Iowa DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens said in the press release. “It’s an honor to celebrate those who placed the needs of others above their own and answered the call to serve.”

More information on the honorees’ actions can be found on the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s website, dps.iowa.gov.

Iowa Business Council: address taxes and workforce

The Iowa Business Council, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents major Iowa businesses, approved its public policy priorities for 2025.

The Council, whose members employ more than 150,000 Iowans, stated two main policy priorities: creating a competitive tax policy and supporting workforce initiatives.

On taxes, the Council advocates for “achieving a top-15 most competitive state ranking in (Iowa’s) individual, corporate, and property tax climate,” preserving the portion of the 2017 federal tax cuts that reduced individual and corporate income tax rates, among others.

On workforce, the Council advocates for policies that will “grow Iowa’s workforce,” including work-based learning programs, child care, housing, support for the state’s mental health care system, and “federal immigration reform and modernization.”

“The IBC looks forward to working with the Iowa General Assembly and Gov. Reynolds to advance policies that strengthen Iowa’s businesses and communities, driving growth and opportunity for all,” Iowa Business Council President Joe Murphy said in a press release.

Iowa legislators selected for bipartisan fellowship

Four Iowa state lawmakers, Reps. Adam Zabner, Elinor Levin, Ray Sorensen, and Megan Srinivas, were selected to join the 2025-2026 Future Caucus Innovation Fellows.

The two-year fellowship brings together from 34 states 64 emerging leaders who are committed to bridging political divides and tackling the most pressing issues in their communities, according to a news release.

Future Caucus is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers young elected officials in Congress and state legislatures to bridge the partisan divide by supporting innovative policymaking and fostering collaboration, the news release states.

The group says its fellowship “provides fellows with the tools, expertise, and networks to shape policy solutions on critical topics” and includes access to briefings with policy experts, a comprehensive library of evidence-based research, and networking opportunities with fellow lawmakers tackling similar issues across the country.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

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