DECORAH, IA (06/17/2014)(readMedia)-- 752 Luther students were named to the spring 2014 dean's list. To be named to Luther's dean's list, a student must earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale and must complete at least 12 credit hours with 10 hours of conventional grades (A, B, C, D).

Audrey Bird, Luther College junior of Rapids City, Illinois, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Bird is the daughter of Steven and Susan Bird.

Emily Crowe, Luther College freshman of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Crowe is the daughter of Catherine Hanson and David Crowe.

Tyler Crowe, Luther College senior of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Crowe is the son of Catherine Hanson and David Crowe.

Kelli Golinghorst, Luther College senior of Dixon, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Golinghorst is the daughter of David and Linda Golinghorst.

Lauren Gonyier, Luther College junior of East Moline, Illinois, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Gonyier is the daughter of Kirk Gonyier and Sheryl Kotula.

Chloe Gumpert, Luther College senior of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Gumpert is the daughter of Joseph and Tamra Gumpert.

Miranda Gumpert, Luther College sophomore of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Gumpert is the daughter of Joseph and Tamra Gumpert.

Carrie Kilen, Luther College senior of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Kilen is the daughter of Kathryn and David Kilen.

Justin Kreiter, Luther College freshman of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Kreiter is the son of Nancy and Eugene Kreiter.

Blake Letney, Luther College sophomore of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Letney is the son of Todd and Robin Letney.

Melissa Lockwood, Luther College junior of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Lockwood is the daughter of Jeff and Lora Lockwook.

Lindsay Lovaas, Luther College sophomore of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Lovaas is the daughter of Jeffrey and Judy Lovaas.

Kayla Naber, Luther College senior of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Naber is the daughter of Glan and Jacqueline Naber.

Kylie Romeo, Luther College junior of Moline, Illinois, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Romeo is the daughter of Kelly and Anthony Romeo.

Kelsey Rose, Luther College senior of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Rose is the daughter of Kevin and Mary Ann Rose.

Lucille Vens, Luther College senior of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Vens is the daughter of Christine Little and Gregory Vens.

Luther is a selective four-year college located in northeast Iowa. The college has an enrollment of 2,500 students and offers a liberal arts education leading to the bachelor of arts degree in 60 majors and pre-professional programs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Insisting that "ignorance of the law is no excuse" when it comes to police officers being permitted to violate American citizens' constitutional rights, The Rutherford Institute has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hold law enforcement officials accountable to knowing and abiding by the rule of law. Specifically, in filing an amicus curiae brief filed in Heien v. State of North Carolina, Rutherford Institute attorneys argue that courts must suppress evidence seized as a result of an improper stop of a motorist even though the police officer reasonably, but mistakenly, believed he was authorized by law to stop the vehicle.

The Rutherford Institute's amicus brief in Heien v. State of North Carolina is available at www.rutherford.org.

"It's a toss up which is worse?law enforcement officials who know nothing about the laws they have sworn to uphold, support and defend, or a constitutionally illiterate citizenry so clueless about their rights that they don't even know when those rights are being violated," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of the award-winning book A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State. "Thomas Jefferson recognized that an educated citizenry is the only real assurance that freedom will survive. At the very least, anyone taking public office or working for the government in any capacity?whether it's a police officer, a school teacher, or a member of Congress?should be required to have a working knowledge of the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, and should be held accountable for upholding their precepts. At heart, that's what this Heien case is really all about: ensuring that ignorance of the law, especially the Fourth Amendment, does not become a ready excuse for government officials to routinely violate the law."

In April 2009, a Surry County (N.C.) law enforcement officer stopped a car traveling on Interstate 77, allegedly because of a brake light which at first failed to illuminate and then flickered on. The officer mistakenly believed that state law prohibited driving a car with one broken brake light. In fact, the state traffic law requires only one working brake light. Nevertheless, operating under a mistaken understanding of the law, during the course of the stop, the officer asked for permission to search the car. Nicholas Heien, the owner of the vehicle, granted his consent to a search. Upon the officer finding cocaine in the vehicle, he arrested and charged Heien with trafficking. Prior to his trial, Heien moved to suppress the evidence seized in light of the fact that the officer's pretext for the stop was erroneous and therefore unlawful. Although the trial court denied the motion to suppress evidence, the state court of appeals determined that since the police officer had based his initial stop of the car on a mistaken understanding of the law, there was no valid reason for the stop in the first place. On appeal, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that even though the officer was wrong in concluding that the inoperable brake light was an offense, because the officer's mistake was a "reasonable" one, the stop of the car did not violate the Fourth Amendment and the evidence resulting from the stop did not need to be suppressed. In weighing in on the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Rutherford Institute attorneys warn against allowing government agents to "benefit" from their mistakes of law, deliberate or otherwise, lest it become an incentive for abuse.

Affiliate attorney Christopher F. Moriarty assisted The Rutherford Institute in advancing the arguments in the amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Iowans sign open letter as hundreds of US adoptions continue to be needlessly delayed

Washington, D.C. - After months of advocacy aimed at resolving hundreds of stalled adoptions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United States, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry calling on him to make solving this issue a top priority. Over 1600 Iowans from across the state signed the letter in support.

Braley highlighted the case of Michael and Erin Peat of Dubuque, who are still waiting on an exit visa from the Congolese government to bring home their two children.

"I was overwhelmed with the amount of support my office received from Iowans on this issue," Braley said. "I'm going to make sure that Secretary Kerry knows that the people of Iowa care deeply about this issue and we aren't going to let up until the Peats and hundreds of other families like them are able to bring their rightfully adopted children home."

"No child should be denied a loving home because of bureaucratic paperwork," the letter reads.

Last month, the State Department announced that the Congolese government would issue a total of 62 'exit letters'?15 of which would be issued to American families?but the overwhelming majority of U.S. families have received no update from the Congolese government and their adoptions remain in limbo.

Approximately 460 families have had their adoptions suspended, but the Peats are one of only about 50 families that have had it occur at such a late stage in the process. They were granted their adoption visa by the United States. However, the DRC suddenly refused to issue exit letters, which is the final step allowing families to bring their children to the United States.

Braley has written the Congolese Prime Minister, the Congolese Ambassador to the United States, and Secretary of State John Kerry calling for a resolution to this issue.

The letter to Secretary can be found HERE.

Landmark New Law Modernizes Outdated Medicaid System, Restores Dental and Podiatric Care to Patients, Supports Affordable Care Act

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation to modernize and improve Illinois' Medicaid system. The new law will benefit Illinois' three million residents who currently receive Medicaid, as well as the state's 141 hospitals and 1,200 nursing homes by restoring adult dental and podiatric care, providing increased protections and more. The legislation is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to ensure all people have access to quality healthcare and improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Illinois.

Under Governor Quinn's leadership, more than 566,000 people across Illinois now have healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This includes more than 349,000 people enrolled in Medicaid under the ACA expansion.

"This legislation is a critical step forward as we continue to reform our Medicaid system," Governor Quinn said. "The reforms will help us modernize and streamline our Medicaid system to ensure we are working efficiently and effectively on behalf of taxpayers. Millions of Illinois residents depend on Medicaid for their healthcare needs and this law will help ensure we provide the services and protections they deserve."

Sponsored by State Senator Donne Trotter (D-Chicago) and State Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago), Senate Bill 741 reforms Illinois' nearly 20-year-old Medicaid system over a four-year transition period. The new law restores previously authorized adult dental care and podiatry services, and establishes new protections for clients and healthcare providers. It also codifies policy guidance to provide stability for hospitals and nursing homes.

The legislation also aligns Illinois law with federal law, providing Medicaid coverage for children who have been without private insurance for three months. Previously, Illinois left children without health insurance for 12 months before Medicaid coverage was allowed.

Under this law, the Quinn Administration will submit a plan for approval by the federal government to provide approximately $400 million annually in new federal dollars for hospitals serving newly eligible Medicaid recipients. The $400 million will be distributed to hospitals throughout the state and will mirror the two current hospital assessment distributions.

Over the past three years, Governor Quinn and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) worked with healthcare providers and legislators to update Medicaid's outdated hospital payment system, which did not keep up with the changing healthcare landscape. The legislation makes important reforms by creating uniform requirements for Managed Care Organizations and Accountable Care Entities, providing stability for hospitals and nursing homes and giving a huge boost to the redesign of Medicaid.

"This law was crafted with the input of everyone it affects," HFS Director Julie Hamos said. "It's a modernization of an old system : it gives much greater protections for our clients, streamlines hospital and nursing-home reimbursement and clarifies the relationships among managed care entities."

The law includes an additional $10 million to support Illinois' safety net hospitals during the transition. The safety net hospitals are a critical piece of the Medicaid system and often serve as anchors for low-income communities.

"We thank the Governor for signing Senate Bill 741 and commend the Administration and legislators who worked tirelessly on this important legislation," Maryjane Wurth, President and CEO of the Illinois Hospital Association said. "This significant legislative package makes a critical investment in healthcare in Illinois that will create jobs and help grow our economy. This is a very good day for healthcare, for patients and for our economy."

The law's hospital rate reforms establish a new rate methodology effective July 1 of this year, and sets aside $290 million to help hospitals transition to the new rate system. It also extends the hospital assessment programs for another four years to July 1, 2018, continuing $2 billion in payments to hospitals to ensure their stability.

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