Licensed To Ill

Representative Kerry Burt comes back to town today as the Iowa Legislature convenes.

Burt was busted last year for OWI during the session and had his commercial driver's license revoked, which led him to be laid off from his job as a firefighter in Waterloo.

However, District Associate Judge Odell McGhee ruled police should have informed him, in addition to losing his driver's license, Burt could lose his commercial driver's license.

Because of that McGhee threw out the results of a breath test and Burt was reinstated as a firefighter.

Now comes this Supreme Court ruling --

Court: Ames worker was rightfully terminated after license suspension

An Ames city road-maintenance worker who was fired after a drunken-driving arrest was rightfully terminated, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled.

Justices upheld the firing of Steven Lewis, a former public works employee whose driver’s license was suspended for six months following his arrest on June 3, 2006.

Maintenance workers are required to hold a “class A” or “class B” commercial driver’s license to operate city trucks.

The only difference is, one works with scum and the other is a maintenance worker and the scientific community is united in that fact.