By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

A state legislator riding on RAGBRAI has been charged with interference with official acts for refusing to move off a road. State Senator Adrian Dickey, a Republican from Packwood, says he’s absolutely innocent of the charge.

According to a Sac County Deputy, there was a “big party” in the middle of a road in Carnarvon, an unincorporated town about 16 miles southwest of Sac City Monday afternoon. The deputy said he approached Dickey and asked him to move — so the road could be opened to traffic — and Dickey said he wasn’t going to move and argued with the deputy.

The deputy told Dickey he was risking arrest and Dickey told the deputy to arrest him.

Dickey’s attorney says Dickey and his RAGBRAI team took “an alternate route” that led them to the road that was blocked by “several hundred people.” According to Dickey’s attorney, there was “a misunderstanding” between Dickey and the deputy and Dickey was trying to get through the larger group and onto the bike trail.

Dickey was released from the Sac County Jail on a $300 bond. A court hearing is scheduled August 8. Interference with official acts is a simple misdemeanor and carries a sentence of up to 30 days in jail.