Iowa Guard members starting to receive back pay
From the Quad-City Times

Iowa National Guard members have begun to receive long-overdue payments they were promised for extended tours of Iraq, 1st District U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley announced Thursday.

“The news that Iowa’s National Guard members are finally receiving the respite leave payments they earned is both exciting and long overdue,” Braley said. “Hundreds of Iowa National Guard members bravely served our country and waited patiently to be compensated.” Read full article…

Culver signs reorganization measure
From the Ames Tribune

Gov. Chet Culver on Wednesday signed into law a sweeping restructuring of state government designed to squeeze $127 million in spending from next year’s budget and help close an expected shortfall.

When coupled with an early retirement incentive program for state workers that has been approved and cuts the governor made that didn’t require legislative approval, $270 million has been trimmed from the $5.3 billion fiscal year budget that begins July 1, Culver said. Read full article…

Beer fans celebrate new Iowa law on higher-alcohol brews
From the Des Moines Register blogs

Now that “beer equality” has come to pass, one Iowa micro-brewery that pushed for the new law intends to make the most of it.

Olde Main Brewing Co. in Ames has thirsted for years to sell Iowans higher-alcohol beer, just as out-of-state breweries can already do.Read full article…

Mental Heallth Notification.pdf

House and Senate legislators released the details today of tax credit reform legislation that will bring accountability and common sense to Iowa’s tax credit spending. 

“We have listened to the public’s anger at abuses and we are responding with historic reforms that will reduce Iowa’s tax credit liability by more than $115 million from the current total of $525 million,” said State Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City.  “We are ending some tax credits, cutting many remaining credits, and dramatically increasing accountability for all tax credit spending.”

“We are shifting dollars away from large Wall Street companies and moving some of those dollars to support struggling Main Street businesses whose success will benefit more Iowans,” said State Representative Paul Shomshor of Council Bluffs.  “In these tough times, we must give continue to support small businesses.”

“Tax credit spending will no longer be a secret to Iowa taxpayers and they will no longer be on auto-pilot,” said Bolkcom, who chairs the Senate Ways & Means Committee.  “Iowans don’t know if the money spent on tax credits is producing the promised jobs and economic growth.  That will change this year.”

The reforms include the suspension of the film tax credit program for two years; lowering the cap from $185 million to $120 million on business tax credits; cutting the Iowa Fund of Funds contingent tax credits from $100 million to $60 million; an overall cut of 10 percent for many other tax credit programs and an on-going oversight process which will regularly evaluate all tax credits for results.  Credits which do not produce results will be fixed or eliminated.  In addition, the Supplemental Research Activities Tax Credit will be cut in half for large corporations and increased to help small businesses. 

“Every part of the budget is being cut and that will now include tax credits,” said Shomshor, who chairs the House Ways & Means Committee.  “The public will know who receives each tax credit, the purpose of that credit, and the dollar amount spent on it. As we give tax credit spending the same careful, regular, open examination as the rest of the budget, we will both save money and make sure the dollars we do spend benefit Iowa middle class families.”

“Tax subsidies can no longer trump educating our kids when it comes to our public spending priorities,” added Bolkcom.  “We all support effective economic development programs, but they must be far more transparent and accountable for creating good paying jobs.” 

The legislation was developed by a group of House and Senate legislators, including: Sen. Joe Bolkcom, Sen. Roger Stewart, Sen. Swati Dandekar, Sen. Rich Olive, Sen. Pam Jochum, Sen. Bill Dotzler, Sen. Matt McCoy, Rep. Paul Shomshor, Rep. Doris Kelley, Rep. Tyler Olson, Rep. Janet Petersen, Rep. Donovan Olson, and Rep. Roger Thomas.

In an effort to protect victims of domestic violence, the Iowa House today approved a bill to prevent persons who are the subject of a protective order or convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun.

“It’s essential that we do all we can to support and protect victims of domestic violence.  Keeping guns out of the hands of violent abusers is one reasonable step we can take to improve public safety and slow the cycle of domestic violence,” said State Representative Deb Berry of Waterloo, who won approval of the bill.

Senate File 2357, which was requested by Iowa judges and law enforcement officials, puts federal law into the Iowa code wince most domestic violence cases are settled in the Iowa court system. Currently, Iowa courts cannot enforce the fedral law prohibiting persons who are subject of a protective order or convicted of domestic abuse from owning guns.

The bill now heads to the Governor.

Iowa Democrats will hold the first weekend of County Conventions this Saturday, March 13. County Conventions not held this Saturday will be held on the following Saturday, March 20.

County Convention delegates were elected at this year’s precinct caucuses. Delegates to each county convention will elect delegates to the District and State Conventions, which will be held April 24 and June 12 respectively. Delegates will also discuss and vote on the county party platform this Saturday.

Iowa’s elected Democrats, including Governor Culver and Senator Harkin, as well as our Democratic candidates for office will be visiting this week’s conventions. For more information on where each will be, please see below.

For a complete list of County Conventions held this Saturday, please visit iowademocrats.org/countyconventions.

County Conventions are open to the public and to the media.

WHEN: Saturday, March 13, 2010

WHAT: Boone County Convention Convention
WHEN: 10:00am
WHERE: Boone County Historical Center
602 Story St
Boone, IA
SPEAKERS: Governor Culver, Secretary of State Michael Mauro

WHAT: Buena Vista County Convention Convention
WHEN: 1:00pm
WHERE: Buena Vista County Courthouse
2nd Floor
215 E. 5th St
Storm Lake, IA
SPEAKERS: First Lady Mari Culver

WHAT: Calhoun County Convention Convention
WHEN: 10:30am
WHERE: Calhoun County Courthouse
416 4th St
Rockwell, IA
SPEAKERS: Congressional Candidate Bill Maske (4th CD)

WHAT: Cass County Convention
WHEN: 10:30am
WHERE: Cass County Courthouse
5 W 7th St
Atlantic, IA
SPEAKERS: Congressional Candidate Mike Denklau (5th CD)

WHAT: Cherokee County Convention
WHEN: 2:00pm
WHERE: Cherokee County Courthouse
Courtroom
520 W. Main St
Cherokee, IA
SPEAKERS: First Lady Mari Culver

WHAT allas County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: Dallas Center Middle School
1400 Vine
Dallas Center, IA
SPEAKERS: Governor Culver, Secretary of State Michael Mauro

WHAT es Moines County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: SE Community College
Little Theater
1500 W. Agency Rd
West Burlington, IA
SPEAKERS: Lt. Governor Patty Judge

WHAT: Floyd County Convention
WHEN: 1:00pm
WHERE: Charles City Library
106 Milwaukee
Charles City, IA
SPEAKERS: Congressional Candidate Bill Maske (4th CD)

WHAT: Hamilton County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: Webster City Fire Station
919 Superior St
Webster City, IA
SPEAKERS: Congressional Candidate Bill Maske (4th CD)

WHAT: Johnson County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: West High School
2901 Melrose Ave
Iowa City, IA
SPEAKERS: Senate Candidate Roxanne Conlin, Senate Candidate Tom Fiegen, Candidate for Secretary of Agriculture Francis Thicke, Congressman Dave Loebsack

WHAT: Lee County Convention
WHEN: 10:00am
WHERE: Keokuk Middle School
2002 Orleans Ave
Keokuk, IA
SPEAKERS: Lt. Governor Patty Judge, Congressman Dave Loebsack

WHAT: Muscatine County Convention
WHEN: 1:00pm
WHERE: Muscatine Community Schools
Admin Building
2900 Mulberry Ave
Muscatine, IA
SPEAKERS: Lt. Governor Patty Judge, Congressman Dave Loebsack

WHAT: Palo Alto County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: Iowa Lakes Community College
Auditorium
3200 College Dr
Emmetsburg, IA
SPEAKERS: Congressional Candidate Bill Maske (4th CD)

WHAT: Polk County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: Lincoln High School
2600 SW 9th
Des Moines, IA
SPEAKERS: Senator Tom Harkin, Senate Candidate Roxanne Conlin, Senate Candidate Tom Fiegen, Governor Culver, Secretary of State Michael Mauro, Candidate for Secretary of Agriculture Francis Thicke, Congressman Leonard Boswell,

WHAT: Poweshiek County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: Malcolm Auditorium
3rd and Main
Malcolm, IA
SPEAKERS: Senate Candidate Tom Fiegen, Congressman Leonard Boswell

WHAT: Tama County Convention
WHEN: 1:00pm
WHERE: South Tama Elementary School
1611 Country Club Dr
Tama, IA
SPEAKERS: Candidate for Secretary of Agriculture Francis Thicke, Congressman Leonard Boswell

WHAT: Wapello County Convention
WHEN: 9:00am
WHERE: UFCW Hall
1305 E. Mary St
Ottumwa, IA
SPEAKERS: Senate Candidate Tom Fiegen

WHAT: Woodbury County Convention
WHEN: 10:00am
WHERE: West High School
2001 Casselman
Sioux City, IA
SPEAKERS: First Lady Mari Culver, Congressional Candidate Mike Denklau (5th CD)