Iowa

Application for Part 1 of Iowa's State Stabilization Funds Approved Today

June 1, 2009 -- U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that more than $316 million is now available for Iowa under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. Iowa will be eligible to apply for another $156 million this fall.

Today's funding is being made available per Iowa's successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1st.    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today applauded Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s release of $316 million in education funding for Iowa. The funding was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Economic Recovery package, and is part of the more than $400 million initial investment in education initiatives across the state.

Today’s funding is being made available per Iowa’s successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1st. The state will be eligible to apply for another $156 million this fall.    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced a total of $649,792 in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been released to Iowa for medical research. With the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), the Economic Recovery Package, Senator Harkin was able to secure more than $10.4 billion for medical research across the United States. NIH funds biomedical research and research training at more than 3,000 institutions in the fifty states and territories.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- HARKIN Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that a total of $1,334,016 has been awarded to eight AmeriCorps programs across Iowa. This competitive funding comes from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Harkin has been a long time supporter of AmeriCorps and is the Chairman of the panel that funds these initiatives.

“AmeriCorps members across Iowa are helping meet critical local needs and strengthening our communities,” said Harkin. “I congratulate all of the important organizations on receiving these grants and commend all of those who have served their state, and country, by joining AmeriCorps.”

Details of the grants are below.    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley announced today that St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation and Coe College in Cedar Rapids received a grant totaling $4.65 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

“Getting the Cedar Rapids community back on its feet after the 2008 floods is a priority,” Grassley said. “This is a nice step forward for St. Luke’s and Coe College.”

The funds will help pay for the construction of a steam heating plant to be shared by St. Luke’s Hospital and Coe College. These entities previously received steam from a plant that was destroyed by the 2008 flooding.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that almost half of the $20 million appropriated nationally for repairs and rehabilitation of railroad infrastructure damaged during natural disasters will go to Iowa. $9,599,243 will go to the Iowa Department of Transportation through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Railroad Rehabilitation and Repair Program to reimburse short line and regional railroads for three projects in the state. Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Subcommittee that funds transportation initiatives.    » read more »

Funds will help pay for repairs after the floods of 2008

May 29, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Today, Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded more than $9.6 million to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to reimburse three of Iowa’s shortline and regional railroads for emergency repairs to damaged railroad infrastructure resulting from last year’s flooding.    » read more »

53 districts approved to help increase access for 4-year-olds to quality preschool

May 28, 2009 -- DES MOINES –Visiting a preschool class at the Walnut Street School, Iowa Governor Chet Culver today announced the names of 53 school districts in Iowa receiving state funds under the statewide voluntary preschool program for 4-year-old children. This announcement will provide an estimated 3,247 additional children in the state a quality preschool experience during the upcoming school year.    » read more »

Projects funded in total or part with federal recovery dollars

May 28, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Culver today announced that 11 city street and county road projects valued at more than $10.5 million were let by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, as part of the third round of local projects funded in total or part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

Acceptance of low-bid proposals and the awarding of contracts are subject to local governmental approval. The low bids for all 11 projects totaled $10,552,566.83. Of that amount, $8,042,051.03 from the Recovery Act has been authorized for the projects. The remaining $2,510,515.80 in project costs will be paid for with other funds.    » read more »

Infrastructure, Federal Funds Appropriation Bills Signed by Governor

May 26, 2009 -- DES MOINES – On the final day of the bill signing period, Iowa Governor Chet Culver today signed the last components of the I-JOBS initiative into law. Governor Culver signed the legislation at the Des Moines City Hall, adjacent to the Principal Riverwalk, an infrastructure project receiving funds through I-JOBS.    » read more »

In-State Tuition, Foreclosure Protection Among Bills Signed by Governor

May 26, 2009 -- WATERLOO – A day after Americans observed Memorial Day, Iowa Governor Chet Culver visited the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum to sign four bills into law to benefit veterans and service members.

The legislation signed by Governor Culver includes enabling veterans to pay in-state college tuition in Iowa and strengthening foreclosure protections for families of Iowans on active duty.    » read more »

May 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley today introduced legislation to ensure the biofuels industry is not penalized for the Environmental Protection Agency’s use of non-scientific data when determining greenhouse gas emissions. Grassley’s bill improves several provisions with the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard that were enacted in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.

Grassley’s bill is a companion to legislation introduced last week by Collin Peterson, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.    » read more »

Iowa tests unique technology education

May 21, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced today the Iowa Department of Economic Development has approved new funding to support statewide efforts to interest students in pursuing education for better paying jobs founded on science, technology, engineering and math. Other actions of the Economic Development Board provide new investments in companies for flood recovery, biofuels diversification, and software development.    » read more »

Five pieces of legislation help communities recover from and prepare for disasters

May 22, 2009 -- CEDAR RAPIDS – Iowa Governor Chet Culver continued his work of helping communities recover from the disasters of 2008 by signing five disaster recovery-related bills into law today. The Governor was joined by local officials from Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids for the ceremony at Mays Island, the historic home of local government.    » read more »

May 20, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that a total of $15,156,406 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the Economic Recovery Package has been released to Iowa from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee that funds transit initiatives.

“Strengthening the transportation infrastructure in rural areas is vital to allowing those who do not drive the ability to get around more efficiently and, at the same time, helps in the growth of Iowa’s economy,” said Harkin. “This funding will create more adequate transit systems across rural Iowa, so Iowans can get to work and their daily tasks like visiting the grocery store or doctor’s office.”    » read more »