Iowa

Kansas City, Kan., October 30, 2009 - Proposals for Environmental Education grants to develop new programs or to improve the quality of existing programs will be accepted through Dec. 15, 2009 from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska communities by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan.

EPA regional offices may award grants up to $50,000. Grants over $50,000 and up to $200,000 are awarded by EPA headquarters in Washington.    » read more »

October 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, have introduced legislation that would make it easier for consumers to take advantage of a tax break in the stimulus package intended to encourage the purchase and manufacture of energy-efficient doors, windows, and skylights.

“I have seen firsthand how the tax credit can make a difference, both for the West Virginia industries that produce and sell these energy efficient windows and for the families who use them. We need to make it easier for people to understand and be able to take advantage of these tax credits, so they can get more for their money, particularly during these tough economic times,” said Senator Rockefeller.    » read more »

October 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that a total of $1,128,500 in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act) will be coming to Iowa to help communities reduce their energy use, cut back on emissions and create jobs.

Specifically, the City of Council Bluffs will receive $571,500 and the City of West Des Moines will receive 557,000 for projects such as residential and commercial building energy efficiency retrofits.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Leonard Boswell announced that the Department of Energy has designated $557,000 under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program for projects in West Des Moines.

“Making our communities more energy efficient helps bring down bottom-line costs for families and businesses.” Boswell said. “I applaud the city of West Des Moines for its efforts to conserve and more efficiently use its energy resources.”

Grants given under the EECBG program can be used for residential and commercial energy audits and retrofits, the development and implementation of more energy efficient building codes, and the creation of financial incentives for energy efficiency improvements.    » read more »

October 14, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced today that, as state government begins to implement a 10% across-the-board cut in spending, he is going to reduce his state salary by ten percent.

“This national economic recession has meant financial sacrifices for everyone across the State of Iowa, and it should be no different for me” said Governor Culver. “As Iowans face reduced state services and many state employees face the likelihood of layoffs, my office will lead by example in making budget cuts and it will begin with my salary. We must face this challenge together.”

The salary for the Governor of Iowa is $130,000 as determined by state law.    » read more »

15 communities receive grants for road, trail projects from I-JOBS, State Recreational Trails Program

October 13, 2009 -- AMES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced today that the Iowa Transportation Commission has approved more than $2.5 million in grants for road improvement projects, a direct result of the Culver/Judge Administration’s I-JOBS initiative. In addition, the commission granted nearly $4.5 million for trail projects across the state through the State Recreational Trails Program.    » read more »

October 8, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Leonard Boswell announced that The Commonwealth Fund has scored Iowa as second best in the nation for delivering high quality health care service. Iowa was tied with Hawaii for second place in overall health system performance in the Commonwealth Fund’s 2009 State Scorecard.

The Congressman released the statement below following The Commonwealth Fund’s report.

“Our providers should be proud of delivering such high quality health care to Iowans,” Boswell said. “This is just one reason why I am committed to correcting the flawed Medicare reimbursement formula and bringing fair payments to Iowa.”    » read more »

October 8, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that Iowa’s State Energy Program has been awarded $20 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to reduce energy use and create jobs throughout Iowa. The funds will be used to expand the Building Energy Smart Iowa Program under the Iowa Office of Energy Independence (OEI), which is focused on increasing energy efficiency.

These Recovery Act dollars are in addition to the $20 million that was awarded to Iowa for this program earlier in the year. Harkin is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee that helped to shape the Recovery Act.    » read more »

Fixing The Medicare Inequities In Iowa

October 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee, today issued the following statement on a new report showing state-by-state disparities in health care. The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System’s second state scorecard showed the cost and quality of health care, as well as access to care and health outcomes, continue to vary widely among states.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- DES MOINES – During a press availability at the State Capitol, Iowa Governor Chet Culver spoke with reporters regarding today’s Revenue Estimating Conference report, which projected an 8.4% decline in revenue. The following is a transcript of the Governor’s statement.

“The unanimous decision by the Revenue Estimating Conference today confirms my belief that the national economic recession continues to have a significant negative effect on our state’s economy. This great recession was caused by bad policies in Washington D.C., and bad practices on Wall Street.

“Today’s REC figures are a stark reminder of the impact this recession is having on our state, and on every state across the nation.

“Let’s review the status of Iowa’s budget:    » read more »

Federal Recovery-funded projects help create jobs, improve infrastructure

October 6, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver has announced that nine highway infrastructure projects statewide, worth more than $5.7 million, have been let by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).

These projects are funded in total or part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Acceptance of the low-bid proposals and awarding of contracts are contingent upon final approval by the respective city or county governments.    » read more »

September 30, 2009 -- “Low income Iowans have been hit particularly hard by this recession, and these grants will help provide the support they need to get back on their feet” said Senator Tom Harkin. “As they recover, the American economy recovers. This funding will help Iowa families regain their financial security.”

The purpose of the Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF) is to improve the ability of non-profit organizations to promote the economic recovery of people with low-incomes. SCF is comprised of two programs, both of which will boost the ability of community and faith-based organizations to handle the broad economic recovery issues in their communities, including job training and retention and access to state and Federal benefits.    » read more »

New projects approved by Economic Development Board

September 17, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver has hailed new initiatives to strengthen Iowa’s economy by developing new job opportunities and entrepreneurial innovations across the state. The Economic Development Board and Iowa Department of Economic Development approved multiple initiatives today with wide-ranging impact on the state’s economy. Businesses are planning more than $26 million in new capital investments, creating and retaining 336 jobs. In addition, five companies are bringing innovative products to market; others are developing skilled workers.    » read more »

DOT Commission approves $34 million in I-JOBS Bridge projects; $1.6 million in RISE grant funding through I-JOBS

September 15, 2009 -- AMES – Iowa Governor Culver announced today that the Iowa Transportation Commission has added $34 million in bridge projects to the state’s Transportation Improvement Program, a direct result of the Culver/Judge Administration’s I-JOBS initiative.    » read more »

August 31, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced this afternoon that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has declared 22 Iowa counties as disaster areas. On August 12, Governor Culver wrote Secretary Vilsack requesting a Secretarial Disaster Designation following damage to plants and significant production losses due to severe storms between May 15 and July 31, 2009.    » read more »