April 26, 2010

TOPICS
April
It’s time to get it going again!
Local Iowans to serve on state boards, commissions
Local group honored for service to environment
Reforms increase government accountability, transparency
Young people wanted for Youth Council
Young children count in census
Take Back the Night! – Thursday
Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast – Saturday
NAMI Walk – Saturday May 8

April

It has been a busy month since adjourning on March 30. It has also been interesting being home in April. This is the first time in my 12 years in the Legislature that I have been home and had time for other activities. I feel like I picked up an entire month of extra time! It has been a good time to work in my yard and begin planting my garden.

It’s time to get it going again!

I am returning to the Minneapolis in August to rejoin the Annie-Mama Team to continue the fight to end breast cancer.

I will join my sisters Annie (our leader and breast cancer survivor), Mary and Liz and several friends in this three-day, 60 mile walk! It will be great.

I walked for the first time in 2008 to support my sister Annie.

Since then I have several good friends that are now fighting breast cancer. I will be walking this year for my friends Melissa, Devin and Jo.

This is the third year for the Annie-Mama Team. In the first two years the team has raised a whopping $70,000! Our goal this year is to raise another $30,000!

I can't do my part without your support. Please consider a contribution to support our fund raising efforts at http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2010/TwinCitiesEvent2010?px=2009742&pg=personal&fr_id=1473.

The net proceeds from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™ are invested in breast cancer research and community programs.

Time to start training! Thank you!

Trillium and Creeping Charles.

Local Iowans to serve on state boards, commissions

This spring, the Culver-Judge administration appointed many Iowa City residents to serve on boards and commissions. These statewide panels are responsible for advising the Governor, the Legislature and state agencies.

Most of the members are regular Iowans. Their participation is what makes our democracy strong. Thank you to all who volunteer their time to build a brighter future for all Iowans, including:

** Thomas Kenefick, Board of Nursing Home Administrators.
** Claibourne Dungy, Prevention of Disabilities Policy Council.
** Mark Ginsberg, Iowa Great Places Advisory Board.
** Jane Hagedorn, Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Examining Board.
** Shaun McCarthy, Board of Athletic Training.
** Jason Aird, Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology.
** Alice Atkinson, Iowa Empowerment Board.
** Roberta Payne, Child Advocacy Board.
** Christine Ralston, Generation Iowa Commission.

Appointees will begin their terms on May 1. To learn more about Iowa’s boards and commissions and how you can serve, go to http://openup.iowa.gov/boards/.

Tulips last week.

Local group honored for service to environment

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently recognized the Iowa River Cleanup Partnership of Johnson County for their contributions to protect and improve Iowa’s water resources at the 2010 Water Monitoring Conference in Ames.

The organization received the IOWATER Watershed Group of the Year award. The Iowa River Cleanup Partnership is a coalition of city/county agencies and organizations, groups with the University of Iowa and volunteers. This group organized the removal of 2008 flood debris from the banks of the Iowa River and adjacent public and private land. Over a 15-month period, this group completed 21 weekday and weekend events at which 977 volunteers collected 146 tons of trash and woody debris.

To learn more about volunteering with the Iowa DNR’s IOWATER program, please visit www.iowater.net.

Reforms increase government accountability, transparency

During these tough times, Iowans want to know that their tax dollars are helping create jobs and grow our economy so our state quickly recovers from the national economic recession. That’s why I supported several bipartisan efforts to make state government more transparent and accountable. These steps include:

** Tax credit reforms that save money and invest better.
To prevent the sort of abuses exposed in the last year, we passed wide-ranging reforms that will ensure tax credits do more for Iowa families and small businesses. At the same time, we cut Iowa’s tax credit liability by more than $115 million.

The changes we made include suspension of the film tax credit program, cutting tax credits for large corporations while increasing small business incentives, and cutting other tax credit programs by 10 percent.

In addition, tax credits will be much more carefully and publicly scrutinized—just like the rest of the state budget. This new ongoing oversight will ensure that tax credits get results or are eliminated.

Find out how tax credits are being used here in Iowa by searching the Department of Economic Development database at http://tinyurl.com/y396pu5.

** First-in-the-nation reforms to protect Iowa elections and voters.
On April 8, Governor Chet Culver signed landmark legislation making Iowa the first state to protect elections from unregulated cash from big corporations and shadowy organizations. The Legislature unanimously approved these reforms after the U.S. Supreme Court erased all rules and limits on corporate spending in political campaigns.

The new law will help prevent the voices of Iowans from being drowned out by a flood of anonymous, negative corporate ads. The goal is to provide everyone with a clear picture of how big corporations attempt to influence Iowa elections.

Corporations will be required to add “paid for by” statements on all communications; corporate leaders must give authorization when money is spent for or against a candidate; and corporations will be required to file regular electronic reports with the Campaign Finance Disclosure Board. In addition, foreign nationals are banned from making any independent campaign expenditures in Iowa.

** Making sure recovery dollars are used effectively.
During this national recession, federal and state recovery dollars are protecting the jobs of teachers, nurses, police officers and others who provide critical services to Iowans.

The new Iowa Accountability & Transparency Board will make sure Iowans know how federal recovery dollars are being spent to provide services and improve Iowa’s economy. Learn more about the board’s work at www.iowa.gov/recovery/ExecutiveOrder12.

State-level I-JOBS projects are tracked by the Iowa Finance Authority. The IFA reports quarterly on projects, money spent, federal money matched by state funds, and the number of jobs created or saved. You can track I-JOBS projects on a county-by-county basis at www.ijobsiowa.gov/.

** Preventing misuse of taxpayer dollars.
The Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee continues to investigate allegations that the Iowa Association of School Boards misused—or stole—taxpayer dollars, engaged in nepotism and had conflicts of interest.

The fourth hearing of the Legislature’s Oversight Committee is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 29 in the old Supreme Court Chambers at the Statehouse. This meeting is open to the public.

The Committee will hear from insiders, including current and former IASB staff, about what appears to be misuse of taxpayer money. You can also listen to recordings of previous hearings at
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/AudioVideo/Oversight/83GA/.

**Shining a light on special interests.
It will be easier to track lobbying activity at the Statehouse thanks to a new law enacted this year. Using a Web site that is currently being developed, Iowans will be able to find out who’s hired a particular lobbyist, how much they’re paid and which legislation they’re lobbying for and against.

Young people wanted for Youth Council

The State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council is currently taking applications for its 2010-2011 council. The council is made up of 21 members between the ages of 14 and 20, who will get leadership and civic engagement experience, training and opportunities to network. Applications are due May 24. For more information and how to apply, visit www.icyd.iowa.gov/SIYAC or e-mail SIYAC@iowa.gov.

Young children count in census

A reminder for parents and child care providers: be sure to count your babies and young children on your 2010 Census forms. Children have been undercounted in every census since the first one in 1790. Local communities rely on census information in planning for schools, child care, health and other critical services. Babies need to be counted today, so they can benefit tomorrow from community services.

Take Back the Night! – Thursday

The annual Take Back the Night rally will be held Thursday, April 29th at 7PM in Downtown Iowa City. Sponsored by the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP), Take Back the Night offers residents of Johnson County an opportunity to stand up against rape, and to say “not on my watch.”

Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast – Saturday

This annual must-do event is Saturday, May 1st from 8 AM-1 PM at Parkview Church. All funds go toward supporting the important work of the Crisis Center in Johnson County.

NAMI Walk – Saturday May 8

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of Johnson County is holding its annual Walk for the Mind of America on Saturday, May 8th at Lower City Park in Iowa City.