• State’s cash reserves approaching all-time high: GAZETTE
• Banking report shows recovery from the recession: RADIO IOWA
• Branstad urges legislators to wrap up 2012 session this week: RADIO IOWA
• Iowa funds to fix dangerous dams withheld: REGISTER
• Two 2010 primary foes endorse Blum: WCF COURIER
• Minnesota town serves as example for Iowa health initiative: GAZETTE
• Lawmakers hope this week to break state budget dam: GLOBEGAZETTE
• Gas prices fuel ‘buy local’ significance: GAZETTE
• Some in GOP advocate walking away, leaving budget decisions until January: RADIO IOWA

 

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WASHINGTON – Republicans have ignored a White House veto threat and pushed an election-year, $46 billion tax cut for most employers through a sharply divided House. The $46 billion measure, approved on a mostly party-line 235-173 vote, lacked either suspense or any expectation that the plan would become law. The bill will die in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and for good measure, the White House warned of a veto by President Obama, saying the proposal is far too broad and generous to the wealthy.

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The House, despite White House objections, has passed a cybersecurity bill aimed at helping stop electronic attacks on critical U.S. infrastructure and companies.

The vote was 248-168 on Thursday. The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, known as CISPA, intends to defend U.S. industries and corporate networks against the threat of cyberattacks.

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NEW YORK – One World Trade Center, the giant monolith being built to replace the twin towers destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, will lay claim to the title of New York City’s tallest skyscraper on Monday. Workers will erect steel columns that will make its unfinished skeleton a little over 1,250 feet high, just enough to peak over the roof of the observation deck on the Empire State Building.

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On Tuesday, the House of Representatives gave bipartisan support to legislation redesigning the way state and local governments provide mental health services to Iowans. The vote was the culmination of two years of work by legislators, state and county officials, service providers, and consumers to improve Iowa’s mental health system and bring it into the 21st Century.

The House passed its version of Senate File 2315. The bill includes the creation of mental health service regions to provide local management of the system, establishment of a core set of services that would be offered in all parts of the state, and improving the data collection in the system.
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Iowa Workforce Development announced last week that Iowa’s unemployment rate had dropped to 5.2% in the month of March, down 0.1% from the previous month. While the unemployment rate dropped, the total nonfarm employment number actually fell by 1,600.

The drop in the statewide unemployment rate pulls Iowa even with New Hampshire for the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the nation. The national average fell a tenth of a percent from February and is now at 8.2%. The four states with better unemployment rates than Iowa are: New Hampshire (5.2%), Vermont (4.8%), South Dakota (4.3%), Nebraska (4.0%), and North Dakota (3.0%).
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• Negotiations continue even if lawmakers can’t agree on budget: WCFCOURIER
• Report: Sexual violence costs the state $5.8B: RADIO IOWA
• UI to make three more appeals to FEMA: GAZETTE
• Memorial honors Iowa solider who died in Korean War: RADIO IOWA
• Senate panel adds $3M for Price Lab school: GAZETTE
• Grassley welcomes move to drop farm labor rules: QCTIMES
• No ultimatums but strong feelings at statehouse: RADIO IOWA
• Republicans, Democrats remain divided on spending: QCTIMES

This year the Legislature was scheduled to meet for 100 days. As you may have heard, the 100th day of the 2012 session was Tuesday, April 17th. The reason for the overtime? Simply put, Democrats want to spend more than we do.

House Republicans made a commitment to Iowans to fund their priorities and stick to commonsense budgeting principles, including:
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A new April 2012 newsletter is available for viewing. Click the link below to see a PDF version:

Caucus Newsletter
In this Edition:

• House GOP Holding Firm on Spending
• Unemployment Drops Again
• Mental Health Redesign Sent to Senate