As the House adjourned the 2nd session of the 83rd General Assembly, the House Republican Research Staff put together an end of session wrap-up of notable bills in all committees.

2010 End of Session Wrap-up

On Friday, December 4, 2009, the Iowa Parks Foundation issued a talking point paper and associated excel spreadsheet listing the types, locations and amounts of I-JOBS bonded funds used on various Iowa Park and trails in the upcoming year. The spreadsheet listed specific project targets for $40 million in I-JOBS money. $8 million of those funds are expended for Engineering, Design, and Inspection functions.

See other projects being funded…

The House Republican Staff put together analyses on the Governor’s Across the Board cuts. They can be found under their respective committees in the Bill Analysis section of the site or clicked on from the list below:

10% Across the Board Cut Analyses
Administration and Regulation ATB Cut Analysis
Health and Human Services ATB Cut Analysis
Economic Development ATB Cut Analysis
Natural Resources ATB Cut Analysis
Transportation ATB Cut Analysis
Education ATB Cut Analysis

On Tuesday, June 2, 2009, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued a press release touting its public safety effort “I Got Caught” to encourage young Iowans age 2 to 13 years of age to wear lifejackets while aboard vessels on Iowa waterways and helmets while biking, skateboarding, scooter-riding, and in-line skating.

Children 2 to 13 caught on Iowa’s waterways wearing a lifejacket will receive a mock citation, a sticker and a coupon for a free small Frosty at a participating Wendy’s restaurant. Other behavior that will prompt an “I got citation” is wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard or in-line skates.

The program will run throughout the summer and culminate in the fall with several bike giveaways. Iowa law requires children under age 13 to wear a life jacket while in a boat that is underway.

For more information, visit http://www.ihs.org/igotcaught

As the House adjourned for the 1st session of the 83rd General Assembly, the House Republican Research Staff put together an end of session wrap-up of notable bills in all committees.

2009 End of Session Wrap-up

From this week’s House Republican Newsletter:

Emerald Ash Borers on Verge of Entering Iowa

On Tuesday, April 7, 2009, and in response to a discovery of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Wisconsin, the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship (IDALS) issued a press release on behalf of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team to highlighted ongoing steps being taken to prevent an infestation in Iowa and detect the beetle if it is in the state. EAB is an invasive beetle that feeds on ash trees and eventually kills them. The new infestation was found near Victory, Wis. on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Allamakee County in Northeast Iowa. This new infestation is less than 5 miles southeast of the Minnesota-Iowa border. The Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team includes officials from IDALS, Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is native to the Asia, and was introduced in the United States near Detroit, Mich. in the 1990s. Although not yet found in Iowa, EAB has more potential for future harm to Iowa forests and urban communities than any other insect currently being dealt with in the United States. EAB kills all ash (Fraxinus) species by larval burrowing under the bark and eating the actively growing (cambium) layers of the trees. EAB has been killing trees of various sizes in neighborhoods and woodlands across the Midwest. Ash is one of the most abundant native tree species in North America, and has been heavily planted as a landscape tree in yards and other urban areas. According to recent sources, Iowa has an estimated 58 million rural ash trees and approximately 30 more million urban ash trees.

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This morning on the floor the House passed House Joint Resolution 1.

House Joint Resolution 1 – HJR 1 establishes a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation trust fund. The joint resolution credits the fund with an amount equal to the amount generated by a sales tax rate of three-eighths of 1 percent as may be imposed upon the retail sales price of tangible personal property and the furnishing of enumerated services sold in this state.

It passed the House 82-14 (bill information here)

This afternoon the House debating the following bills:

House File 45 – Suspension of Assistance During Commitment. HF 45 changes Iowa’s Medicaid law that would suspend a person’s Medicaid eligibility when they are placed in custody. Under current law, a person who is in custody of corrections or law enforcement has their Medicaid terminated as required by law. Once a person is released, it is difficult to re-establish eligibility for Medicaid and then these Iowans do not receive the mental health treatment they need.

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