Iowa House of Representatives

With gas prices on the rise and families looking for the best value for their vacation dollar Iowans need look no further than their own backyards.  The Iowa Department of Tourism has an EXCELLENT website that links travelers to a number of resources.

Be sure to visit these pages for further information:

Things to Do in Iowa
Travel Tools
Deals & Discounts

House Democrats regularly post stories and information about area attractions in their newsletter.  You can subscribe the newsletter of your state representative by visiting the “Statehouse News” page on the website.  I link is below:

Please Subscribe!

Several new laws will hit the books on July 1, the start of the state’s fiscal year. Several changes were made during the 2009 legislative session that will impact Iowans, including new restrictions on sex offenders, foreclosure protection, and better health care.

Here are a few of the highlights:

• Foreclosure Protection - Iowans will benefit from expanded services when facing foreclosure, more accurate information from mortgage brokers or bankers, and active duty reservists and national guard members will have new protections from foreclosure while serving (House File 706, Senate File 355, and Senate File 364)

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From Radio Iowa:

Supporters of an Iowa City to Chicago Amtrak route say it could become a reality in two to three years. Rebecca Neades is spearheading the effort for the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Neads says, “We have a very good shot at passenger rail from Iowa City to Chicago. We have all the right people in Washington right now looking at passenger rail and making that a priority. We have our feasibility study that’s done. It looks very very promising.”

She says they believe about 187,000 people would ride the train every year. Neads says the train is a very appealing option. “It’s a quick turnaround. It’s only a five hour ride. The cost is very inexpensive, they’re keeping it down at around 42 dollars and it’s a very safe, economical, and environmentally friendly way to travel,” Neads says.

She says the federal government could pay most of the more than fifty million dollar cost for the route because the midwest is largely underserved, and Illinois and Iowa are working together on the project. Neads says long-term plans include extending the passenger rail line from Iowa City to Des Moines and then to Omaha.

http://www.iowahouse.org/2009Highlights/Labor%20Highlights.pdf

Google has officially opened it’s new data center in Council Bluffs.  House Democrats brought forward a proposal in 2007 that helped lure Google to Iowa - helping create more than 200 jobs in the Council Bluffs area.  Similar programs were created to encourage Microsoft and IBM to locate operations in Iowa as well.  The story from the Omaha World Herald (photo courtesy of Omaha World Herald):

COUNCIL BLUFFS - The next time you Google something, that search might be processed a few miles away, at the Internet company’s new data center in the Bluffs.

About 650 people gathered at the construction site Tuesday to celebrate the Iowa center going online.

The $600-million data center, located on 55-acres northwest of U.S. 275 and South 11th Street, will eventually employ about 200 people. The center houses computers that will run some of Google’s services, such as the search engine, Gmail, and Google Maps.
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http://www.iowahouse.org/2009Highlights/Economic%20Growth%20End%20of%20Session%20Highlights.pdf

President Obama made an Earth Day visit to Iowa on Wednesday to talk about energy.  He visited Trinity Structural Towers in Newton, which manufactures wind towers.  The President’s visit highlights the work Iowa has done over the last three years to lead the world in renewable energy.

Through the $100 million Iowa Power Fund and other initiatives, Iowa has created over 2,300 “green” jobs and is now 2nd in the nation in wind energy, 1st in the nation in ethanol production, and 2nd in the nation in biodiesel production.

Click here for more information on Iowa’s Renewable Energy efforts.

WHO-TV has President Obama’s speech in Newton on their web page.

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The Iowa House has approved a major expansion of a historic rehabilitation program used in communities across Iowa. The bill, Senate File 481, will help revitalize towns and create good-paying jobs through a state income tax credit for historic preservation of buildings.

“I came to the Capitol to work for jobs – jobs for my constituents in Mason City and for all middle class families. In Iowa who are struggling to make ends meet, to make house payments, to pay for health care and to put food on the table. These Historic Preservation Tax Credits will create jobs,” said State Representative Sharon Steckman of Mason City, who won approval of the bill in the House. (more…)

Bill Summary: Historic Preservation Tax Credits, HF 819

In 2007, the Legislature created the Film, Television, and Video Project Promotion program to encourage the production of films in Iowa.  Since that time, 13 film projects have been shot in Iowa.  The Iowa House approved Senate File 480 on Wednesday to lure larger films to Iowa and make us more competitive with neighboring states.  Click here for a summary of the bill.

According to today’s Des Moines Register, the efforts may be paying off:

Tax breaks help lure California film group

By JASON CLAYWORTH
jclayworth@dmreg.com

A movie company from California is considering a move to Des Moines’ Southridge Mall based upon action lawmakers took Wednesday that increases tax breaks for the film industry.

The company plan would involve a production and marketing budget of as much as $300 million, creating as many as 10 family-oriented movies in five years and hiring hundreds of staff members and actors. (more…)