Dear Friends:
Legislative Office Hours Saturday
This is a reminder that I will be holding legislative office hours on Saturday, May 9, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Blue Strawberry, 118 2nd Street SE, in downtown Cedar Rapids. This is an opportunity to report on the accomplishments of the 2009 legislative session and to meet with citizens about their suggestions for state government and the 2010 legislative session. I am especially pleased to be meeting at the Blue Strawberry, which is one of our small businesses recovering from the floods of 2008. Disaster recovery was our top priority throughout the 2009 session, and this is a way of supporting one of our flood-affected businesses. I hope to see you Saturday at the Blue Strawberry.
Helping Iowa Businesses Create Jobs
One of my priorities for the 2009 legislative session was trying to help Iowa businesses create jobs and succeed in the face of the national recession. This was particularly important for Cedar Rapids given the effects of the flood, and we succeeded in providing funds to the City of Cedar Rapids to use for more than $3 million in small business assistance (HF64). I also worked hard to convince the Department of Economic Development to provide assistance to our businesses with the loss of our downtown steam system, and the Department responded by allocating $16 million in CDBG funds for that purpose, in addition to the $5 million we obtained through the bonding bill (SF376).
Despite spending $193 million less in this year's general fund budget than last year's, we were also able to maintain the Iowa Values Fund at $45 million (a cut of $5 million) in HF822. We also streamlined our economic development programs to be more user-friendly in SF344. The Iowa Values Fund was most recently tapped by Penford Products for $2 million in assistance to avoid significant layoffs, and remains available to help other Cedar Rapids businesses.
We also used the bonding bill (SF376) to make needed investments in long-term capital infrastructure, which should help create short-term jobs and lay the foundation for longer-term economic success. In addition to the disaster recovery and prevention uses which I outlined in my last email update, this bonding proposal provides $55 million in matching funds for sewer and wastewater improvements, $25 million in matching funds for broadband improvements, $5 million for alternative energy through the Iowa Energy Center, $5.5 million for capital investments in our accelerated career education program through our community colleges, and $50 million in bridge safety replacement and improvements.
Our infrastructure bill (HF822) also provides $14.75 million in financial assistance to cities and counties for roads and streets, which should help improve local roads without increasing the burden on property taxes, and provides $5.5 million for railroad loan projects to help Iowa industries. HF822 also provides $3 million to help Iowa draw down federal funds for expansion of passenger rail.
SF481 provided a significant expansion of tax credits for investment in renovation of historic buildings, with a focus on disaster recovery and job creation. This tool has the potential to be very useful in the revitalization of flood-damaged buildings.
We also maintained our focus on renewable energy as one of the keys for our economic and environmental future. We maintained the Iowa Power Fund at $24 million (a cut of $1 million) to fund alternative energy research and development (SF478). We also added to provided additional tax credits for renewable energy component R&D (HF810/SF471), wind energy production (SF456/SF810), and methane digesters to produce baseload renewable energy (SF478). Perhaps most importantly, we directed the Office of Energy Independence to pursue competitive grants available through federal energy stimulus funding (SF471), which could total tens if not hundreds of millions to help us improve energy efficiency and use the clean energy technologies of the future.
American Cancer Society Relay For Life (June 12-13)
Please mark your calendars now for the American Cancer Society's relay for life June 12-13 at the track at Kirkwood Community College. The relay begins at 7 p.m. the night of June 12 and concludes at 10 a.m. the morning of June 13. Although health care was not as prominent in this year's legislative session compared to the past two years, I was pleased that we were able to stop efforts to weaken Iowa's successful smoke-free law by defeating amendment S-3336 to SF478. I plan to walk at least some of the relay for life, and I hope you can join me there.
Rob
State Senator Rob Hogg
State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 242-5049 (desk)
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