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On April 23, Governor Chet Culver signed two
bills designed to expand Iowa’s wind energy industry. Senate
File 456 utilizes unused tax credits to promote small wind
energy projects across the state. House File 817 provides
economic incentives for wind component manufacturers who are
looking at building or expanding in Iowa.
Iowa currently ranks second in wind energy production, according
to the American Wind Energy Association. The state is home to
five major wind energy component manufacturers and has seen
2,300 green-collar wind energy jobs created in recent years. |
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Senator Rob Hogg and Governor Chet Culver discuss
Senate File 364 on April 9. The bill unanimously passed the
Senate and was signed into law by the Governor, providing
mortgage reforms that give homeowners a better chance of
avoiding foreclosure. |
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The Student Council from Vernon Middle School in Marion visited
with Senator Swati Dandekar and I in the Senate chamber Tuesday
afternoon. Along with meeting with legislators, the students
also toured the building and received an inside look at Iowa
government for the day. |
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Senator Wally Horn, Senator Swati Dandekar and I had the
opportunity to meet with 2 extraordinary students from the Cedar
Rapids area in the Senate chamber on Thursday morning. They were
being honored for essays they wrote as part of the "Write Women
Back into History" presentation.
The group included Senator Horn, Brenden Farr and his dad, their
teacher, Katrina Brown, Senator Dandekar, Morgan Exline and her
parents, and Senator Hogg. |
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Iowa Senate approves major mortgage reform (SF 364)State Senator
Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids secures a unanimous vote in the Iowa
Senate for mortgage reforms that give homeowners a better chance
of avoiding foreclosure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p4XnjhqFtk
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YMCA held their annual legislative breakfast at the Statehouse
on Wednesday, March 11. The YMCA serves thousands of Iowans
through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body.
I talked with Bob Carlson, the CEO of the Cedar Rapids YMCA, at
the breakfast. |
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The Iowa chapter of the American Association of Retired People
held a legislative breakfast at the Capitol on Wednesday to
advocate for a variety of issues affecting Iowa's seniors,
including healthcare and financial security.
Senator Swati Dandekar, Senator Wally Horn and I met with AARP
volunteers from the Cedar Rapids area. |
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Senator Wally Horn and I met with a government class from Jefferson
High School in Cedar Rapids when they visited the Capitol on
February 18. The students toured the Statehouse, met with their
legislators, and got a firsthand look at the legislative
process. |
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Three community college students visited the
State Capitol on February 4 to thank lawmakers who supported
Iowa’s wind energy expansion efforts. Students Spencer Baak, Kary Haglan
and Grant Erickson (left to right) talked with Senator Dandekar
and myself about continuing support for Iowa’s
community colleges and the Iowa Power Fund. A two-year program
at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville to train students
to learning to build and maintain wind turbines will grow from
71 students this year to 102 students next year. Graduates
typically receive 10 to 20 job offers when they complete their
courses. |
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On February
2, Governor Chet Culver signed a bill recently approved by
the Legislature to provide $56 million for disaster relief.
The money will come from the state’s Economic Emergency
Fund.
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Iowans who lost their homes in last year’s floods visited the
Iowa Statehouse on January 20 to ask that housing assistance be
the top priority of a disaster relief package that the
Legislature is considering as part of its Rebuild Iowa efforts.
I agree that a “homes first” approach to flood relief is the
right thing to do. Pictured from left: I, Scott and
Sharon Murray of Palo, and Jim Davis of Charles City. |
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Major General Ron Dardis spoke January 14 at
the first meeting of the Senate Rebuild Iowa Committee. General
Dardis chairs the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission and is
retiring as the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard.
As chair of the Committee and a resident of Cedar Rapids, I
thanked General Dardis for his work and the work of the Iowa
National Guard during last year’s devastating floods and
tornadoes. The Senate is now working to approve Governor
Culver’s request for additional disaster assistance to Iowa
communities and families. |
