April 25, 2008

Fund to create opportunities and recruit skilled workers

Making neighborhoods safer by solving ‘cold cases’

New guidelines for well drilling water

Fund to create opportunities and recruit skilled workers

Research has shown quality of life and a chance at financial success are key to recruiting and keeping skilled workers in Iowa. This is partly why the Senate approved legislation to improve opportunities for Iowans.  

The first part of the legislation creates more local recreation and tourism.  The proposal extends Iowa’s Community Attraction & Tourism initiative and appropriates $12 million over three years for cultural and recreation activities in Iowa communities. 

The bill also creates a new $2 million River Enhancement, Community Attraction & Tourism fund to help cities develop river walks, trails, and white-water courses along waterways throughout the state.

Another component of the Senate initiative helps Iowa families create personal “Individual Development Accounts” (IDAs).  IDAs are savings accounts that allow low- and mid-income families to receive matching-funds on their savings from partners such as a credit union, the federal government or the state government.  The money can be used to buy a first home, start or expand a small business, or pay for education and job training. 

The third aspect of the proposal assists entrepreneurs and helps expand small business in the state. Many communities across Iowa have microenterprises with tremendous potential. 

Making neighborhoods safer by solving ‘cold cases’

Next year, a “Cold Case unit” will be established to advance our efforts to bring justice to the perpetrators of some of the most serious unsolved crimes in our state.

Two investigators will be hired to systematically review case files and take a fresh look at the evidence. There will be a particular focus on DNA and other approaches based on today’s sophisticated forensic technology.  The new Cold Case unit is expected to solve several murder cases, as well as a significant number of unsolved sexual assaults. 

Last year, for example, a Des Moines man was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of a Colfax woman more than 20 years ago.  A DNA sample was taken from Martin Duffy when he was convicted of drunk driving in 2005; it matched a DNA sample taken from the crime scene in 1986. In addition to his prison term, Duffy was ordered to pay $100,000 to the victim’s daughter and $50,000 to her husband as part of Iowa’s victim restitution program.

New guidelines for well drilling water

The Governor this week signed legislation designed to aid in protecting our natural resources.  House File 2685 requires the federal Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) to adopt rules regulating the discharge of wastewater from water drilling sites. 

During the well-drilling process, there may be times when a large amount of water (the wastewater defined in the bill) is discharged from the well site.  This bill charges the EPC with adopting rules to ensure the wastewater is handled properly.  The bill sets the guidelines for the rules and allows the Department of Natural Resources to collect fees for any general permits to enforce the guidelines of the program.