From the Capitol to You:

I hope this newsletter finds you dry and cool. We are having quite a summer!

Mason City had some very positive press Friday in the Sports section of the Des Moines Register. “Mason City could become a title town” refers to our two high school baseball teams going on to State. Congratulations to these fine young athletes! Also, Thursday we saw our granddaughter, Rachel and 53 other members of the MCHS Concert leave for Torrevieja, Spain for ten days of touring and performing. What a summer for all these kids! North Iowa is a great place for young people to grow and flourish, with so many opportunities available to them!

More good news for Iowa in the article below…..ranked 6th in the country overall for doing business, number one in cost of doing business. A few weeks ago Governor Culver met with the IBM Chairman and CEO Samuel Palmisano who stated, “The city of Dubuque has become a national model of how the public and private sectors can work together to create good, highly skilled jobs that will keep America competitive in today’s global economy. IBM is excited to be working with the city and state in accomplishing great things together.” IBM recently expanded in Iowa and created 1,300 new jobs. I am proud to have been the floor manager of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit bill part of which enabled IBM to expand in a historic part of Dubuque, and at the same time preserving the character of the city.

Don’t forget the BBQ Bash in East Park this weekend. Lots of good food and entertainment! Also the Downtown Farmer’s Market on Saturday from 9-noon…..buy fresh, buy local! Have a great week!



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Joel Everist giving the parents a sneak preview of the upcoming concert that they will perform in Spain.



Pictured is the CEO of Growth Design Energy, Byron Tweeten at the dedication ceremony on the site of the Biodiesel Plant soon to be built near Forest City. The refining process uses a patented reactor system called the McGyan Process. It is a closed system, uses little water, environmentally friendly and converts a variety of feedstocks to biodiesel in seconds. Very exciting technology!

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Iowa a Top State For Doing Business…Again

For the third year in a row, Iowa has cracked the top 10 as one of the “Top States for Doing Business” according to CNBC. Iowa had an overall ranking of sixth, and scored number one in the cost of doing business.

The cost of doing business looked at the tax burden, including individual income and property taxes, business taxes, gas tax and utility costs. State workers’ compensation insurance costs, as well as rental costs for office space were also considered. Read More

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National Model to Boost Student Achievement Under Review in Iowa

Three years after the Legislature raised standards in schools to boost student achievement and ensure kids are prepared for jobs in today’s global economy, the Iowa Department of Education is in the process of reviewing a new national model of education standards to determine how it aligns with Iowa’s standards.

The Common Core State Standards was a voluntary, state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The purpose of this effort was to develop standards that each state could adopt voluntarily to provide a common set of standards across states. Read More

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I-JOBS Program Projected to Employ 23,000 People

Governor Culver announced that 7,000 to 9,000 Iowans were on I-JOBS project payrolls in the month of June as a result of the I-JOBS initiative. Projections show up to 23,000 people will work on I-JOBS projects in 2010 and 2011.

The I-JOBS initiative is designed to modernize our state’s infrastructure, continue our flood recovery and prevention efforts, and create and retain jobs. Over two years, the Legislature made an $875 million investment in Iowa without raising taxes. The funding for I-JOBS comes from state gaming revenues. Read More

Synthetic Marijuana Banned