DES MOINES – The Iowa Executive Council has authorized nearly $1.49 million in payments to outside legal counsel to defend Gov. Terry Branstad and state agencies against litigation and to help recoup money owed to Iowans or state government this fiscal year. The cost of legal representation provided by private attorneys with special expertise...
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DES MOINES – Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney unleashed a scathing attack on President Obama’s economic policies Tuesday, blaming Obama for creating a “financial crisis of debt and spending” that threatens the future for many Americans. “A prairie fire of debt is sweeping across Iowa and our nation and every day we fail...
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A roundup of news items of interest from the Capitol and state government agencies for Monday, May 14: LEGISLATURE WORK PRODUCT: Iowa lawmakers ended up producing more bills during this year’s session that adjourned last week than the previous year. The 84th General Assembly concluded its 2012 work by approving 142 enrolled bills and...
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DES MOINES – Officials at MidAmerican Energy Co. are studying potential options now that the Iowa Legislature adjourned without taking action on a bill the utility sought to lay the groundwork for a state regulatory structure as a step toward its planned construction of a nuclear power plant in Iowa. “We are evaluating future...
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DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad told reporters Monday he will “never give up” on efforts to cut commercial property taxes and to limit the growth of taxes for residential and agricultural property owners. The governor also said he believed belt-tightening efforts that he and Legislature undertook the past two sessions will make it...
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JOHNSTON – Two top lawmakers expressed a willingness Friday to keep working on a property tax relief compromise that could be adopted in special session, but they conceded “a gap” remains between what majority Republicans in the House and majority Democrats in the Senate would accept to lower business tax rates while avoiding a...
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DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad fired a shot at his executive-branch agencies while issuing an order Friday rescinding a ban on lead ammunition by dove hunters, saying he would not let them trump actions of elected officials by using “administrative fiat” to set rules that go beyond a law’s intended effect. “We need...
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Here are some of the new laws slated to take effect July 1 that could impact Iowans: Driver’s license renewals: Eligible Iowans aged 18 to 65 who have a driver’s license in good standing will be able to renew their licenses online every other time. That means most eligible Iowans would have to appear...
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Here are brief summaries of how the top issues of the 2012 legislative session fared: PROPERTY TAX RELIEF: House and Senate members worked all session on various ways to provide commercial and industrial property tax reform. The House sought to phase down the business rollback by cutting the percentage of the assessed value that...
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DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad said Thursday he would consider calling a special legislative session to pass a comprehensive property tax relief package if a satisfactory compromise could be worked out with assurances the votes would be there to pass it once lawmakers returned to the Capitol. Branstad, Republicans who control the House...
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