Capitol Digest 3-2-2010

A roundup of legislative and Statehouse items of interest for Tuesday, March 2:

GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENTS:: Gov. Chet Culver on Tuesday appointed or reappointed 210 Iowans to various boards and commissions for terms slated to begin May 1. Most of the appointments are subject to confirmation by a two-thirds majority of the Iowa Senate. Here are some of the notable entries: Barry Cleaveland and Donald Wiley, reappointed to the state Transportation Commission; Gregory Seyfer, reappointed to state Racing and Gaming Commission; Rosemarie Hussey, reappointed to the state Board of Education; Michael Klappholz, reappointed to Iowa Lottery Board; John Bilsten and Fred Hubbell, reappointed to the Iowa Power Fund Board; Sheryl Griffith, reappointed to the state Board of Corrections; Elizabeth Robinson, reappointed chair of the Iowa Board of Parole; George Baugh, John Bickel, Jerry Courtney, Nancy Dunkel, John Lisle, Ruth MacDonald, Robert Riley, Jr., Marcia Rogers, and Toby Shine, all reappointed, David Bernstein, Rebecca Greenwald, Sue Jarboe, Andrea McGuire, and Daniel White, new appointments, state Board of Economic Development; Fred Diehl and Marilyn Monroe, reappointed to Vision Iowa Board; Carol Tillotson, new, John Walsh, reappointed, state Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board; and Claire Celse, new appointment to Alcoholic Beverages Commission.

RURAL FLAVOR: Republican gubernatorial candidate Rod Roberts has invited GOP rivals Terry Branstad and Bob Vander Platts to hold two debates in rural Iowa before the June 8 primary election. Roberts, a state representative, proposed to hold a debate in his hometown of Carroll and one in an eastern Iowa town with a population of 15,000 or less, as chosen by the campaigns. “We cannot forget rural Iowa in the 2010 elections,” he said. “By holding debates in smaller Iowa communities, the Republican gubernatorial candidates can send a message to rural Iowans that we are concerned about the issues that matter to them.” Last week Vander Plaats, a Sioux City business consultant, called for four debates in Des Moines, Sioux City, Dubuque and a city to be named later. Roberts said his proposal would ensure that he, Vander Platts and Branstad, a former four-term governor, would appear together in six debates.

PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER AREAS: Twelve Iowa counties impacted by severe winter weather have been declared presidential disaster areas, Gov. Chet Culver's office said Tuesday. The counties are: Adair, Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Pottawattamie, Sac and Shelby. This declaration provides assistance to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations, including rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities, for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. Public Assistance program funds are available to public entities and select non-profit agencies to rebuild damaged infrastructure that may include roads, bridges, culverts, and other public facilities, or to cover costs of emergency work during the storms. In addition, the declaration includes funding to conduct hazard mitigation activities for the entire state. With this funding, Iowa will be able to minimize the impact of future natural disasters by strengthening existing infrastructure.

NO PENALTY OR INTEREST: Iowa disaster victims who claimed tax deductions for 2008 property casualties on their state income tax returns that later were not authorized by the Legislature would not have to pay penalty or interest on back taxes they may owe. The Senate Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously to waive any penalty or interest on miscalculated taxes related to disaster losses. The snafu occurred when lawmakers adjourned last April without “coupling” with federal tax changes that included disaster-related tax breaks – after many Iowans had already filed their 2008 state returns claiming similar state deductions. Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, said about $211,000 in penalty and interest would be owed without passage of Senate Study Bill 3212.

FLOOD SYMPOSIUM: Experts in flood-related fields will gather March 9 to talk about Iowa's 2008 disaster and how to prepare for future events. The University of Iowa's Center for Global & Regional Environmental Research is hosting a flood symposium next week titled “A Watershed Year: Anatomy of the Iowa Floods of 2008; Lessons Learned – Preparing for the Future.” The event will take place at the Iowa State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust St., in Des Moines from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For more information about the symposium, contact Joe Bolkcom at joe-bolkcom@uiowa.edu.

DOMESTIC ABUSE BILL GETS HEARING: A House panel considering SF 2357, a bill prohibiting a person who is subject to a protective order or no-contact order or convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse from possessing firearms and ammunition heard from a 25-year victim of domestic abuse. Although a law won't stop an abuser, the Des Moines woman called the bill a “step in the right direction.”

Lawmakers said the bill would mirror federal law. They are working on an amendment and said they may need to get leaders to put the bill on the unfinished business calendar so it survives Friday's funnel deadline.

MARSHALLTOWN LAWMAKER HONORED: Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, has been honored with the American Medical Association's top government service award for a member of a state legislature. Smith, chairman of the House Human Resources Committee, was presented the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service at an awards dinner in Washington, D.C. as part of the AMA's National Advocacy Conference. “This award honors Rep. Smith's dedication to improving the well-being of Iowa's citizens with mental health and substance abuse disorders,” said AMA Board Chair Rebecca J. Patchin, MD. “He has championed solutions for health care access and affordability and the promotion of public health to benefit all the citizens of Iowa.” The award, named for the founding father of the AMA, recognizes elected and career officials in federal, state or municipal service whose outstanding contributions have promoted the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. Smith was nominated for the AMA award by Michael Kitchell, MD., president of the Iowa Medical Society.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I am the commander-in chief of the Iowa National Guard and have the duty and obligation to support our troops. As far as I'm concerned, that means being there with them on the ground in combat to show my support and my commitment to doing all I can to help.” -- Gov. Chet Culver defending his recent visit to Iraq.