Capitol Briefs 1-27-10

A roundup of legislative and Statehouse items of interest for Wednesday, Jan. 27:

MISTAKEN POSITION: The American Legion of Iowa officially took no position on a bill that would make the spouses of military personnel eligible for unemployment benefits in some cases when they are forced to relocate.

Somebody should have told House Republicans, who cited what they said was the legion's opposition to the bill. The lobbyist for the organization registered as being opposed to the bill.

“The organization did not have a position, and our lobbyist declared incorrectly,” said John Derner, department adjutant of the American Legion of Iowa.

The bill passed the House Tuesday night.

LAYOFF NOTICES: The Iowa House voted 81-18 Wednesday to require employers to give notice of closings that would result of the layoff of 25 or more employees or mass layoffs of at least 25 employees in a 30-day period. Employers would be exempt from the requirements in some instances outlined in the bill. Proponents of the measure said many of Iowa's smaller employers would not qualify for the layoff requirement in the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, and the bill would ensure more were covered.

CONLIN FUNDRAISING: Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Roxanne Conlin raised $603,575 from 1,649 individuals, including 1,395 Iowans, in November and December, according to a quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission. Her campaign also signed up 31,000 online supporters during that short time period, campaign manager Mark Daley said. Conlin also reported $502,832 cash on hand as she heads into a three-way primary for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Most of the donations – 1,332 – were $100 or less.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “My sole intent with this legislation is to slow traffic down.” – Rep. Wesley Whitead, D-Sioux City, on a proposal to install photo traffic enforcement devices and warning signs in all road work zones on state highways to deter speeders.