In an agreement between both the Republican and Democratic leaders announced on the Senate floor earlier this week, Iowans Leonard Strand of Sioux City, and Rebecca Ebinger of Des Moines, are two of five judicial nominees who will be voted on before President's Day.  The other nominees who will receive votes are Luis Restrepo of Pennsylvania, Wilhelmina Wright of Minnesota, and John Vazquez of New Jersey.  As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley helped lead the effort to reach the agreement.

"These two Iowans are uniquely qualified to be federal judges and have exceptional credentials.  I'm glad they will be voted on by the full Senate in short order," Grassley said.

Grassley recommended Strand and Ebinger to the White House after an extensive effort by a Judicial Selection Commission that Grassley formed after two judges announced their intention to take senior status.  The commission was comprised of highly qualified members of the Iowa legal community, and led by Cynthia Moser, a former Iowa State Bar Association president. The commission also included Richard Sapp, Jeffrey Goodman, Harlan D. Hockenberg, and Adam Freed.

These lawyers spent hundreds of hours carefully reviewing applications and interviewing each of the 39 Iowans who submitted applications and sought consideration.  Eleven applicants were then selected to participate in a lengthy second interview.  The commission's review included not only these interviews, but also a thorough study and examination of the applicants' professional history, credentials, and qualifications.  The commission then made recommendations to Grassley, who - in consultation with Senator Joni Ernst - reviewed the candidates and their qualifications before submitting his recommendations to the White House.

Strand currently serves as a U.S. magistrate judge in Sioux City for the Northern District of Iowa.  He graduated first in his class from the College of Law at the University of Iowa and brings extensive experience in civil litigation from private practice in Cedar Rapids.

Ebinger is a state district judge in Polk County.  She graduated from Yale Law School, was an assistant U.S. attorney in both the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, and clerked for Judge Michael J. Melloy of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

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December 24, 2015    EXTENSION OFFICE CLOSED

December 25, 2015    EXTENSION OFFICE CLOSED

January 1, 2016    EXTENSION OFFICE CLOSED

January 5, 2016    GrowingOn 2016 Scott County Extension Office 5:30pm-8:00pm

January 26, 2016    ServSafe Food Safety Certification Workshop Scott County Extension Office 9am-5pm

January 26, 2016    Extension Council Meeting Scott County Extension Office 7:00pm

January 29, 2016    2016 Crop Advantage Meeting-Moline  8:30am-4:00pm

Visit our events calendar at our web site:   http://dbs.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/

Legislation makes critical investments in renewable energy, education, health care, R&D, law enforcement, and early learning

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the House passed legislation to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2016. This bipartisan, compromise legislation will create jobs and grow the economy, as well as keep the government open, avoiding another disastrous Republican shutdown.

"By passing this bill, Congress has ended the constant threat of a Republican government shutdown that the nation has been facing. But this vote was more than just a vote to keep the government open, it was a vote to be a responsible actor and put the needs of Iowans ahead of the special interests that are running Washington. This legislation is not perfect, and it is not the bill that I would have preferred. In the end, it proves there is a governing majority of Republicans and Democrats who are can work together and choose to get things done.

"This bill makes strong investments in many key areas that will grow the economy and create jobs here in Iowa and across the country in areas such as renewable energy, education, research and infrastructure. It also extends the PTC and ITC tax credits for wind and solar energy that are important to many Iowans in rural communities. I am pleased that Congress finally got its act together and worked in a commonsense manner to move our country forward."

Highlights of the legislation include :

·       Medical Research: Medical research at NIH has been underfunded for the last several years.  This bill provides $900 million more than the House GOP bill and $2 billion more than 2015 for this life-saving research.

·       Extension of the Wind and Solar Tax Credits (PTC/ITC): Extends the wind Production Tax Credit for five years (2015-2019), with the credit reduced by 20 percent in 2017, 40 percent in 2018, and 60 percent in 2019.  Also extends the solar Investment Tax Credit for five years (2017-2021), with the credit reduced by 20 percent in 2020 and 40 percent in 2021.  Extending the solar Investment Tax Credit is estimated to create 61,000 jobs in 2017 alone.  It is also estimated that the wind industry will grow to over 100,000 jobs over four years with the renewed wind tax credit.

·       Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy R&D: Provides an 8 percent increase over 2015 for R&D activities in the pursuit of new clean energy and energy efficiency technologies.

·       Overall Education: The bill restores the $2.5 billion cut in education that the GOP had proposed and also makes critical additional investments of $1.4 billion above 2015, in such areas as Title I that serves 24 million at-risk students.

·       Early Learning: Investing in Head Start produces results - and this bill invests nearly $400 million more than the House GOP bill and nearly $600 million more than 2015 in this vital initiative.  The bill also provides $250 million for Preschool Development Grants, assisting 18 states across the country.

·       Infrastructure: The popular TIGER grants are being used across the country to repair infrastructure and contribute to economic growth.  The House GOP bill had slashed TIGER grants by 80 percent, killing jobs, but this bill restores the funding to the 2015 level of $500 million.

·       Law Enforcement: The bill provides $187 million for COPS hiring grants, $7 million above the 2015 level and $187 million above the House GOP bill, which had eliminated the hiring grants.  The bill also provides $80 million for the Community Policing Initiative, including $22.5 million for body-worn cameras and $15 million for Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation grants, an increase over the House bill.

Des Moines, Iowa – AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa, a Medicaid managed care health plan that will serve Iowa Medicaid beneficiaries as part of the state's new IA Health Link program beginning March 1, 2016, announced today that it has signed an agreement with UnityPoint Health® that will give AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa's members access to UnityPoint Health's hospitals, home care experts, primary care physicians and specialists throughout Iowa and the Illinois Quad Cities.

UnityPoint Health is one of Iowa's largest providers of hospital, home health, telehealth and other health care services. It includes more than 3,500 doctors and specialists, eight hospitals and clinics in Anamosa, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Quad Cities, Muscatine, Sioux City and Waterloo in Iowa, as well as Madison, Wis. and Peoria, Ill.

"We are excited to add UnityPoint Health to our network," said Cheryl Harding, market president for AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa. "For more than 30 years, our family of companies has specialized in helping individuals who are most in need to access quality health care and services. Our partnership with UnityPoint Health will allow our members throughout the state access to the more than 28,000 dedicated health care professionals who make UnityPoint Health one of the most respected health systems in the state."

"Establishing this new relationship with AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa enables us to ensure that the best access to health care services is available to our patients," said Brian Jones, vice president of payor innovation, UnityPoint Health. "In partnership with the State of Iowa, it allows us to continue to provide high-quality service to some of our most vulnerable patients at UnityPoint Health."

The new IA Health Link program will serve the majority of Iowa's Medicaid population, or about 560,000 Iowans, through select managed care plans. For more information about the IA Health Link program, visit http://dhs.iowa.gov/.

Des Moines, Iowa – AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa, one of the Medicaid health plans selected to administer the  state's new IA Health Link program beginning March 1, 2016, and University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa's only comprehensive academic medical center announced today that they have signed an agreement that will give AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa members access to a health system recognized as one of the best health care providers in the United States.

University of Iowa Health Care, which is comprised of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Carver College of Medicine, and University of Iowa Physicians, includes a 730-bed hospital that annually admits more than 32,000 patients for in-patient hospital care. It also represents more than 200 outpatient clinics and care areas receiving just over 914,300 clinic visits. Together, these partners provide patient care, conduct biomedical research, and train the next generation of health professionals.

AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa Market President Cheryl Harding was excited to share the news of another hospital system aligning themselves with the AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa team.  "University of Iowa Health Care will allow us to reach a tremendous number of Medicaid recipients at a hospital system that is committed to providing quality care and excellent service that produce exceptional outcomes," said Cheryl Harding, market president for AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa. "This is a winning situation for our members who need these services the most."

AmeriHealth Caritas has successfully implemented Medicaid managed care plans throughout the country that utilize its integrated model of care which includes physical and behavioral health, pharmacy benefit management and specialty pharmacy. AmeriHealth Caritas' unique model of care, along with more than 30 years of experience caring for populations with complex health conditions, confirms AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa is well-prepared to serve the individuals who will participate in IA Health Link.

About AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa
AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa, part of the AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies, is one of the Medicaid managed care plans that will participate in IA Health Link beginning in March 2016. AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa will help Iowans get proper care and stay well, working with communities in need to achieve positive health outcomes throughout the state. For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritasia.com.