Stops included Dubuque Community Schools, Waukee Prairieview School and Cardinal Middle-Senior High School

(DES MOINES)  - Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Director of Education Ryan Wise continued visiting Iowa school districts last week and this week to get an update on the first year of Iowa's new Teacher Leadership and Compensation System.  Visits included Dubuque Community Schools on Friday, Nov. 6 by Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds and Director Wise.  Gov. Branstad and Director Wise finished this round of visits at Waukee Prairieview School and Cardinal Middle-Senior High School yesterday.

Iowa's Teacher Leadership and Compensation System is the centerpiece of Iowa's landmark 2013 education reform package. It is being phased in over three years, with an investment of $150 million annually when fully in place in 2016-17.

The two main goals of the most extensive teacher leadership system in the nation are to utilize the expertise of many of our best teachers to improve instruction and raise achievement, and transform the teaching profession to attract and retain more outstanding teachers.  All school districts in Iowa have applied to start teacher leadership systems in 2016-17.

State Department holds; Grassley addresses criticism from Senate minority leader

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following statement in reaction to criticism from the Senate minority leader over Grassley's hold on 22 State Department nominees over the State Department's failure to respond thoroughly or at all to numerous inquiries beginning in 2013.

"My hold is on 22 nominees, not 600.  I disclosed the reasons for my holds, as I always do, and in keeping with the disclosure policy on holds that I helped to enact.  My staff has been working with the State Department to try to get the information I requested, including complete answers to inquiries from June 2013.  Ironically, if the State Department had answered my questions then, we probably wouldn't be here today.  The purpose of my questions then and now is the same:  Is the State Department using personnel rules appropriately, is it appropriately policing potential conflicts of interest among special government employees, and are taxpayers well-served by how the State Department operates?  Looking out for the public interest isn't a waste of time, and I'll keep at it regardless of misguided attacks on my motivations or mischaracterizations of my work."

The Senate Executive Calendar with details of Grassley's 22 State Department holds is available here.  The holds are on p. 18.

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Fifth Circuit Temporarily Halts Obama's Deferred Action Plan

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley made the following statement regarding the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold an injunction that temporarily stops the Obama administration's implementation of its deferred action plan.

"Thanks to the Fifth Circuit, the injunction on the President's unlawful maneuvering to implement his own policies, without regard for Congress, the law or American workers remains in place.  The Obama administration does not have unfettered authority to execute whatever it wants.  The President simply can't singly rewrite the country's immigration laws.  This is a win for the checks and balances established by the Constitution."

Grassley Seeks Records on Task Force Overseeing $43 Million Gas Station in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is drilling down on the Defense Department task force that led to the construction of an excessively expensive $43 million natural gas filling station in Afghanistan.  The now-defunct Task Force for Stability and Business Operations (TFBSO) cost $800 million in its mission to facilitate economic development in Afghanistan.  The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) faced impeded access to task force documents in reviewing the gas station cost over-run.

"I believe that, given DoD's decision to impede SIGAR's access to Task Force documents, a full review of all TFBSO activities in Afghanistan is necessary," Grassley wrote to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.  "State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development officials said they wouldn't consider continuing TFBSO programs because they were 'liabilities due to safety concerns, lack of sustainability, and other problems.'  This raises serious questions about TFBSO's use of taxpayer dollars."

Grassley asked the Defense Department to give him all records related to task force activities pertaining to Afghanistan, from January 1, 2009, through March 31, 2015; and all records concerning the task force from April 1, 2015, to the date of his request, including all records pertaining to SIGAR's requests for information regarding the task force, and all records discussing SIGAR reports, letters, or statements about the task force.

Grassley plans to seek a Department of Defense inspector general audit of the $800 million task force expenditures and will ask fellow senators to join the request.

Grassley's latest letter to the defense secretary is available here.

Last week, Grassley pressed the Defense Department to cooperate with SIGAR by releasing all documents, names of staff involved and reasons for placing severe restrictions on information behind the construction of the natural gas filling station.

Grassley's letter last week to the defense secretary is available here.  Grassley's comment on the SIGAR report is available here.  The SIGAR report is available here.

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Protecting America's High-Skilled Workers, H-1B reform bill introduced

Grassley, Durbin Push for H-1B and L-1 Visa Reforms

WASHINGTON - Senators Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Dick Durbin, Assistant Democratic Leader, today are introducing bipartisan legislation that would reform the H-1B visa program, consistent with Congress's original intent, by ensuring that qualified American workers are given the first opportunity at high-skilled job opportunities.  The legislation makes reforms to increase enforcement, modify wage requirements and ensure protection for American workers as well as visa holders.  Grassley and Durbin first introduced this legislation in 2007 and have been long-time proponents of H-1B reform.

"The H-1B visa program was never meant to replace qualified American workers, but it was instead intended as a means to fill gaps in highly specialized areas of employment that cannot be filled by Americans.  The abuse of the system is real, and media reports are validating what we have argued against for years, including the fact that Americans are training their replacements," Grassley said.  "There's a sense of urgency here for Americans who are losing their jobs to lesser skilled workers who are coming in at lower wages on a visa program that has gotten away from its original intent.  Reform of the H-1B visa program must be a priority."

"Reforming the H-1B and L-1 visa programs is a critical component of fixing our broken immigration system and must be included in comprehensive immigration reform legislation," said Durbin. "For years, foreign outsourcing companies have used loopholes in the laws to displace qualified American workers and facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs.  The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act would end these abuses and protect American and foreign workers from exploitation.  I thank Senator Grassley for partnering with me on this important bipartisan legislation."

Grassley and Durbin's efforts have long focused on making qualified American workers the first priority for employers.  The bill, as in previous years, requires all employers who seek to hire H-1B visa holders to first make a good faith effort to recruit American workers.

The bill would also prohibit companies from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50 percent of their employees are H-1B and L-1 visa holders.  This provision would crack down on outsourcing companies that import large numbers of H-1B and L-1 workers for short training periods and then send these workers back to their home country to do the work of Americans.

The bill also gives the Department of Labor enhanced authority to review, investigate, and audit employer compliance with program requirements, as well as to penalize fraudulent or abusive conduct.  It requires the production of extensive statistical data about the H-1B and L-1 programs, including wage data, worker education levels, place of employment and gender.

The bill clarifies that working conditions of similarly employed American workers may not be adversely affected by the hiring of the H-1B worker, including H-1B workers who have been placed by another employer at the American worker's worksite.  In addition, it explicitly prohibits the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 visa holders.  These provisions address the types of abuses that have been well-documented in recent press reports.

The Grassley-Durbin reform bill will for the first time prioritize the annual allocation of H-1B visas.  The new system would ensure that the best and brightest students being educated in the United States receive preference for an H-1B visa.  The preference system also gives a leg up to advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills.

In addition, the bill includes several reforms of the L-1 visa program.  These include establishment of a wage floor for L-1 workers; authority for the Department of Homeland Security to investigate, audit and enforce compliance with L-1 program requirements; assurance that intra-company transfers occur between legitimate branches of a company and don't involve "shell" facilities; and a change to the definition of "specialized knowledge" to ensure that L-1 visas are reserved only for truly key personnel.

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- Strengthens Misconduct Provisions for Fraud, Abuse and Negligence -

-- Eliminates $470 Million Tax Increase & $300 Million Benefit Reduction -

--- Better Protects Social Security-eligible Workers ---

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today that his administration has reached an agreement with business groups and labor organizations to reform and improve Illinois' unemployment insurance system.

"We have a lot of work left to turn around Illinois, but today's agreement is a step towards making us more competitive so we can increase investment in the state and grow jobs," Governor Rauner said. "I want to thank the legislators involved in crafting this agreement and urge the legislature to swiftly pass legislation and send it to my desk."

"For more than 30 years, governors and legislative leaders have brought business and labor together to negotiate changes to Unemployment Insurance for the benefit all in the state of Illinois," Illinois AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Tim Drea said. "Because it is so vital to the economy and safety net for working families, Unemployment Insurance negotiations are always difficult, but all parties were committed to the process and an equitable agreement was achieved."

"On behalf of the employer community, we would like to thank our counterparts in labor, the Rauner Administration and the representatives of the four legislative caucuses who all played valuable roles in reaching this agreement," said Rob Karr, President & CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. "While the discussions were rigorous, they were always fair and ultimately productive."

Under the agreed framework an individual would be ineligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits following separation with an employer if a worker:

•                      Damaged an employer's property through grossly negligent conduct;

•                      Consumed alcohol, illegal or non-prescribed drugs during work hours in violation of an employer's policies;

•                      Provided false information in an employment application;

•                      Endangered the safety of himself/herself or co-workers through grossly negligent conduct;

•                      Knowingly and repeatedly violated reasonable written attendance policies of an employer;

•                      Refused to obey an employer's reasonable and lawful instructions unless the refusal is due to the lack of ability skills or training of the worker or if the instruction would result in an unsafe act; or

•                      Did not maintain required licenses, registrations and certifications required by law for the specific job.

Under current law, a worker could still be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits if any one of the above items occurred in the workplace.  For the first time ever, these common-sense reforms will be implemented, creating a more fair and stable unemployment insurance system.

Additionally, the framework allows recently separated workers who are eligible for Social Security to receive a full unemployment insurance benefit.  Under current law, 50 percent of the amount an older worker receives for Social Security is subtracted from the potential unemployment insurance benefit.  Illinois and Minnesota are the only two states in the nation to allow this practice.  This reform will return $25 million to Illinois seniors.

Governor Rauner had made strengthening misconduct and abuse provisions central components of his unemployment insurance reform proposal.

Today's news follows a number of recent announcements the Administration has made regarding its efforts to make government less expensive, more effective and more efficient.

Earlier today, the Rauner Administration announced a bi-partisan agreement to strengthen the Child Care Assistance Program. Last month, the Administration put forward a plan to save taxpayers more than $200 million by better utilizing the James R. Thompson Center property in Chicago as well as a breakthrough in the long-delayed 10th street rail project in Springfield.

Additionally, a labor agreement with the Teamsters Union has been ratified, and the administration has agreed to terms on new four-year collective bargaining agreements with the International Union of Operating Engineers, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, and the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers.

The Administration has also detailed ongoing agency-led reforms that are saving taxpayers more than $100 million and improving customer service inside state government.

"Our Administration will continue to partner with anyone who shares our commitment to growing jobs in Illinois and delivering value for taxpayers," Governor Rauner said.

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A grant from the Iowa Arts Council is making it possible for the Muscatine Art Center to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The public is invited to attend a special event on Sunday, November 22nd with a 1:30 p.m. vocal concert by Katherine Eberle with piano accompaniment by Wayne Wyman.  At 2:30 p.m., "The Lady of the House", a life-size portrait of Laura Musser McColm Atkins by Muscatine artist Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti, will be unveiled.

The event is a celebration of Laura Musser's birthday (November 23, 1877). "Laura would certainly love a concert in her Music Room, and Kitty Eberle is a choice Laura would have appreciated," states Melanie Alexander, Director of the Muscatine Art Center. Laura studied music at Grant Seminary in Chicago and under Sbrigilia in Paris, France. Her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice often filled local performance spaces, especially Muscatine's First Methodist Episcopal Church (today, Wesley United Methodist).

Katherine Eberle, mezzo-soprano, has had a fascinating career of professional and collegiate engagements in both the United States and abroad. She specializes in oratorio, chamber music, art song, and opera. In the past twenty years, Eberle has performed in numerous engagements with orchestras, choral organizations, and chamber music groups. Concert credits include solo performances with the symphonies of Detroit, Lansing, Saginaw (Michigan), Atlanta, Macon, Rome, and Valdosta (Georgia). She has given over one hundred solo recitals as a guest artist in eighteen states as well as in Brazil, Canada, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Russia, St. John and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and Canada. She made her New York debut at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall in 1994. She was an Artistic Ambassador for the United States Information Agency doing solo concert tours in South America (in 1995 she appeared in Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad, and Tobago) and in Korea in 1997. A Van Lawrence Fellowship Winner from the Voice Foundation, Eberle was named a 2012 Obermann Fellow in Residence for her research on Women Composers. Eberle earned degrees from the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory (BME), the University of Cincinnati (MM), and the University of Michigan (DMA). She has taught at the University of Iowa since 1991.

Eberle will be accompanied by Wayne Wyman, a sought-after coach, an insightful stage director, and an exciting conductor whose career has included numerous guest appearances as a conductor and stage director, as well as serving as Artistic Director of two regional opera companies (Capital Opera in Raleigh, NC and Lyric Opera of San Antonio.) His work has been consistently well received by the public and lauded by critics. Always interested in the operatic artists of the future, Wyman founded and directed the Lyric Studio young artist program while at the artistic helm of the San Antonio company. Wyman also directed the opera program at UT-San Antonio, serving as conductor, stage director, and coach. Wyman earned an Artist Diploma in Opera from the Cincinnati Conservatory and studied privately with the Director of the Opera School at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. Currently, Wyman is Opera Coach at the University of Iowa and is on the faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria. He has presented opera masterclasses at New York University, University of Dayton, Rice University, and other American universities.

Eberle and Wyman will present an entertaining musical program with works by Stephen Sondheim and Aaron Copeland and holiday classics such as "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". Passages from Laura Musser McColm's 1936 and 1937 will be read by Eberle.

Following the 1:30 p.m. concert, "The Lady of the House" will be unveiled. Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti was commissioned to complete the portrait for the 50th anniversary in 2015. The Iowa Arts Council provided a project grant in the amount of $9,425 to support 50th anniversary projects such as a series of banners in downtown Muscatine featuring collections from the Muscatine Art Center, concerts, a photography exhibition by Muscatine artist Randy Richmond, and special events presented as part of the 50th anniversary exhibition which will run through January 3, 2016.

The work by Fasanelli-Cawelti will be an addition to the collection of artwork portraying Laura Musser. George Grey Barnard, a noted American sculptor, was perhaps the first when he used marble to captured Laura as a child. She posed multiple times for Oscar Grossheim, and one of his photographs was used for Austrian artist, Thomas Riss, to create the colorful portrait hanging in the Reception Room. The Musser family also commissioned a bronze relief bust of Laura.

"Fasanelli-Cawelti was provided with a range of images of Laura, capturing as a child, adolescent, a young bride, and a widow," explains Alexander. "In this contemporary piece, Fasanelli-Cawelti, was asked to help tell the story of Laura Musser McColm Atkins as someone who was shaped by Muscatine, her family, and life experiences that included both great joys and sorrows." Fasanelli-Cawelti attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa from 1978 to 1985, where he studied Printmaking. He worked as personal assistant and printer for Mauricio Lasansky, from 1985 to 1998, in his Iowa City studio. Since his departure from Iowa City in 1998, he has resided in Muscatine, Iowa, with his wife and two daughters, continuing to print from his private studio. Fasanelli-Cawelti served as a part-time instructor at Muscatine Community College.

"We would like the Muscatine community to celebrate with the staff, board, and volunteers of the Muscatine Art Center as we mark our 50th Anniversary and the anniversary of Laura Musser's birth." Alexander continued, "The Musser-McColm home has provide a place for generations of local people to explore local history and to see truly remarkable works of art."

The concert and unveiling are free of charge. Light refreshments will be served. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 563-263-8282.