This proclamation will continue offering an additional safe option to assist affected producers in disposal of safe, virus-free manure and compost from affected sites

(DES MOINES) - Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad today signed a disaster emergency proclamation extension for 18 Iowa counties adversely affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which would assist with disposal and clean-up efforts on affects sites.  The original proclamation, which was signed on Monday, June 15, 2015, was set to expire on July 15, 2015.

The state of disaster emergency proclamation temporarily allows impacted chicken and turkey producers to dispose of manure and compost generated at a premise infected with HPAI as a Bulk Dry Animal Nutrient under Chapter 200A of Iowa Code. The material can only be moved off-site if it has been certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the material is virus-free. Normally, only un-manipulated animal manure qualifies for distribution under this code section.

This proclamation only applies to impacted chicken and turkey producers in the 18 counties with confirmed cases of HPAI. Counties included in this proclamation are: Adair, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Hamilton, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Webster and Wright County.

The proclamation is effective until December 31, 2015.

The proclamation of disaster emergency can be read below:

WHEREAS, beginning on April 13, 2015, and continuing thereafter, there have been seventy-five confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the State of Iowa; and

WHEREAS, highly pathogenic avian influenza is a contagious and economically devastating disease that has threatened turkeys, chickens, and other poultry in our state; and

WHEREAS, the spread of this highly contagious disease continues to threaten the public peace, health, and safety of the citizens of the State of Iowa and has the potential to quickly destroy private property and exhaust local resources and capacities unless its spread is stopped.  These facts provide legal justification for the issuance of this Proclamation of a State of Disaster Emergency. Iowa Code §§ 29C.1, 29C.2 (1), 29C.6 (1); and

WHEREAS, Iowa poultry producers typically dispose of animal manure generated by their facilities under the provisions of Iowa Code Chapter 200A; and

WHEREAS, Iowa Code § 200A.3 (6) requires that animal manure must be "unmanipulated" and composed of "primarily of animal excreta" in order to be considered "dry animal nutrient product" to come under the regulation of Iowa Code Chapter 200A.  As defined, Iowa Code § 200A.3 (6) creates a particular hardship for turkey and chicken producers on sites infected by highly pathogenic avian influenza by making them ineligible to dispose of their animal manure under the authority of Iowa Code Chapter 200A; and

WHEREAS, producers with sites infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza in the following eighteen (18) Iowa counties are adversely effected by the definition of "dry animal nutrient product" in  Iowa Code § 200A.3 (6): Adair, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Hamilton, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Webster and Wright County.

WHEREAS, I proclaimed a State of Disaster Emergency in respect to this matter on June 15, 2015, and circumstances warrant the extension of that same proclamation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TERRY E. BRANSTAD, Governor of the State of Iowa, by the power and authority vested in me by the Iowa Constitution Art. IV, §§ 1, 8 and Iowa Code §§ 29C.6 (1), 163.3A (2) and all other applicable laws, and in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the authority granted to it under Iowa Code § 163.3A, do hereby proclaim a State of Disaster Emergency specifically for the following eighteen (18) Iowa counties: Adair, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Hamilton, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Webster and Wright and do hereby ORDER and DIRECT the following:

SECTION One. I temporarily suspend the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code § 200A.3 (6) requiring that animal manure be "unmanipulated" and composed of "primarily of animal excreta" in order to be considered "dry animal nutrient product" as defined by this section.  This suspension shall be effective only to manure and compost generated at a premise infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza and quarantined by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, in the counties delineated above, provided said material has been released for application in writing by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  All other provisions of Iowa Code Chapter 200A shall apply to the above-described material.

SECTION Two. This state of disaster emergency shall be effective on July 16, 2015, shall continue for a period of one hundred sixty-nine (169) days and shall expire on December 31, 2015, unless sooner terminated or extended in writing by me. Iowa Code § 29C.6 (1).

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) announced today that it has named Dr. Jeffrey Margolis as Vice President of External Engagement. Margolis, a Class of 2000 IMSA alumnus, brings extensive experience with building partnerships and advocating for policies that spark innovation and support the development of next generation tech talent. Dr. Margolis has been a partner and supporter to economic development activities in the Quad Cities, including assisting Representative Bustos in her annual economic summits, connecting the Quad City Manufacturing Lab and Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub with statewide and federal research and innovation programs, and serving as a resource to Deere & Company.

Dr. Margolis comes to IMSA from the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC), a member-driven nonprofit organization that strengthens Illinois' technology-based economy. At ISTC, he provided leadership within the State's innovation community, including creating a statewide science and technology roadmap, and served on the core proposal team for the development of the successful $320 million Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute.

"Dr. Margolis has a proven ability to develop initiatives and connect education institutions, government, and business to grow Illinois' 21^st century knowledge economy. We look forward to tapping this expertise to further establish IMSA as a global education leader and position the Academy as an important asset and partner?a jewel of Illinois?in building  a world-class STEM workforce," said IMSA President Dr. José M. Torres.

The opportunity to broaden and deepen IMSA's impact is what called Dr. Margolis back to his alma mater. "From the time I was a student here, IMSA's mission of educating future leaders to advance the human condition has inspired my interest in improving society through research and innovation. I am excited to increase visibility for the cutting-edge STEM education IMSA delivers, and to forge partnerships that ensure its sustainability and further integrate its students, educators, and alumni with the community."

IMSA's new VP of External Engagement has received accolades for building White House and State Department STEM partnerships and was founding Vice President of Development for the education nonprofit CollegeSpring that serves low income students. Margolis has also worked as an award-winning researcher, earning a Ph.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine.

Internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program, and it serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs that foster imagination and inquiry. IMSA also advances education through research, groundbreaking ventures and strategic partnerships. (www.imsa.edu)

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Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on the Impact of Obama Administration's Misdirected Immigration Policies

Victims' families invited to testify

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today announced that he will convene a hearing to explore the ramifications of the Obama administration's lax enforcement of immigration policies and the impact it's having on the families of victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

The hearing will be held on Tuesday, July 21, at 10 a.m. (ET), and can be seen live on the Judiciary Committee's website, judiciary.senate.gov.

Grassley said that he has invited family members of victims to testify.  He has also asked the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Sarah Saldana, and the Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Leon Rodriguez to testify.

"Congress has a constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the executive branch of government to make sure the laws are being faithfully executed and carried out as intended.  Little oversight has been done by the previous majority to ensure the administration is exercising sound judgment and acting within the immigration laws.   It's clear they have taken far too much liberty and are essentially trying to write the laws themselves," Grassley said.  "This hearing is intended to highlight how misguided the Obama administration's lax enforcement policies are and how these policies are putting Americans in harm's way."

Last week, members of the Judiciary Committee pressed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to rethink his department's immigration priorities.  Grassley also asked Johnson and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to take action to reverse "sanctuary city" policies and restore programs that promote collaboration between local and federal officials.

Employee pay continues uninterrupted

CHICAGO - Illinois Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger on Monday announced that her office has finished processing payroll for July 15, ensuring that all state employees will receive their scheduled paychecks without interruption.

The action comes after a St. Clair County Court last week granted Munger's request to pay all state employees in order to comply with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and avoid potential fines totaling three times the amount of missed payrolls.

"Paying all state employees is the right, legal, and fiscally responsible thing to do and I appreciate the Court's authorization to move forward," Munger said. "We are simply compensating workers for services they are already providing the state and ensuring that we are in compliance with federal law. To do otherwise would not only cause hardship to tens of thousands of employees and their families, but also make the state vulnerable to staggering penalties that we cannot afford."

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires the state pay "covered" employees at minimum wage or face fines from the federal government. However, Illinois' antiquated payroll systems make it impossible to swiftly determine which of the state's 65,000 employees fall under the designation. Even when the respective employees are identified, the antiquated systems require Comptroller's Office personnel to manually enter tens of thousands of reductions in pay rate and corresponding changes in deductions and benefits.

Given those realities, Munger and the Governor's Office of Central Management Services last week asked the Court to allow the state to run full payroll to ensure compliance with the federal law. A Cook County Court initially directed the state to pay only minimum wage for "covered" employees but that decision was later stayed by an Appellate Court. On Thursday, a St. Clair County Court granted Munger's request to run full payroll, giving her the Court Order she needed to legally move forward.

"While the legal process will continue to play out, I am confident that the Court will ultimately see that paying all state employees is the best and only way to protect the state from significant federal fines," Munger said. "At the same time, it provides welcome relief to workers across the state, including those on the front line in serving our communities and most vulnerable residents."

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