Data shows each county's funding from the state for 2013 assessment year

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today released data from the Iowa Department of Revenue that shows Iowa counties are receiving over $78.33 million in state backfill funding and taxpayers are receiving over $49 million in credits, for a total of roughly $127.33 million, in the 2013 assessment year, as part of the historic property tax reduction bill advocated for by Branstad and Reynolds. The funding to Iowa counties is part of the historic passage of Senate File 295, which Gov. Branstad signed into law on June 12, 2013, in Hiawatha, Iowa.

The historic tax relief package has many benefits for Iowa taxpayers, including:

1.       Permanent property tax relief protected by a standing appropriation, that represents the largest tax reduction in Iowa history - $4.4 billion over 10 years.

2.       Property tax reduction for all classes of property: agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial, without shift of the tax burden to other classes of property.

3.       Changes the school finance formula so that "allowable growth" is replaced by 100% state aid.

4.       Commercial and industrial property are being taxed at 95% of assessed value this year, eventually moving to 90% of assessed value next year.

"For thirty years the Iowa Legislature talked about reducing taxes. Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I are proud that in 2013 we were able to bring Democrats and Republicans together to give hardworking Iowa taxpayers the tax relief that they deserve," said Branstad. "With the implementation of the historic tax reduction bill of 2013, Iowa counties now have the funds from the state to provide the tax relief to citizens across the state."

The historic tax reform passage of 2013 received strong bipartisan support.  It passed the Iowa Senate 43-6 on May 22, 2013, and the Iowa House 84-13 on May 23, 2013.

"As a former county treasurer who had the unenviable job of collecting taxes, I'm pleased to see that the reforms we put in place are being fulfilled and local governments are able to pass the savings on to the taxpayers," said Reynolds. "For too long, local governments grew skeptical of the state meeting its funding obligations, but Governor Branstad and I are committed to continuing to honor our word and passing responsible budgets."

In a recent news report published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa officials reacted to the state's historic property tax relief package:

"'I think business owners, particularly smaller ones, really saw a difference this year,'" said Jeff Robinson, a tax analyst with the Legislative Services Agency. 'I mean they really had to notice when they got their bill this that it was less than it was the year before.'"

"Lucas Beeken, public policy specialist for the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC), said the figures came in very close to the projections made when the legislation was approved, marking the first reduction in business property taxes in more than three decades."

The data, which can also be downloaded here, is from the Iowa Department of Revenue and shows how much each Iowa county and property taxpayers in that county received in tax relief from the historic legislation.  The state backfill column represents the amount of state funds paid to counties to ensure they did not see a loss in revenue from the property tax reduction. This is permanent relief protected by a standing appropriation. The tax credit column represents additional relief to Iowa taxpayers, by county, through a state tax credit.

We just announced our Everytown endorsements, and I wanted to make sure you saw the news.

Click here to see our list of Gun Sense Champions -- and share the exciting news with your friends and family.

As election season begins, we're making sure to stand by the candidates who'll stand up for common-sense gun laws.

These candidates will fight for what the majority of Americans believe in: passing laws that will help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

Check out who Everytown is endorsing this year, and remember to vote with Gun Sense this November!

In case you missed it, today is National Voter Registration Day. Use our online voter registration tool to make extra sure you're registered, fill out a form, or ask your friends and family to register.

Personal injury law firm unveils office location in Quad Cities.

Davenport, IA - (September 23, 2014) Hupy and Abraham, S.C., P.C., one of the leading personal injury law firms in the Midwest, is pleased to announce the official opening of a new office to accommodate rapid growth and client demand.

The new office, located at 5139 Utica Ridge Road in Davenport, Iowa, is easily accessible and will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The firm "comes to the client" -- setting up appointments with clients at their home, hospital or place of convenience and is available 24/7 -- at 888-807-2752 and via live chat at www.hupy.com.

"It's amazing how our firm has been able to help so many people in Iowa," said Managing Partner Jason Abraham. "I'm proud to be able to open another office in response to clients' demands for top-notch legal representation."

The personal injury firm handles car accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall, wrongful death, pharmaceutical class action, dog bite, negligent security and worker's compensation cases.  Hupy and Abraham, S.C., P.C. has three office locations in Iowa, plus another eight across Wisconsin and Illinois.

Quad Cities residents may be familiar with a recognizable figure in ads for the firm. William Shatner has been appearing on Iowa televisions in Hupy and Abraham, S.C., P.C. television commercials since 2013.  Since 2007, Shatner has been the spokesperson for Hupy and Abraham.  He is currently making appearances across the world.

For more information about the firm, please visit www.hupy.com.

Hupy and Abraham, S.C., P.C.

Founded in 1969 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, personal injury law firm Hupy and Abraham has a proven record of success with large settlements in serious cases, collecting $100s of millions for 1,000s of satisfied clients.  The firm has a long-established reputation of providing sound legal representation to accident victims, securing fair compensation for its clients and giving back to the community.

The law firm, which has eleven offices located in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, handles personal injury cases including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death and pharmaceutical and medical device class actions.

The firm's 17 experienced attorneys are committed to going above and beyond the call of duty for their clients by tirelessly representing them to the best of their ability while being involved in the local community?from raising funds for local charities to participating in safety and accident prevention initiatives.  In the past three years, the firm has donated more than $500,000 to more than 100 worthwhile causes.

Hupy and Abraham, S.C., P.C. has received top ratings from a number of national and local professional organizations for many years and was voted Best Personal Injury Lawyers in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and named Best Personal Injury Law Firm in 2012 and 2013.

To learn more about Hupy and Abraham, visit their website at www.hupy.com.

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OMAHA, NEBRASKA - AIM issued a report today that says Iowa's total postsecondary information technology (IT) degrees and certificates awarded was 2,333 for the 2012-2013 academic year. The total is 7% lower than the previous year. "After four years of steady growth, 2013 saw an overall decrease in the number of college IT degrees and certificates awarded in Iowa," according to Levi Thiele, AIM Director of Research.

Among other trends in Iowa; 25% of the total number of IT degrees and certificates in Iowa were awarded to women, a higher percentage than the national average; bachelor's degrees remain the most common degree awarded in Iowa in IT; and the five most popular IT degrees included: (1) Computer and Information Sciences - General, (2) Computer Science, (3) Computer / IT Administration and Management, (4) Computer Programming, and (5) Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.

The report titled, "Iowa Postsecondary IT Degree Completions, 2009-2013" details a number of findings including postsecondary IT degree completions, IT degree award levels, analysis of gender, race, and ethnicity completions and the most popular IT degrees and certificates pursued.

The expectation for high-tech high-skilled workers in Iowa to effectively compete in ever-changing economic markets, means keeping technology education a priority. The Iowa Postsecondary IT Degree Completions study provides a fact-based measure of critical education priorities.

Analysts predict more than 4 million U.S. IT and computing jobs by 2020. Even if the actual job totals turn out to be lower, there is no way to fill those jobs with American students without education systems that adequately prepare them.

Based on the research, Dr. Thiele adds, "While women are making gains in IT degree completions in Iowa, they are still underrepresented. In order to keep up with the growing job market needs, we need to produce more graduates to fill these jobs and that includes more women graduates."

See Full Report

About AIM

AIM is a not-for-profit community organization that promotes technology to empower people, enhance organizations and create brilliant communities. AIM's signature services include Careerlink- the region's leading career development website and Infotec- the Midwest's premier business and IT conference, and Hatchfund- a crowdfunding source for artists. For more information about these services, training, youth programs, research and more, visit www.aimforbrilliance.org.

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