(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today signed the following bills into law:

Senate File 247 an Act providing for the possession of cats classified as bengals and savannahs.

Senate File 386 an Act relating to matters under the purview of the Department of Transportation, including the use of information contained in electronic driver and nonoperator identification records, the form of motor vehicle financial liability coverage cards, motor truck registration periods, regulation of glider kit vehicles, grounds for disqualification of commercial vehicle operators, provisions for the issuance of temporary restricted licenses for persons convicted of operating while intoxicated, county issuance of driver's licenses, and the administration of highway contracts, and including effective date provisions.

House Joint Resolution 13 a joint resolution relating to the location and exhibition of the statue of James Harlan, currently on display in the United States Capitol.

House File 355 an Act relating to driver's licenses, including the renewal of driver's licenses electronically and including effective date and transition provisions.

House File 471 an Act relating to parental rights, including the payment of reasonable attorney fees in juvenile court or appellate proceedings relating to a termination of parental rights petition and the awarding of visitation when a history of crimes against a minor is involved, and including effective, retroactive, and applicability date provisions.

House File 512 an Act providing for the determination of animal units which are part of confinement feeding operations, and making penalties applicable.

House File 527 an Act requiring certain aggravated misdemeanants to submit a DNA sample and including effective date provisions.

House File 566 an Act to establish requirements relating to the transfer of an interest in real estate by or on behalf of certain entities formed or organized on a profit, cooperative, or not-for-profit basis, and including warranties and a limitation on actions.

House File 627 an Act establishing a property tax exemption for fairgrounds owned by a county or a fair and including applicability provisions.

The governor also signed Executive Order 81 today, which states: 

Executive Order Number 81

WHEREAS, the Governor's Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Advisory Council has made significant progress toward the  ambitious goal of raising student interest and achievement in STEM; and

WHEREAS, from scale-up programs, to regional hubs, to community involvement, the STEM initiative has expanded to every county in every corner of the state; and

WHEREAS, Iowa has more than 900 educators, club and faith-based leaders, and others   implementing STEM scale-up programs in the 2012-13 school year, which deliver first-rate STEM education  to students all over the state; and

WHEREAS, STEM initiatives and programs existed in Iowa prior to  formation of the Governor's STEM Advisory Council in July 2011, but access depended on where students lived and now the STEM scale-up programs have expanded access across Iowa; and

WHEREAS, the Lieutenant Governor and I are committed to restoring Iowa's education system to best in the nation and this goal cannot be achieved without stronger STEM education; and

WHEREAS, the Governor's STEM Advisory Council's priorities moving forward include establishing STEM-focused schools or classrooms to offer students more STEM opportunities, building an online best practices STEM clearinghouse, and increasing of the number of top STEM teachers; and

WHEREAS, STEM provides an important intersection among K-12 education, higher education, vocational training, job creators, job seekers and communities, and the initiative's growth will continue to foster these important relationships; and

WHEREAS, the STEM initiative is engaging  business and community leaders, educators from early childhood through higher education, and parents as partners in this initiative to create new education and economic opportunities in Iowa; and

WHEREAS, the Iowa Constitution encourages a strong educational foundation by providing that, "[t]he General Assembly shall encourage, by all suitable means, the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement" (Iowa Const. art. IX, 2d, § 3); and

WHEREAS, the rapid rise of awareness and activity of the STEM initiative demonstrates its popularity and the demand for further growth; and

WHEREAS, to that end, I am expanding the Governor's STEM Advisory Council in response to continued rapid growth.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Terry E. Branstad, Governor of the State of Iowa, declare that science, technology, engineering and mathematics education should be strengthened as part of creating world-class schools, encouraging innovation and enhancing economic development. I hereby order the expansion of the Governor's Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ("STEM") Advisory Council.

1.      Purpose:  The Governor's STEM Advisory Council shall advise the Governor on ways to improve STEM education, STEM innovation and STEM careers in the public and private sectors.

2.      Organization: The Council shall be composed of members appointed by the Governor. Each member will serve at the pleasure of the Governor without compensation and in an advisory capacity.  The Council shall be led by an Executive Committee.  In addition to the Executive Committee, the Governor may appoint to the Council:

2. 1. representatives with STEM qualifications from the following sectors, including but not limited to: advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, biotechnology, clean energy, engineering, healthcare and information technology, higher education, post-secondary training institutions, early childhood, elementary and secondary education, and vocational-technical education.
   2. additional qualifying members, including representatives of national STEM organizations as appropriate.
   3. two members of the Iowa Senate to serve as non-voting, ex-officio members, one majority party member and one minority party member.
   4. two members of the Iowa House of Representatives to serve as non-voting, ex-officio members, one majority party member and one minority party member.

The Governor's STEM Advisory Council shall be co-chaired by the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.  The other co-chair shall be selected by the Governor for a two-year term. After that, the Lieutenant Governor will continue as co-chair with the other co-chair position to be selected by the Governor and to rotate on a biennial basis.

The co-chairs, or the executive director with the approval of the co-chairs, may direct the Council to form subcommittees to address particular issues facing STEM education and other STEM matters in the State of Iowa. The makeup and nature of each committee shall be determined by the co-chairs.

Administrative operations of the Council shall vest with an Executive Director who will serve at the pleasure of the Council. The Executive Director and Staff shall be housed at the University of Northern Iowa, unless otherwise transferred to another location by the Governor. The Department of Education shall provide staff support to the Council, as needed, to enable the Council to fulfill its responsibilities.

3. Executive Committee: Membership for the Governor's Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Advisory Council Executive Committee may include the following members appointed by the Governor, or their respective designees:

a.      Lieutenant Governor of the State of Iowa

b.     Director of the Iowa Department of Education

c.      Director of the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress (Iowa Economic Development Authority)

d.     Director of the Iowa Department of Workforce Development

e.      President of Iowa State University

f.      President of the University of Iowa

g.     President of the University of Northern Iowa

h.     Community college president

i.       Independent college president

j.       Two representatives of preschool, elementary or secondary education

k.     Two representatives of private employers who hire job candidates with STEM skills

l.       Any other individuals that the Governor may appoint.

The Executive Committee shall conduct business on behalf of the full Advisory Council including, but not limited to, launching initiatives, making final recommendations and scheduling meetings.

4.      Goals: The Council shall have the following objectives:

a.      collaborate with participants and parties from the public and private sectors to promote STEM education, innovation and careers statewide; and

b.     work to dramatically increase students' interest and achievement in STEM subjects so they will have a greater opportunity to pursue STEM careers; and

c.      recommend how to better recruit and prepare teachers to teach STEM; and

d.     map STEM education to economic development with an emphasis on fostering innovation in research and entrepreneurship; and

e.      build on the outstanding work of the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership and the Iowa STEM Education Roadmap to advise on development and implementation of a statewide STEM plan with clear goals; and

f.      reach other goals and objectives as requested by the office of the Governor.

5.      Activities: The Council shall undertake the following actions:

a.      Continue creating a campaign to generate public support for STEM subjects and careers by reaching out to parents, students and others; and

b.      the Council shall report any findings or recommendations to the Governor, at the request of the Governor, and at such periods as determined by the Co-Chairs; and

c.      commission reports on issues related to STEM education, innovation and careers to promote an important public conversation about STEM issues; and

d.     recommend policy changes that will better position Iowa's young people, educational institutions and business and industry to compete in STEM areas; and

e.      undertake other activities as requested by the office of the Governor.

All agencies, departments and boards of the State of Iowa shall cooperate fully with the Council. The Council may seek the expertise and services of individuals and entities outside its membership for research, advice and other needs, as required to accomplish its mission.  Executive Order Number 74, dated July 26, 2011, issued by Governor Terry E. Branstad, shall be rescinded because this order expands and replaces Executive Order Number 74.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I HAVE HERE­UNTO SUBSCRIBED MY NAME AND CAUSED THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF IOWA TO BE AFFIXED.  DONE AT DES MOINES THIS 15^th DAY OF MAY IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN.

__________________________________

TERRY E. BRANSTAD

GOVERNOR OF IOWA

ATTEST:

_________________________________

MATT SCHULTZ

SECRETARY OF STATE

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EVANSVILLE, IN (05/15/2013)(readMedia)-- Patilyn Lowery of Bettendorf, IA, has achieved a place on the University of Evansville Dean's List for academic achievements during the Spring Semester 2013. Lowery is majoring in Art.

To make the Dean's List, a student at UE must earn at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

"At the University of Evansville, students such as Patilyn Lowery thrive under personal guidance from faculty mentors," said UE President Thomas A. Kazee. "Earning a place on the Dean's List shows a strong commitment to academic success, and students and their families should be very proud of this accomplishment."

The University of Evansville is a private, liberal arts-based university with a full-time undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2,400. UE's diverse student body represents 42 states and 46 countries. U.S. News & World Report recognizes UE as a top 10 master's-granting university in the Midwest, and third in the region for "Great Schools, Great Prices." For more information, please visit http://www.evansville.edu.

SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will give the commencement address on Thursday for the Carl Sandburg College Class of 2013.

Simon will highlight the accomplishments of eight graduates who overcame obstacles to earn associate degrees that link them to in-demand jobs or bachelor's degree programs. Her featured students include a student who enrolled at Sandburg a week before classes began, a soccer player who wants to be the next Bill Gates, and a graduate who entered Sandburg with 29 college credits.

"I'm thrilled to celebrate this milestone with the Sandburg Class of 2013," said Simon, the state's point person on education reform. "As these graduates transition to bachelors programs and into the workforce, it's important to recognize their accomplishments."

In her first year in office, Simon visited each of the state's 48 community colleges in an effort to increase the proportion of adults with a college credential to 60 percent, up from the current 41 percent, by 2025.

DATE: Thursday, May 16

TIME: 7:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Galesburg High School, Hegg Auditorium, 1135 W. Freemont St., Galesburg

HUNTINGTON, IN (05/15/2013)(readMedia)-- Valerie Van Ee of Eldridge, IA, premiered work from the year at the annual DMA Animation Showcase on May 14.

Van Ee, a senior Computer Science and Animation major at Huntington University, was awarded outstanding for Utom.

Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America's Best Colleges. Additionally, Princeton Review has named the institution a "Best Midwestern College." Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).