DES MOINES, IA (07/30/2012)(readMedia)-- The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation and Cookies Food Products are pleased to announce the recipients of the Iowan of the Day award for the 2012 Iowa State Fair.

Each Iowan of the Day receives VIP treatment on their respective day! Starting with recognition on the Anne & Bill Riley Stage at 2:30; use of the Iowan of the Day golf cart; gate admission and grandstand tickets; VIP parking; $200 cash; and accommodations at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott.

The Blue Ribbon Foundation began the Iowan of the Day award in 1997 to honor those Iowans who have truly made a difference in their communities. This year, the judges reviewed hundreds of nominations selecting those that show examples of integrity, Iowa pride, hard work and dedication.

"We are pleased to recognize these outstanding individuals as Iowans of the Day," said John Putney, Executive Director of the Blue Ribbon Foundation. "Their volunteerism, dedication and service to their community and the state of Iowa makes each one deserving of this honor."

The 2012 Iowan of the Day recipients are:

Esther Bielema of Wall Lake

Jeralyn Westercamp of Cedar Rapids

Troyce Vich of Waterloo

Janet Reynolds of Sioux City

Lila Bubke of Schleswig

Mary Maybee of Boone

Jim Gronbach of Dakota City

Ken Petersen of Council Bluffs

Garland Fickess of Bedford

Suzie Glazer Burt of Des Moines

The Blue Ribbon Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Since 1993, the Foundation has generated more than $85 million for renovations and improvements to the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

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WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley will hold town meetings with Iowans in Atlantic, Villisca, Bedford, Clarinda, Percival, Glenwood, Logan, Harlan, Audubon, and Carroll, speak with a service club in Corning and tour a business in Council Bluffs during the third week of the Senate's August recess.

"I look forward to these events and meetings to listen to comments and respond to questions.  My town meetings are open to the public, and everyone is welcome.  I also appreciate the opportunity to go to service clubs and workplaces for Q and A with Iowans" Grassley said.  "Representative government is a two-way street and strengthened by dialogue between elected officials and the people we represent."

Grassley has held at least one meeting with Iowans in every one of the state's 99 counties since 1980, when he was first elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Next week, on August 7, 8 and 9, Grassley will hold town meetings and speak to service clubs in Columbus Junction, Donnellson, Burlington, Agency, Bloomfield, Keosauqua, Mount Pleasant, Lockridge, and Cedar Rapids.

The Senate will be in recess from August 6 through September 4.  In addition to meetings with Iowans in 21 counties during this recess, Grassley will attend the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.

Immediately below is more information about the August 20, 21 and 22 schedule.  Previously released details of Grassley's schedule on August 7, 8 and 9 also are below.   Grassley will be available to answer questions from reporters immediately following each event.

Monday, August 20, 2012

8:15-9:15 a.m.

Cass County Town Meeting

Cass County Community Center, Atlantic Room

805 West 10^th Street in Atlantic

10:15-11:15 a.m.

Meet with Students at Villisca High School

Villisca High School Library

406 East 3rd Street in Villisca

12 noon-1 p.m.

Speak to Corning Rotary

Community Building

601 6^th Street in Corning

2-3 p.m.

Taylor County Town Meeting

Taylor County Farm Bureau, Meeting Room

607 Pollock Boulevard in Bedford

3:45-4:45 p.m.

Page County Town Meeting

Page County Courthouse, Meeting Room, 3^rd floor

112 East Main Street in Clarinda

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

7:30-8:30 a.m.

Fremont County Town Meeting

Sapp Brothers Travel Center

Apple Barrel Restaurant

2496 210^th Avenue in Percival

10:15-11:15 a.m.

Mills County Town Meeting

Glenwood Senior Center

20 North Vine in Glenwood

12 noon-1 p.m.

Tour and Meet with Employees at Google Data Center 

1430 Veterans Memorial Highway in Council Bluffs

2-3 p.m.

Harrison County Town Meeting

Logan Community Center

108 West 4^th Street in Logan

4-5 p.m.

Shelby County Town Meeting

Harlan Community Library

718 Court Street in Harlan

5:45-6:45 p.m.

Audubon County Town Meeting

Audubon County Economic Development

Community Room

800 Market Street in Audubon

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

7:45-8:45 a.m.

Carroll County Town Meeting

Carroll County Courthouse

Meeting Room, Use West Entrance

114 East 6th Street in Carroll

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Tuesday, August 7

9:15-10:15 a.m.

Louisa County Town Meeting

Columbus Junction City Hall, ICN Room

232 2^nd Street in Columbus Junction

12 noon-1 p.m.

Lee County Town Meeting

Pilot Grove Savings Bank, Community Center

506 North Main Street in Donnellson

2-3 p.m.

Speak at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce Meeting

Connect with Leadership Series

River Park Place

610 North 4^th Street, Suite 200 in Burlington

4:30-5:30 p.m.

Wapello County Town Meeting

Agency Area Community Center

100 West Main Street in Agency

Wednesday, August 8

6:45-7:45 a.m.

Speak to the Bloomfield Rotary Club

Davis County Hospital, Conference Room D

509 North Madison Street in Bloomfield

8:45-9:45 a.m.

Van Buren County Town Meeting

Village Cup and Cakes

202 Main Street in Keosauqua

12 noon-1 p.m.

Speak to the Mount Pleasant Noon Rotary Club

Iowa Wesleyan College Student Center

Second Floor, Food Services Area

Mount Pleasant

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Jefferson County Town Meeting

Lockridge Senior Center

104 West Main Street in Lockridge

Thursday, August 9

5:30 p.m.

Speak at the Central States Shrine Association Legions of Honor Banquet

Cedar Rapids Marriott

1200 Collins Road Northeast in Cedar Rapids

Braley sends letter to Ag Committee Chairman Lucas urging him to report Farm Bill

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today requested that House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas push harder to get a multi-year Farm Bill to the House floor for an up-or-down vote.

In a letter sent to Lucas, Braley requested that he immediately "report" the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act from the Agriculture Committee.  The Committee passed this version of the Farm Bill on July 11^th.  However, Chairman Lucas has refused to "report" the bill, a crucial procedural step that is necessary before the House can begin consideration of the bill on the floor.

"Iowa farmers need the certainty of a multi-year Farm Bill, especially given the worsening drought," Braley said.  "The longer the House waits to vote on a new Farm Bill, the more farmers risk losing the farm safety net when the current Farm Bill expires on September 30^th.  I urge House leaders to act immediately to allow a vote on the Farm Bill."

House Leadership has refused to take up the FARRM Act, meaning Congress likely will not consider a multi-year Farm Bill before a month-long August recess.  Continued delays could allow the Farm Bill to expire on September 30^th, meaning the Farm Bill would revert to the outdated 1949 version of the law.

Braley has led the charge to pressure House leadership to allow a vote on the Farm Bill as soon as possible by taking steps to launch a 'discharge petition.' If 218 members sign the petition, House Leadership would be forced to hold a vote on the Farm Bill.

Braley's letter to Chairman Lucas can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/Ga1

Below is the text of Braley's letter to Chairman Lucas:

--

July 30, 2012

The Honorable Frank Lucas

Chairman

House Committee on Agriculture

1301 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC  20515

Dear Chairman Lucas:

As you know, House Leadership has recently announced they will be bringing up a one-year extension of the Farm Bill this week. While a short-term extension is preferable to no action at all, I have heard serious concerns from many agricultural groups in my state about taking this approach. We need to continue to push for consideration of a multi-year Farm Bill on the House floor.

I was pleased when on July 11^th of this year your Committee approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act by a vote of 35-11 with bipartisan support. Although I don't agree with all of the provisions in this bill, I was encouraged that there was progress on moving this. I was looking forward to having an open debate on the House Floor on this bill and then having this go to conference to come up with the best language possible.

What concerns me is that although your Committee ordered this bill to be reported almost three weeks ago, the Committee report has yet to be completed. House Rule XIII, clause 2(b), makes it "the duty of the chair of each committee to report or cause to be reported promptly to the House a measure or matter approved by the committee and to take or cause to be taken steps necessary to bring the measure or matter to a vote."

In your July 11^th press release on the approval of the FARRM Act, you were quoted as saying, "Today marked an important step forward in the development of the next Farm Bill." I would appreciate an explanation as to why after the passing of almost three weeks, you have yet to fulfill your duty to report this for Floor consideration. While I understand you can't control what Leadership decides to bring up on the House calendar, you can show your commitment to our nation's farmers and ranchers, who need the certainty of a five-year Farm Bill.

The need to extend assistance for farmers gets more urgent every day, given the worsening drought that is blanketing more than half the country. Just like millions of small businesses across the country, farmers need certainty and confidence in the federal programs that affect their lives. In the United States some sixteen million jobs depend on the success of American agriculture, and the Farm Bill has a huge impact in my home state of Iowa. Agriculture and related industries account for one in six jobs there and contribute $72 billion into the state's annual economy. Failure to pass a long-term Farm Bill will have a devastating impact on the agriculture industry.

As the agriculture industry across the country faces the worst drought in decades, I'm particularly concerned that failure to act on a five-year Farm Bill could only exacerbate the current challenges faced by thousands of farmers. Farmers feed our nation, and we need to make sure to provide them the tools they need so that they can continue to deliver safe, affordable food to the table. Every American has a stake in this bill.

Please respond to my office promptly on when the FARRM Act committee report will be released. I stand prepared to work with you in a bipartisan manner to pass a bill that provides long-term certainty.

Sincerely,

Bruce Braley

Member of Congress

WHEREAS, on January 10, 2011, I took the Constitutional oath of office to become Governor of the State of Illinois, solemnly swearing to uphold both the Illinois Constitution and the Constitution of the United States, and promising to "faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Governor to the best of my abilities"; and

WHEREAS, I am committed to fulfilling my oath of office to serve the people of the State of Illinois by ensuring that government operates responsibly, and restoring fiscal stability to the State; and

WHEREAS, the State is currently facing an unprecedented pension crisis that, unchecked, compromises the State's credit rating and threatens the continued delivery of vital programs and services including education, public safety and human services; and

WHEREAS, the current unfunded pension liability of more than $83 billion is unsustainable and costs taxpayers millions of dollars every day it goes unaddressed; and

WHEREAS, the State's fiscal year 2013 budget is $33.7 billion, approximately 15 percent of which will go toward pensions alone; and

WHEREAS, on April 20, 2012, I proposed a Public Pension Stabilization Plan that would have eliminated the unfunded liability to secure 100 percent actuarial funding of the pensions systems by 2042; and

WHEREAS, I have continued work with the leaders of all four legislative caucuses to introduce legislation that would eliminate the State's unfunded pension liability; stabilize and strengthen the pension systems and ensure that the public employees who have faithfully contributed to the system receive benefits; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of Illinois taxpayers that measures to strengthen and reform the State's pension systems be adopted and implemented without further delay; and

WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 5(b) of the Illinois Constitution empowers the Governor, as Chief Executive, to convene special session of the General Assembly;

THEREFORE, pursuant to Article IV, Section 5(b) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I, Governor Pat Quinn, hereby call and convene the 97^th General Assembly in a special session to commence on August 17, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., for the purpose of considering any legislation, new or pending, which addresses pension reform.