Supreme Court to Stream Item Veto Case Live on the Internet   Des Moines, February 16, 2012 ?The February 21 special evening session of the Iowa Supreme Court oral arguments in the item veto case of Homan v. Branstad will be streamed live on the Internet beginning at 7:00 p.m. Oral arguments are always open to the public and the special session is scheduled for the evening primarily for the convenience of members of the public and state officials who would like to attend. The oral arguments will be heard in the Supreme Court Courtroom on the fourth floor of the Judicial Branch Building in Des Moines.   A link to live streaming of oral arguments is on the judicial branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Oral_Argument_Video/   The legal briefs are posted on the judicial branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Homan_v_Branstad/

Area hay and forage producers are invited to attend the 29th Annual Eastern Iowa Hay Producers Association Annual Meeting and Conference on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at Buzzy's in Welton. Registration will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the program scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.

This year's conference features Dr. Geoff Brink, Research Agronomist at the US Dairy Forage Research Center. The title of his presentation is "Growing, Harvesting, and Storing Cool-Season Perennial Grasses". Brink will discuss management practices to get the most from often-neglected forage that is experiencing resurgence in interest. Dr. Brink's research interests include quality of grazed and harvested grass and legume forages; sward structure - dairy cow utilization relationships in rotationally-grazed pastures; management and persistence of legumes in pastures; and management effects on temperate grass productivity.

Brian Lang, ISU Extension & Outreach forage agronomist, will discuss alfalfa production and management. Other speakers include Virgil Schmitt, ISU Extension Field Agronomist, and Denise Schwab, ISU Extension Beef Specialist, with regional updates.

The annual meeting of the Eastern Iowa Hay Producers Association (EIHPA) will take place shortly after lunch and will include their election of officers and directors.

Registration for the conference is $30 and includes a membership to EIHPA and meal. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Certified crop advisor credits have been applied for. This conference is sponsored by EIHPA, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, and the Iowa Beef Center.

The Eastern Iowa Hay Producers Association provides educational workshops and field days for forage producers in Jackson, Jones, Clinton, Cedar, Scott and Muscatine counties. However, forage producers from other counties are also welcome to participate. For more information contact Denise Schwab at dschwab@iastate.edu or Kevin Brown at brofarm@windstream.net or
563-872-4475.

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Washington, DC - February 16, 2012 - In case you missed it, Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives this morning in support of the Building Better Business Partnerships Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced last week with Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32).  This bill will streamline the process for small businesses to participate in mentor-protégé programs which pair new businesses looking to increase their government contracts with more experienced businesses.  To view Schilling's floor statement, click here or on the image below.

As part of the Small Business Committee's contracting initiative, two other bipartisan pieces of legislation were introduced last week with the goal of creating protections to fight contracting fraud and empowering advocates who fight for small business during the federal acquisition process.  More information on the Committee's initiative can be found here on the Committee's website.

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Funding Will Repair, Update and Build Schools to Serve Students

HAZEL CREST - February 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that  Illinois school districts statewide will receive a total of more than $623 million from Illinois Jobs Now! to construct new buildings or expand, repair and update existing ones. This capital funding will provide needed classroom space, while supporting an estimated 4,000 construction jobs throughout the state.

"In order for our students to compete for the jobs of tomorrow, we must ensure they are receiving a quality education in quality school facilities," Governor Quinn said. "This capital funding will help school districts across the state update their facilities and make critical repairs to improve the educational experience for our students,"

Thirty-one districts statewide were approved for the state funding this fiscal year after their projects were certified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB).

The funding will allow districts to build new schools, add new classrooms, and make renovations to aging buildings. Other improvements will include renovations to existing classrooms, upgrades to aging facilities and additional technology updates. The capital funding, combined with local dollars, will allow school districts to complete projects totaling more than $1.2 billion.

The school districts that will receive funding include :

• Chicago Public Schools District 299, $114.67 million
• St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, $7.66 million
• Wheaton Community Unit School District 200, $14.46 million
• Harvard Community Unit School District 50, $13.81 million
• Peoria School District 150, $34.61 million
• Huntley Consolidated School District 158, $39.41 million
• Orland School District 135, Orland Park, $5.33 million
• Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District 95, $3.11 million
• Crete-Monee School District 201-U, $23.28 million
• Millstadt Consolidated School District 160, $4.29 million
• Knoxville Community Unit School District 202, $20.22 million
• Wilmington Community Unit School District 209-U, $9.28 million
• Berwyn North Elementary District 98, $7.59 million
• Wesclin Community Unit School District 3, Trenton, $18.87 million
• Stark County Community Unit School District 100, $3.69 million
• Virginia Community Unit School District 64, $12.26 million
• Skokie School District 69, $1.32 million
• Burbank School District 111, $9.87 million
• Shawnee Community Unit School District 84, Union County, $2.04 million
• Manhattan School District 114, $5.84 million
• Paris Cooperative High School, $24.22 million
• Homer Community Consolidated School District 33-C, Homer Glen, $4.54 million
• Warren Township High School District 121, Gurnee, $11.53 million
• Panhandle Community Unit School District 2, Raymond, $3.86 million
• Spring Valley Elementary District 99, $12.23 million
• Rochelle Community Consolidated School District 231, $12.32 million
• Ramsey Community Unit School District 204, $3.92 million
• Mt. Vernon Township High School District 201, $47.62 million
• Hazel Crest School District 152.5, $32.22 million
• Calumet Township School District 132, Calumet Park, $12.36 million
• Marion Community Unit School District 2, $56.62 million.

Governor Quinn also announced today that the state is making available $50 million in School Maintenance Grant Program grants. The dollar-for-dollar state matching grant program provides up to $50,000 in matching funds for the maintenance or upkeep of buildings or structures for educational purposes. The grant applications for districts will be available soon.

Before the passage of Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, Illinois had not had a major capital construction program in more than a decade. The Governor has made it a priority to invest in our schools and update our classrooms to provide Illinois students with the best quality education experience possible.

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