State Support Enables Creation and Preservation of Quality Housing, Creates Jobs Across State

CHICAGO - Governor Quinn today announced that the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) provided more than $471 million in financing this year to make 5,000 quality affordable rental homes available to working families, seniors and people with disabilities. Since Governor Quinn took office, IHDA has provided $2.2 billion in financing to build or preserve more than 19,600 affordable apartments in 131 communities across the state, generating an estimated 20,280 jobs. Today's announcement is part of the Governor's agenda to ensure quality affordable housing for people in-need across Illinois.

"Affordable housing is important to the fabric of our communities," Governor Quinn said. "That is why are working tirelessly to increase affordable housing options for working families, seniors and people with disabilities throughout Illinois, which also creates thousands of jobs and drives our economy forward."

Creating and preserving affordable rental housing works as an economic engine to generate construction and post-construction jobs and spur local economic activity.  Affordable housing financed through the state in 2013 is estimated to create 3,200 construction and post-construction jobs.

Just in time for the holidays, Rhonda Pruitt and her twin 3-year-old sons recently moved into a three-bedroom townhome in the new construction 20-unit Greenleaf Manor development in Glenview. A clergy member at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wilmette, Pruitt and her family were staying with family members but wanted to find a permanent stable and secure home of their own.

"For much of my boys' lives, they have lived somewhere else," Pruitt said. "Now, when they say to me, 'Can we go home now?' - I'm able to say, 'Yes, we're going home.'"

As the state's housing finance agency, IHDA provided federal Housing Credits that generated private equity totaling nearly 90 percent of the cost to develop Greenleaf Manor. Developed by Chicago-based Daveri Development Group, Greenleaf Manor features two-, three- and four-bedroom townhome apartments for families earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income, or $39,780 in the Chicago area for a three-person household.

The need for affordable housing is nationwide. In 1960, about one in four renters were cost burdened, or paid more than 30 percent of their income for housing. Today, one in two are cost burdened, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

"Renters represent nearly one-third of households in Illinois, and approximately 425,000 are extremely low-income," IHDA Executive Director Mary R. Kenney said. "Governor Quinn's administration is focused on working together with our federal, local and private partners to create and sustain affordable housing statewide to meet the needs of Illinois residents."

To qualify for the affordable units financed through the state, residents must earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), or $36,300 in the Springfield area, $36,000 in Peoria area or $37,380 in Metro East for a three-person household.

A list of developments offering affordable rents is available at www.ihda.org or www.ilhousingsearch.org.

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(DES MOIES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad has co-written a bipartisan governors' letter urging President Obama and Congress to make forward progress on three trade agreements that have great potential to open up foreign markets to U.S. exports and to encourage further investment in the U.S.

The letter is joined by a bipartisan group of governors because state leaders understand the importance of opening up foreign markets to empower American businesses, workers, and agricultural producers to effectively compete in a dynamic, global economy.

"With an increasingly competitive global economy, it is important for President Obama and Congress to break-down barriers to international trade," said Branstad. "Trade helps drive economic growth through high-paying jobs for American workers and increased opportunities for American businesses and agricultural producers."

"Governor Branstad and I understand the importance of these trade agreements to Iowa businesses," said Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. "Iowa has many innovative companies and agricultural producers that depend on foreign markets for their long-term success and international buyers recognize Iowa as a provider of world-class, high-quality products."

Iowa's economic growth is closely linked to international trade and the State's job and income growth goals:

• In 2012, Iowa exported over $14.6 billion worth of goods to countries around the world.
• From 2011 to 2012, Iowa exports grew by almost 10%, compared to national export growth of just 4.5%.
• More than 2,500 companies in Iowa export products around the world.
• Iowa's farmers and agribusinesses rely on international trading agreements to open the door for Iowa's grain and meat products.
• Based on U.S. Department of Commerce estimates and export statistics, Iowa's exporting companies supported approximately 73,000 jobs in 2012.

*Statistics Reference:  www.iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/newsdetails/5654

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey voiced his support for trade progress stating, "Iowa agriculture has seen tremendous benefits from free trade and there is potential for even more growth if these trade agreements are finalized.  Our farmers do an amazing job producing safe, affordable food and what they need is fair access to additional markets."

Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, stated the following: "International trade helps grow the Iowa and U.S. economy.  The recent bipartisan agreement between congressional committee leaders on Trade Promotion Authority is a positive step for removing governmental hurdles to private sector trade.  Movement on these trade agreements would help enable Iowa's agricultural producers and manufacturers to compete on a level playing field."

Teresa Wahlert, Director of Iowa Workforce Development added:  "We also encourage the Federal government to empower the states with flexible workforce programs, including support for innovative programs like the Skilled Iowa Initiative, to ensure American workers have the skills needed to compete globally."

The below 15 governors signed the letter:

State/Territory	Governor's Name
Alabama	Gov. Robert Bentley (R)
Arkansas	Gov. Mike Beebe (D)
Florida	Gov. Rick Scott (R)
Indiana	Gov. Mike Pence (R)
Iowa	Gov. Terry Branstad (R)
Kansas	Gov. Sam Brownback (R)
Mississippi	Gov. Phil Bryant (R)
Nebraska	Gov. Dave Heineman (R)
Nevada	Gov. Brian Sandoval (R)
New Mexico	Gov. Susana Martinez (R)
Northern Mariana Islands	Gov. Eloy Inos (I)
Oklahoma	Gov. Mary Fallin (R)
Pennsylvania	Gov. Tom Corbett (R)
Rhode Island	Gov. Lincoln Chafee (D)
Utah	Gov. Gary Richard Herbert (R)

The full text of the letter can be read below:

Dear Mr. President, Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Boehner, Minority Leader McConnell, and Minority Leader Pelosi:

As chief executives of their states and territories, governors have a unique perspective regarding the importance of international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) on our respective economies.  Governors are actively promoting our businesses globally because over ninety five percent of the world's consumers live outside the United States.  We also recognize that FDI creates high paying jobs in our states that support lasting careers in our own communities.  Following the strong bi-partisan support for trade in recent years, we ask you to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), and the Trade in Services (TISA) agreements, which have great potential to help our country compete in a dynamic, global economy.

These robust international trade agreements will enhance and expand economic partnerships and diplomatic relationships between the United States and participating countries.  Reductions in trade barriers and increased market access allows our businesses, workforce, agricultural producers, and service sectors to compete on a more level playing field to help drive economic growth and increase family incomes.  We are encouraged by the comprehensive nature of these agreements, but we do want to underscore that the primary purpose of the agreements should be to increase market access, including improved access for US agricultural and manufactured goods abroad, while establishing ambitious rules to protect intellectual property, empower American workers, ensure fair competition with state-owned enterprises, and foster the digital economy.

We believe that the national and global economy can grow at a more robust pace and that trade liberalization will be a key component of that future growth.  Enacting comprehensive agreements improves the economic standing of all parties.  International trade is not a zero sum game and regulatory cooperation, done properly, can improve the efficiency of our regulatory agencies.

As governors, we strive to create a healthy economic environment in which our citizens can thrive.  We strongly favor the continued pursuit of comprehensive trade agreements with TPP, T-TIP, and TISA countries that focus on market access and establishing rules and disciplines that address emerging challenges to the global trade system.  We encourage forward progress on these trade initiatives to enable our citizens to compete fairly in the world market.

We stand ready to support efforts to educate and inform our friends and allies on these promising agreements.

For more information please visit www.governor.iowa.gov.

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This week the Senate passed a budget bill.  While I appreciate the bipartisan effort that brokered this budget deal, and I am relieved that it will help avoid another government shutdown, I could not support the proposal and voted against it.

The spending caps that Congress and President Obama put in place two years ago have worked.  I'm not sure why we need to move away from that.  To get our fiscal house in order, we should at least abide by the spending caps put in place in August 2011.  The spending reductions called for in 2011 were agreed to as part of the deal to provide a $2.1 trillion increase in the nation's debt ceiling.

The budget bill approved this week allows for an additional $63 billion in government spending over the next two years when we have a $17 trillion debt.  To offset that higher spending, it raises revenue over ten years but spends that money in the first two years.  It raises fees on air travelers and corporate pension premiums and reduces retirement benefits for military retirees to offset unrelated spending.  Nearly all of the meager spending cuts come way down the road, in 2022 and 2023.

Congress has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, and this budget deal only emphasizes that.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Video can be found here.

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today approved an emergency declaration suspending the regulatory provisions pertaining to hours of service for drivers of commercial motor vehicles transporting propane. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, December 19th, 2013 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, January 2nd, 2014.

The proclamation is as follows:

WHEREAS, because of the late harvest and the recent high demand for petroleum products throughout the upper Midwest portions of the United States, the people of the State of Iowa are faced with extremely low supplies of propane; and

WHEREAS, adequate supplies of propane are necessary to provide residential and agricultural heating to our citizens in rural portions of the state; and

WHEREAS, the effects of this propane shortage are being felt throughout the State of Iowa; and

WHEREAS, the limited suspension of certain hours of service regulations for drivers of commercial motor vehicles transporting propane in our state will increase the amount of propane transported throughout the State of Iowa, thereby reducing the potentially damaging effects of this shortage; and

WHEREAS, these conditions threaten the peace, health, and safety of the citizens of the State of Iowa and its agricultural industry and accordingly provide legal justification for the issuance of a Proclamation of a State of Disaster Emergency pursuant to Iowa Code § 29C.6(1).

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), and all other applicable laws, do hereby proclaim a STATE OF DISASTER EMERGENCY for the entire state of Iowa and do hereby ORDER and DIRECT the following:

SECTION ONE.  I temporarily suspend the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code § 321.449 pertaining to hours of service for drivers of commercial motor vehicles transporting propane, during the duration of this disaster, subject to these conditions:

A.      Nothing contained in this Proclamation shall be construed as an exemption from the controlled substances and alcohol use and testing requirements under 49 CFR Part 382, the commercial drivers' license requirements under 49 CFR Part 383, the financial responsibility requirements of 49 CFR Part 387, or any other portion of the Code of Federal Regulations not specifically identified in this proclamation.

B.      No motor carrier operating under the terms of this proclamation shall require or allow a fatigued or ill driver to operate a motor vehicle. A driver who informs a carrier that he or she needs immediate rest shall be given at least ten consecutive hours off duty before the driver is required to return to service.

C.      Upon the request of a driver, a commercial motor carrier operating under this proclamation must give a driver at least thirty-four (34) consecutive hours off when the driver has been on duty for more than seventy (70) hours during any eight consecutive days.

D.      Motor carriers that have an out-of-service order in effect may not take advantage of the relief from regulations that this declaration provides under title 49 CFR § 390.23.

E.      Upon the expiration of the effective date of this Proclamation, or when a driver has been relieved of all duty and responsibility to provide direct assistance to the emergency effort, a driver that has had at least thirty-four (34) consecutive hours off duty shall be permitted to start his or her on-duty status hours and 60/70 hour clock at zero.

SECTION TWO.  This state of disaster emergency shall be effective at 12:01 a.m. on December 19th, 2013, shall continue fifteen (15) days, and shall expire on January 2nd, 2014 at 11:59 p.m., unless sooner terminated or extended in writing by me.


IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name and caused the Great Seal of the State of Iowa to be affixed at Des Moines, Iowa this 18th day of December in the year of our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen.


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