DES MOINES, IA (04/10/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald wants to encourage Iowans to make the most of their tax refunds this year by investing in College Savings Iowa. "Much like the April 17 deadline for taxes, the time to save for college is over before you know it," said Fitzgerald. "Put your refund to good use and start saving for a loved one's future educational needs today. By starting early, saving a little at a time and making smart investment choices, families can make their savings work for them."

College Savings Iowa is designed to provide families a tax-advantaged way to save money for their children's higher education. It only takes $25 to open an account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest in College Savings Iowa on behalf of a child. Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $2,975 per beneficiary from their 2012 adjusted gross income, and there are no income or residency restrictions.* Investors can withdraw their investment federally tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses including tuition, books, supplies and certain room and board costs at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad.**

Saving for a child's education is always a smart investment, and College Savings Iowa is there to help. To learn more about College Savings Iowa or to open an account, please visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-888-672-9116.

*Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.

**Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.

DES MOINES, IA - Today, actor and former White House Associate Director of Public Engagement Kal Penn and Obama for America Battleground States Director Mitch Stewart will host a student summit at the University of Iowa. This event is the latest Greater Together event designed to engage and mobilize young Americans in the 2012 campaign. Students from across the state will join via webcast from Luther College, St. Ambrose University, Drake University, Iowa State University and Loras College.

The Greater Together Student Summit Tour brings together senior campaign officials, community leaders, student representatives and celebrities to discuss key policy issues impacting young Americans like President Obama's plan to make college more affordable, expanding access to quality health care and creating new job opportunities for graduates. This tour is a chance for students to weigh in on the issues that matter to them, and to learn about how they can start organizing on their campuses to ensure a victory in November 2012. Learn more at www.barackobama.com/young-americans.

WHERE: Downtown Sheraton Hotel

Amos Dean Ballroom

210 S Dubuque St

Iowa City, IA 52240

WHEN: Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Doors open at 5:00 PM CT

Event begins at 5:30 PM CT

SATELLITE LOCATIONS:

Luther College
700 College Dr Rm 206
Decorah

St. Ambrose University

Corner Of Gaines & Lombard W Rm 102
Davenport

Loras Collge

1450 Alta Vista St

Dubuque

Iowa State University

Memorial Union Room 3505

2229 Lincoln Way

Ames

Drake University

Mars Cafe

2318 University Avenue

Des Moines

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Kadyn Halverson, age 7, saw her school bus slow to a stop in front of her family's home near Northwood, Iowa, one morning last May.  She crossed the street to climb aboard.  Like my own three kids and many other Iowa children, she took the flashing red lights of the bus as an article of faith that it was safe to cross.

But that morning, it wasn't. A pickup truck driver traveling at 60 miles per hour ignored the warning signs and passed the stopped school bus, striking and killing Kadyn. The driver fled and later was convicted of vehicular homicide.

Since the tragedy, Kadyn's family has worked tirelessly to honor her legacy by pushing the Iowa Legislature to strengthen penalties for drivers who ignore warning lights and illegally pass school buses.

Last month, Gov. Terry Branstad signed "Kadyn's Law," which mandates fines of at least $250 and up to $675, plus the possibility of jail time, for first-time offenders of school bus traffic safety laws. For a second conviction within five years, repeat offenders face up to a year in jail and fines up to $1,875. These strong penalties tell drivers to take school bus warning lights seriously.

The obvious next step is to make Kadyn's Law the new national standard. Under a federal version of Kadyn's Law I've introduced in Congress, if a state doesn't pass a law that matches the standards set forth in Iowa this year, that state will face a 10 percent cut in federal highway funding.

Without this sort of motivation, the status quo is never going to change. Consider this: In North Dakota, the fine for passing a stopped school bus is $50 – less than some parking tickets!

Across the nation, drivers illegally pass stopped school buses 13 million times each year; in Iowa, 138,600 times every year.  If we cut that number, we'll reduce the number of children killed and injured by reckless drivers. The best way to do that is to eliminate a weak, ineffective patchwork of state laws and replace it with a strong national standard that provides a real incentive for drivers to follow the law.

Des Moines, April 4, 2012 – On Wednesday, April 11, the Iowa Supreme Court will visit eight high schools in the Quad-Cities area to talk with students about the role of the courts. The justices will visit with students at West, Central, and Assumption High Schools in Davenport; Bettendorf, and Pleasant Valley High Schools, and Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf; North Scott High School in Eldridge; and Clinton High School in Clinton.

High school visit schedule for April 11:

7:45 a.m.–Justice Daryl Hecht will visit Davenport Central High School

8:40 a.m.–Justice Edward Mansfield will visit North Scott Senior High School

9:00 a.m.–Justice David Wiggins will visit Davenport West High School

9:00 a.m.–Justice Thomas Waterman will visit Pleasant Valley High School

9:00 a.m.–Justice Bruce Zager will visit Clinton High School

9:20 a.m.–Justice Brent Appel will visit Davenport Assumption High School

10:00 a.m.–Chief Justice Mark Cady will visit Bettendorf High School

11:00 a.m.–Justice Thomas Waterman will visit Rivermont Collegiate

News media wishing to cover a justice visit to either Davenport West or Davenport Central High Schools must first contact Davenport Community School District Communication Specialist Dawn Saul at saulda@davenportschools.org or 563-336-5088.

The school visits are in conjunction with a special session of the supreme court in the Quad Cities on the evening of April 10. The court will hear oral arguments in two cases in the Pleasant Valley High School auditorium. This session begins at 7 p.m. As always, oral arguments are open to the public.

Special Session

Tuesday, April 10, at 7 p.m.

Pleasant Valley High School auditorium

604 Belmont Road

Bettendorf, Iowa

The court will hear attorneys argue in two cases.

11-0834 Lewis vs. The City of Dubuque

Plaintiff appeals the decision of the Iowa District Court for Dubuque County dismissing her claim that she was illegally evicted from her apartment. Plaintiff often used her gas oven, with door open, to heat her apartment and left water running for extended periods. Acting under a Dubuque City Ordinance, the landlord changed the locks to the apartment and moved plaintiff's possessions to the front step. Plaintiff contends the city ordinance violates her due process rights and is preempted by Iowa's Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act (URLTA). Defendant argues that Iowa's URLTA was not meant to prohibit cities from addressing such emergency situations.

The attorney representing the appellant is Raymond Johnson, West Des Moines, and the attorneys representing the appellee are Cory Thein, Dubuque, and Leslie Reddick, Dubuque.

11-1581 Dier vs. Peters

Should Iowa recognize a cause of action for paternity fraud? Plaintiff seeks reimbursement from the mother of a child plaintiff financially and emotionally supported, claiming the mother knew plaintiff was not the father of the child. The parties were never married. Plaintiff claims the mother led him to believe he was the child's biological father, and that only after a custody evaluation was favorable to him did the mother announce that he was not the father. The mother argues the court should reject such claims when the plaintiff declined paternity confirmation and voluntarily supported the child. Plaintiff appeals the Iowa District Court for Grundy County decision dismissing plaintiff's claim.

The attorney representing the appellant is Barry Kaplan, Marshalltown, and the attorney representing the appellee is Lynn Wiese, Iowa Falls.

Public Reception

There will be a public reception sponsored by the Scott County Bar Association in the Pleasant Valley High School cafeteria immediately following the court proceedings.

More Information

Attorneys' briefs for the two cases and a "Guide to Oral Arguments" are posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Offsite_Oral_Arguments/.

Note to Editors: News media are invited to attend the oral arguments. Court rules regarding expanded media coverage apply.

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