2013 legislative bill action now complete

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

House File 604: An Act relating to the funding of, the operation of, and appropriation of moneys to the college student aid commission, the department for the blind, the department of education, the economic development authority, the department of workforce development, and the state board of regents, and providing for related matters.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

House File 638: An Act relating to and making appropriations to state departments and agencies from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund and the technology reinvestment fund, providing for related matters, and including effective date provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

House File 648: An Act relating to state and local finances making transfers and appropriations and including effective date and applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 396: An Act relating to government operations and efficiency and other related matters, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 406: An Act relating to involuntary commitments for persons with substance-related disorders, mental illness, and intellectual disabilities, and providing for the creation of an office of mental health advocate in the department of human rights and including effective date provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 430: An Act relating to appropriations to the department of cultural affairs, the economic development authority, the board of regents and certain board of regents institutions, the department of workforce developments, the Iowa finance authority, and the public employment relations board, providing for other properly related matters, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 446: An Act relating to appropriations for health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective, retroactive and applicability date provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 447: An Act relating to appropriations to the justice system and including effective dates.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 452: An Act relating to state and local finances by making appropriations, providing for fees, providing for legal responsibilities, providing for certain employee benefits, and providing for properly related matters, and including effective date and retroactive and other applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Gov. Branstad has signed all transmittal letters linked above. This concludes legislative action by Gov. Branstad for the 2013 legislative session.

Washington, D.C.  - Congressman Dave Loebsack today announced that the Davenport Fire Department will receive $68,000 in funding from the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program.

"Our firefighters and first responders stand ready to serve us the moment disaster strikes," said Loebsack.  "This funding will ensure that they are able to secure the resources and training they need to respond quickly to emergencies and keep our families and communities safe."

The Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to reduce injury and prevent death among high-risk populations.

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

House File 489: An Act relating to various matters involving insurance and the insurance division of the department of commerce, providing penalties, and including applicability and effective date provisions.

House File 599: An Act relating to beginning farmers by modifying the agricultural assets transfer tax credit, providing a custom farming contract tax credit, and terminating the agricultural loan assistance program, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

House File 602: An Act relating to transportation and other infrastructure-related appropriations to the department of transportation, including allocation and use of moneys from the road use tax fund and the primary road fund.

House File 603: An Act relating to and making appropriations to certain state departments, agencies, funds, and certain other entities, providing for regulatory authority, and other properly related matters.

House File 614:  An Act appropriating federal funds made available from federal block grants and other non-state sources, allocating portions of federal block grants, and providing procedures if federal funds are more or less than anticipated or if federal block grants are more or less than anticipated and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

House File 620: An Act relating to the economic development financial assistance duties and powers of the economic development authority by authorizing and creating fees, affecting the aggregate tax credit limit for certain economic development programs and the tax credit for the endow Iowa tax credit, making appropriations, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions

House File 640: An Act relating to liquids which are flammable or combustible, by providing for the storage, marketing, and distribution of such liquids, providing for the marketing and distribution of liquids classified as motor fuel, including a conventional blendstock for oxygenate blending, and blended and unblended gasoline and diesel fuel, extending the period for determining the rates of the motor fuel tax based on calculating the distribution of ethanol blended gasoline and other motor fuel, including fees and penalties, and including effective date provisions.

House File 649: An Act relating to the liability of a land holder for the public use of private lands and waters for a recreational purpose or urban deer control.

Senate File 435: an Act relating to appropriations and making appropriations involving state government entities involved with agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection.

Senate File 442: An Act relating to appropriations to the judicial branch.

PORT BYRON, Ill. - Legislation to allow concealed carry in Illinois, House Bill 183, has been sitting on the governor's desk since June 5, and state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, released the following statement calling on the governor to take immediate action on the bill and responding to recent statements by Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon and state's attorneys in Randolph and Madison counties.

"Law-abiding gun owners in Illinois have waited far too long to exercise the full Second Amendment rights they are entitled to and are in effect all across our country. The governor needs to end the waiting game and take action to implement the concealed carry plan we passed in House Bill 183. The longer gun owners wait, the more confusion grows, and the further our rights are trampled. Lt. Gov Simon is urging local governments to create their own ordinances, and state's attorneys are turning a blind eye to enforcing the laws, possibly risking felony charges for gun owners who leave their areas. I do not want to see any responsible, law-abiding gun owners jailed because of delays in finalizing this new law.

"If the governor chooses to veto our concealed carry legislation, I ask that he does so quickly, so that we can override his veto and get concealed carry enacted as soon as possible. The governor has called the Legislature back into session next Wednesday, giving us the perfect opportunity to have a vote on a veto.

"I joined Lt. Gov. Simon's firearms working group earlier this year because it was another opportunity for me to defend the rights of gun owners and fight for a strong concealed carry law. I oppose her further attempts to fracture our state's policy on concealed carry. Now that the legislature has agreed to a final plan, I will continue pushing to see concealed carry become the law of the land."

For more information, contact Smiddy's office at RepSmiddy@gmail.com, 309-848-9098, or toll free at 855-243-4988.

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