DES MOINES, IA (04/18/2013)(readMedia)-- Davenport's North High School campus security professional, Ruben Moore, Jr., received the Paul Mann Memorial Human Relations Award presented by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA). Moore was honored Thursday, April 11, at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines before a group of nearly 400 educators.

Moore is president of QC United, a non-profit organization created by community members and educators. Their mission is "to provide equal educational experiences and opportunities to all Iowa and Illinois Quad City Youth and their families, with special attention being given to the under-served."

QC promotes "Dreams Come True Trips" which provides students with three- to five-day educational trips to different sites around the country including Orlando, FL; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; and St. Louis, MO. This summer the group will head to New York City. The group is also implementing a new anti-bullying campaign called "Unity Year-Around" which stresses that bullying should not be tolerated by anyone in the community at any time. The "World on a Plate Symposium" is a new addition to the Unity Fest International event organized by QC. This activity brings high school students and diverse business leaders together to help students develop skills that prepare them to compete in a global market.

In addition, "Swing into Education"-a golf tournament Moore organized-raised over $8,000 in area scholarships.

"The Paul Mann Memorial Human Relations Award is about giving back to those in need and helping people succeed. Ruben certainly embodies this award with his hard work and efforts on the job and in his community," said Tammy Wawro, president of the ISEA. "Ruben's compassion for helping others knows no bounds. The ISEA is proud to present Ruben with the Paul Mann Award."

The Paul Mann Memorial Human Relations Award honors an individual or group for exemplary contributions toward the advancement of human and civil rights. It is named in memory of Paul Mann, a veteran Des Moines teacher and human rights activist who passed away suddenly in September of 2006.

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SPRINGFIELD - April 17, 2013. An advocate for rural communities, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today urged farmers' markets to join her in fighting food deserts in Illinois. Simon urged markets to apply for a federal grant to purchase wireless machines that accept debit and credit cards, and Link cards. The machines enable low-income residents to purchase fresh, locally-produced food sold at farmers' markets.

To date, 31 markets have received the Illinois Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Wireless Project grants coordinated by Simon's office, and most of the markets will start accepting Link cards this spring. One of the newest recipients, EP!C Market, of Peoria, discussed its expansion plans during today's Governor's Rural Affairs Council (GRAC) meeting in Springfield.

"All Illinois families should have access to fresh, local foods," said Simon, who chairs the GRAC. "With so many Illinoisans currently receiving food stamp benefits, expanding Link access is good policy. I encourage markets to apply for the federal funding that is helping us bring healthy, local food to our underserved communities."

EP!C market provides employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Approximately 40 individuals currently work in the greenhouse, and plants are sold at local retailers. The organization looks forward to adding an outdoor garden, doubling the number of workers. EP!C will hold its first outdoor farmers' market in May.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the Illinois EBT Wireless Project," said Vice President of Development Kristen Berchtold. "It will make EP!C market more attractive and accessible to a broad customer base, and will enable us to provide more employment opportunities and vocational training for those we serve."

Through Simon's EBT wireless project, Illinois farmers' markets receive free wireless machines that enable consumers to pay with debit and credit cards, or with Link cards. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of Midwestern farmers' markets accepting Link cards increased by around 65 percent between 2011 and 2012. Chicago alone saw a 56 percent increase during that period, meaning more low-income families can purchase fresh produce at farmers' markets.

Applications for the EBT wireless project are still being accepted. For more information, please click here.

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Grassley, Cruz Introduce Comprehensive Legislation That Targets Violent Criminals, Safeguards Second Amendment

WASHINGTON - Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ted Cruz of Texas are introducing an alternative amendment to gun legislation pending on the Senate floor.  Their "Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act" would preserve the Second Amendment while providing important fixes to existing law.

The Grassley-Cruz proposal would reauthorize and improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), increase resources for prosecutions of gun crime, address mental illness in the criminal justice system, and strengthen criminal law by including straw purchasing and illegal firearm trafficking statutes.

"When people study our amendment, they'll see a sensible alternative that was developed from the ground up.  It's got wide-ranging, broad-based support and takes a responsible approach to fixing problems with the current background check system," Grassley said.  "We've put together an amendment that can effectively address some of the problems we've seen while protecting Second Amendment rights.  I've been very interested in the mental health aspect of this debate, so we include provisions to study and address that issue.  My oversight of Operation Fast and Furious highlighted some serious flaws within the gun trafficking and straw purchasing area, and Senator Cruz has done an exceptionally good job of helping develop that portion of our alternative.  In addition, we both understand the importance of ensuring that Second Amendment protections are in place for veterans, along with every other American."

"I am glad to work with Sen. Grassley on this important amendment, which presents a reasonable alternative to the current legislation being considered while placing top priority on preserving Americans' inalienable right to bear arms," Sen. Cruz said. "Rather than restricting the rights of law-abiding Americans, we should be focusing on keeping guns out of the hands of violent criminals, which this legislation accomplishes. While the Obama Administration continues to politicize a terrible tragedy to push its anti-gun agenda, I am proud to stand beside my fellow senators to present common-sense measures that will increase criminal prosecutions of felons who try to buy guns, criminalize straw purchasing and gun trafficking, and address mental health issues."

Sponsors of the Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act of 2013 include Senators Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, John Thune of South Dakota, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Dan Coats of Indiana, John Cornyn of Texas, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, James Risch of Idaho, Marco Rubio of Florida, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Boozman of Arkansas, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

This legislation will:

·         Improve and reauthorize grants for NICS database;

·         Require federal courts to submit relevant information to NICS;

·         Ensure that relevant mental health records are submitted by states to NICS;

·         Condition federal grant money for states on their submission of mental health records to NICS;

·         Increase federal prosecution of gun violence by establishing the Nationwide Project Exile Program and establishing a high level federal taskforce;

·         Study of the causes of mass shootings;

·         Responsibly addresses gun violence by criminalizing straw purchasing of firearms and gun trafficking;

·         Second Amendment Protections for Veterans;

·         Require the Department of Justice to explain to Congress why it has or has not been prosecuting gun cases;

·         Place Limitations on Fast & Furious type operations by DOJ;

·         Authorize FFL's to utilize the NICS database to for voluntary background checks of employees;

·         Authorize FFL's to access the FBI's National Crime Information Center stolen gun database to ensure that a firearm is not stolen prior to acquisition;

·         Reauthorize the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) with amendments;

·         Address school safety by Reauthorizes the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Secure our Schools Program through 2023. 

Here is a section-by-section summary of the bill and a copy of the text of the bill.

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Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today pressed the head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to account for recent media reports stating that agency internal documents say agents have the ability to access taxpayer emails without warrants, despite a court opinion to the contrary.  Grassley questioned Steven T. Miller, acting commissioner, at a Finance Committee hearing this morning.   The media reports indicate the IRS has taken the position that it can access taxpayer emails without a warrant under the Electronic Communication Privacy Act.   While the Act does allow federal agencies to obtain electronic communications from a remote computing service without a search warrant, provided they are older than 180 days, this position is contrary to the 6^th Circuit's decision in U.S. v. Warshak. In Warshak, the court held that a search warrant is necessary to obtain any content of an email, regardless of age.  The Department of Justice has extended this policy to all circuits.   Grassley has long worked to expand taxpayer rights, winning approval of the first-ever Taxpayer Bill of Rights in 1988 and a sequel enacted in 1996.  The legislation codified rights and protections for taxpayers in dealing with the IRS after a series of abuses came to light and were the subject of congressional hearings.

Grassley made the following comment on the IRS' email access policy.

"The IRS has a very high burden to treat taxpayers within legal bounds and without abusive intrusion of privacy.  The agency's written materials suggest agents have the ability to access taxpayer emails without warrants.   Acting Commissioner Miller said today this isn't the agency position.  If it's not agency policy or practice, the IRS needs to clarify the true policy in writing, agency-wide.  That's critical.  But it's not enough.  The IRS also needs to explain its aggressive stance in internal documents about accessing electronic communications and whether it in fact accessed electronic communications without search warrants and if so, when and why.  The IRS has to take this issue seriously, and a casual explanation is inadequate.  I'll ask Acting Commissioner Miller follow-up questions on this issue to be answered in writing for the hearing record, as a start."