Monthly Archives: March 2016

Under pressure from Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released updated salary data for the top executives at public housing authorities nationwide. The state and local housing authority executives are prohibited from exceeding a congressionally imposed cap on the amount of federal money that can be used for salaries. HUD announced it is seeking reimbursement from six housing authorities that exceeded the 2014 federal salary cap of $157,100. The cap for 2016 has been increased to $160,300. Grassley made the following comment on HUD’s action.

EPA Region 7 reached a proposed administrative settlement of Clean Water Act violations by the City of Osceola, Iowa, that requires the city to stabilize stream banks of a tributary flowing into White Breast Creek, and pay a cash penalty of $8,400.

Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement to share information regarding the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) in order to fight the potential for manipulation along the fuel supply chain of the Renewable Identification Numbers (RIN) market. RINs help blenders and refiners track compliance with the RFS. In 2013, Loebsack led 13 members of the House in calling on the CFTC to ensure the integrity of the RIN market.

WASHINGTON, DC – (RealEstateRama) — The Iowa Association of REALTORS® (IAR) reported that February home prices are up and sales were down. According to...

The Iowa Association of REALTORS® (IAR) reported that January home prices are up, homes are selling faster and number of sales dipped slightly when compared to January of last year. According to the IAR’s Housing Trends Report, the median sale price increased by 12 percent. The median sale price rose from $121,000 in January of 2015 to $135,500 in January of 2016.

Congressman Dave Loebsack today reintroduced legislation to establish a grant program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to invest in renewable and alternative fuel infrastructure. The Renewable Fuel Utilization, Expansion and Leadership (Re-FUEL) Act will create new and retrofit existing infrastructure, including pumps for biofuels and hydrogen, tanks, piping and electric vehicle chargers. The legislation is paid for and would not add to the deficit

Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that Iowa now generates over 31.3% of its energy from wind. According to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Iowa is now the first and only state in the United States that has crossed the 30% mark

At the Administration’s Monday morning press conference today, Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that six communities are receiving grants for the State Innovation Model (SIM) Initiative. These six communities spanning 20 counties will engage in broad-based health care system and payment reforms over the next three years that will lead to better health outcomes and lower costs.