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Capitol Digest 3-14-12

James Q. Lynch, CR Gazette –

A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Wednesday, March 14, 2012. 2012:

STEM SCALE-UP: The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Executive Committee released a STEM Scale-Up Eligibility Application to identify high-quality projects that have demonstrated success in increasing student interest and achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Applications will undergo a review process to identify and approve a focused pool of projects for the designation of “Scalable STEM Projects”. These projects will be made available to all areas of the state through the Council’s Regional STEM Network.

Projects eligible for scale-up must already be in use in Iowa and provide evidence of successfully meeting project goals and criteria for scalability. The most competitive applications, which will come from academic institutions, nonprofit organizations or private industry, will be those that are clearly evidence-based and well-planned.

The application can be found at www.iowamathscience.org/SCALE and must be submitted by the end of business May 30.

GAS PRICES UP AGAIN: Rising crude oil prices translated into higher costs at Iowa gas pumps again this week. Officials with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship say unleaded gasoline prices increased by six cents a gallon to $3.73 while mid-grade fuel blends with 10 percent ethanol increased by seven cents to $3.66 a gallon. The per-gallon price for unleaded gasoline in Iowa was up 22 cents from a year ago. By comparison, the national average on Tuesday was $3.81 per gallon, which was up a nickel from last week’s price. Retail diesel fuel prices in Iowa increased by three cents a gallon in the Tuesday report with a statewide average of $3.96 per gallon – up from the $3.83 average price for diesel fuel one year ago, according to the state report. Propane prices dropped two cents a gallon this week to $1.79, while home heating oil rose three cent, ending with a statewide average of $3.63 per gallon.

CARD SWIPE FEES: Iowa retailers are trying to take the financial bite out of credit card transaction “swipe” fees. Jim Henter, president of the Iowa Retail Federation, said Iowa businesses paid more than $41 million in transaction swipe fees for fiscal years 2010/2011 on taxes they are legally bound to collect and remit to the state. Henter said Senate Study Bill 3193 is designed to address the current inequity by prohibiting swipe fees on sales, hotel/motel, fuel and other state taxes they are required to collect in the process of conducting business. Federation officials accused opponents of spreading misinformation that the proposed legislation would hurt small community banks and credit unions in Iowa when many of the fees banks charge to process electronic transactions go to financial institutions headquartered outside of Iowa.

BRANSTAD APPOINTMENTS: Gov. Terry Branstad announced Wednesday that he had appointed former state legislator Delores Mertz to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission and reappointed Thomas Phillips to the Iowa Board of Parole. Mertz, an Ottosen native, currently serves on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission – a position from which she will resign prior to assuming her new duties, according to the governor’s office. She will begin her term on the gaming panel on May 1 for a term of three years. Phillips was reappointed to the parole board after being named to the position on Jan. 24, 2011. He will serve a four-year term beginning on May 1. Both are subject to confirmation by at least a two-thirds majority of the 50-member Iowa Senate.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Pressure makes diamonds.” – Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, in reference to the partisan intensity that accompanies the Legislature’s self-imposed “funnel” deadlines set up to winnow the list of bills that are eligible for debate before the session ends

–Compiled by the Des Moines Bureau

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