Stewart's legislative update

By Sen. Roger Stewart
Special to the Herald

July 17, 2006 12:31 pm

— The Legislature did the right thing last week by overriding the Governor’s veto and protecting the rights of Iowans who own private property.
During Friday’s special session, I joined most of my legislative colleagues in supporting tougher protections for the owners of private property in Iowa. This is a clear victory for every private property owner in Iowa — including homeowners, farmers and small business owners in my district.
During the regular 2006 session of the Iowa Legislature, I voted for tougher protections for private property owners. My vote for the veto override reaffirms my commitment to private property rights.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Kelo vs. the City of New London, Conn., that a local governmental body could use eminent domain to help a private developer in Connecticut proceed with a project that included offices, a riverfront hotel and a health club. The Iowa House and Senate responded with a bipartisan package of eminent domain reforms that passed both chambers by wide margins. When Gov. Tom Vilsack vetoed the reform package, I joined the bipartisan call for a special session on the issue.
The eminent domain reform legislation which won overwhelming support in the Iowa House and Senate during the special session:
n puts the burden of proof upon the city council or county board of supervisors that claim that their use of eminent domain is within the definition of public use.
n increases the amount of “just compensation” due the landowner whose land is taken for public projects.
n prohibits city councils from condemning land outside their city limits.
Renewable fuels grant awarded
Congratulations to Eastern Iowa Propane and Petrol of Clinton, which was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. After two years of grants, a total of 28 E85 pumps and three biodiesel blending facilities have been funded across the state.
Due to overwhelming demand for renewable fuels, this spring the Iowa Legislature created a new renewable fuel infrastructure program, providing $13 million over the next three years on a cost-share basis for the installation or conversion of E85 retail systems and biodiesel distribution facilities. For an application or further information, contact the IRFA at (515) 252-6249 or on the Web at www.IowaRFA.org.

$790 million in grants available to students
New federal programs are providing additional financial aid to students who have taken challenging high school coursework and want to go to college. The new programs will provide $790 million in college aid this fall to eligible students nationwide, and a total of $4.5 billion over the next five years. Students can receive complete details and an application by calling 1-800-433-3243 or go online to http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/.

Downtown: Changing Places, Changing Faces, Changing Lives
Iowa communities are invited to attend the 20th annual Downtown Summit on Aug. 22 and 23 in Sioux City. Noted national and Midwest professionals and local practitioners will offer sessions on how rural and urban communities across America are revitalizing their city centers. Four tours will showcase development projects and success stories in downtown Sioux City. Complete details and an application are available at www.iowalifechanging.com/community/mainstreetiowa.

Roger Stewart, a Democrat from Preston, is a member of the Iowa Senate representing District 13.