Here is a scorecard of how some issues fared in the 2013 legislative session:

DID:

Reform/reduce property/income taxes

Reform education to boost teacher pay, leadership and career ladders

Expand health-care coverage for low-income Iowans

Increase the earned income tax credit from 7 percent to 14 percent

Bolster liability protections for farm owners

Increase funding to address skilled worker shortage

Raise judges’ pay by 4.5 percent

Boost REAP environmental funding to $16 million

Devote more funds to close worker “skills gap”

Boost state aid to K-12 schools by 4 percent

Fund universities so tuition is frozen next year

Extend tax break for ethanol-blended fuels

Expand teen driver training and limit passengers in vehicle

Allow electronic driver’s license renewals

Change state regulations for “mothballed” livestock buildings

Expand renewal of Iowa driver’s license to eight years from current five

Allow home-school parent to teach child driver’s education

Require background checks for school employees

Require background checks for vendors catering to children

Prohibit sale/operation/possession of radar-jamming device

Create criminal offense for removing police communication devices

Require DNA samples for aggravated misdemeanor convictions

Extend school sharing incentives

Exempt reconstruction of the Lake Delhi dam from certain DNR requirements

Create free-standing Iowa Department of Homeland Security

Relocate James Harlan statue to Mount Pleasant

Further refine regional mental health service delivery approach

Raise economic development tax credit cap to $170 million

Require newborn critical congenital heart disease screening

Expand definition of “sex act” in Iowa criminal code

Require vision screening for school children

Allow police outdoor shooting range in proximity to homes and businesses

Establish new assessment process for child abuse reports

Exempt home school students from annual assessments

Extend early education block grant program by five years

Prevent/control invasive species in public waterways

Bar seed distribution of certain invasive plants

Equalize E911 surcharge for wire-line and wireless services

Take steps to improve government efficiency

Authorize tribal governments to have reserve police force

Exempt savannahs and bengal cats from dangerous wild animal list

Establish lifetime fur harvester license for residents aged 65 or older

Address city of Des Moines franchise fee issue

DIDN’T:

Raise the state gas tax

Expand anti-bullying measures in public/private schools

Reinstate limited death penalty

Ban use of hand-held cell phones while driving

Increase state minimum hourly wage

Ban smoking in gaming areas of state-licensed casinos

Legalize Internet poker via state-licensed casinos

Ban use of traffic enforcement cameras on state and local highways

Require public safety officials to keep firearm permit holders’ names confidential

Amend Iowa constitution to define marriage as only one man and one woman

Authorize schools to adopt mandatory uniform policy/dress codes

Amend Iowa constitution to establish spending/taxing limitations

Protect against taking land via eminent domain for recreation

Create a missing children safety fund

Keep gun permit issuance information confidential

Modify definition of obscene materials to exclude live acts

Mothers whose babies test positive for drugs could face criminal charges

Prohibit use of unmanned drone aircraft by state or local law enforcement

Authorize limited gambling on fantasy sports games

Ban minors under age 18 from tanning salons

Legalize medical marijuana

Raise speed limit to 60 mph on two-lane primary and hard-surface roads

Bar underage sale/ consumption/possession of energy drinks

Allow all-terrain vehicles (ATV) to operate on hard-surface roads

Raise elected officials’ salaries

Fund expanded passenger rail in Iowa

Expand transparency/accountability for state Board of Regents

Require proof of identification/residence to vote in Iowa elections

Upgrade dietary guidelines for public cafeterias

Expand campaign finance laws related to independent expenditures

Require school districts to develop/implement school safety/emergency plan

Provide suicide-prevention training for teachers

Modify definition of obscene materials to exclude live acts

Make service station gas pumps more accessible to handicapped

Require radon testing/mitigation in schools and new homes

Require installation of window fall prevention devices in large dwellings

Provide $8 million to upgrade Iowa Speedway in Newton

Require headlights on when windshield wipers operating

Make permanent the early education block grant program

Curb food waste/bolster recovery of excess food items

Allow limited issuance of Iowa driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants

Issue special electric vehicle registration plates

Allow parole for juvenile murderers after 45 years in prison

Shield cities from liability for sledding-accident injuries on public property

Expand bonding options for county buildings

Implement “Iowa first” provisions in state government purchasing procedures

Restrict donations/charitable contributions in criminal proceedings

Eliminate smart planning principles and other development guidelines

Eliminate straight-ticket voting option on Iowa election ballots

Modify/change criminal laws on intentional transmission of infectious diseases

Raise penalties for illegal use of handicapped parking permit

Create criminal offense for mothers whose babies test positive for drugs

Expand training for child-abuse reporters

Continue Iowa mortgage hotline

Expand support for English language learners

Establish Iowa health benefit marketplace

Bar body piercing for minors; require state permits for body piercing businesses

Allow the sale of raw milk

Restrict county-issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples

Bar abortion-causing medication via telemedicine video conferencing

Exclude “poppers” and snappers” from fireworks ban

Create income tax exemption credit for unborn children; increase overall credits

Impose moratorium on issuance of state gambling licenses

Abolish no-fault divorce for Iowa couples with children

Amend Iowa constitution to impose term limits on elected officials

Classify marijuana a schedule 1 controlled substance

Strike mourning dove hunting season

Require safety helmets for motorized bike operators under age 18 years

Recognize gold/silver as legal tender

Require state lawmakers to pay at least 20 percent of health insurance premium

Create office of chancellor to guide state universities under Board of Regents

Require hormonal intervention therapy for convicted sex offenders

Legalize sale and use of consumer fireworks in Iowa

Prohibit permits to drill oil/gas well using hydraulic fracturing

Require drug testing for recipients of state assistance

Allow eligible employee leave to attend parent-teacher conferences

Prohibit nuclear plans from reprocessing spent fuel into weapons-grade material

Impose sanctions against parents if their children engage in harassment/ bullying

Require labeling to identified genetically engineered food

Include pets under domestic violence protective order

Authorize possession of offensive weapons like machine guns or sawed-off shotguns

Abolish Iowa Department of Education and state Board of Education

Bar regulation of firearms/ammunition during state of public emergency

Provide wage protections for workers

Establish cause of civil action for woman who underwent an abortion

Set five-year repeal for all state rule

Permit parking on left side of roadways in winter weather

Require pawn shops to return stolen merchandise

Create taxpayer-funded education savings vouchers for public and private schools

Bar bonus pay for state employees effective July 1 — excluding regent employees

Abolish county compensation boards

Modify conditions for use of justifiable/reasonable force

Require population impact statements on all legislation

Ban use of false/secret compartment in motor vehicle

Exempt state income tax on active military/reserve/National Guard pay

Expand domestic abuse laws to cover intimidate relationships

Ban minors under age 18 from tanning salons

Make mental health professionals mandatory reporters of potential serious harm

Establish facility to house sex offenders needing medical/personal care

Create mandatory life prison term for killing first responder

Conduct cost-benefit analysis for new highway rest areas

Allow person with permit to carry gun on school grounds

Allow school employees to get permit to carry gun in school

Strike tiered corporate income tax and set 6 percent uniform rate

Exempt some bars from smoke-free air requirements

Amend Iowa constitution to provide home rule for school districts

Amend Iowa Constitution to make House term lengths staggered, four years

Allow bigger motors on boats operating on Lake Macbride

Amend Iowa constitution to hold biennial, not annual legislative sessions

Create passing distances for motor vehicles overtaking bicycles

Bar opening vehicle door into moving traffic if not safe

Amend Iowa constitution to remove age restriction on state militia

Set criteria for bass fishing tournaments in public waters

Amend Iowa constitution to protect right of citizens to bear arms

Create state lottery game with proceeds benefitting people with multiple sclerosis

Prohibit late-term abortions with certain exceptions

Allow state to opt out of unfunded federal health care mandates

Authorize interim study of eliminating the Iowa income tax

Nullify federal Patient Protection/Affordable Care Act

Verify Social Security numbers for applicants for public funded programs

Amend Iowa constitution to establish spending/taxing limitations

Use revenue from traffic cameras to create uninsured vehicle coverage trust fund

Waive tuition and fees at state universities for Iowa National Guard members

Expand private-sector employee drug testing law

Impose constitutional limits on Legislature’s spending/taxing authority

Require electronic monitoring of all juvenile and adult registered sex offenders

Eliminate “good time” sentence reductions for inmates convicted of serious sex offense

Place moratorium on regulations affecting sale of unprocessed food

Protect Iowans from application of foreign laws

Bar employers/schools from seeking access to personal Internet accounts

Bar labor unions from knowingly collecting dues from illegal immigrants

Commit share of state surplus to road/bridge construction

Prohibit U.N. “Agenda 21” environmental action plan for sustainable development in Iowa

Amend Iowa constitution with “right to life” protection

Require helmets for all motorcycle/motorized bike operators/passengers

Create individual/corporate tax credit for contribution to home school grant group

Require Board of Regents to publish annual report on overtime pay

Establish world language education pilot project

Study creation of fourth regent university in Iowa or “regents outpost”

Adopt abortion restrictions to define a “person” at conception; bar some contraception

Bar Iowans from buying foreign-made U.S. flags

Create Iowa State Board for Blind and Deaf Education to oversee state’s two special schools

Eliminate state authority to waive school start date before Sept. 1

Bar city parking citations for Purple Heart recipients

Prohibit employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants

Require disclosure of gifts/bequests/honoraria to state executive-branch personnel

Require government/businesses provide “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant workers

Create state tax credit on qualified student debt for technology workers

Upgrade dietary guidelines for public cafeterias

Limit use of restraints for pregnant prison inmates

Restrict donations/charitable contributions in criminal proceedings

Eliminate straight-ticket voting option on Iowa election ballots

Increase corn check-off maximum rate to five cents per bushel

Expand/fund state oversight of water usage

Curb food waste/bolster recovery of excess food items

Make service station gas pumps more accessible to handicapped

Expand campaign finance laws related to independent expenditures

Authorize state lottery games to benefit Special Olympics program

Require school districts to develop/implement school safety/emergency plan

Expand domestic abuse laws to cover intimidate relationships

Require headlights on when windshield wipers operating

Study elderly aggressive behavior in long-term care facilities

Modify/change criminal laws on intentional transmission of infectious diseases

Permit parking on left side of roadways in winter weather

Require disclosure of gifts/bequests/honoraria to state executive-branch personnel

Allow limited issuance of Iowa driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants

Require medical malpractice lawsuits to be reviewed by special panels

Issue special electric vehicle registration plates

Amend Iowa constitution to establish spending/taxing limitations

Increase monetary limits on motor-vehicle transactions to protect consumers

Made sex offender changes for “Romeo and Juliet” relationships

Require pawn shops to return stolen merchandise

Raise penalties for illegal use of handicapped parking permit

Expand transparency/accountability for state Board of Regents

Prohibit placement of sexually violent predators in nursing homes

Require proof of identification/residence to vote in Iowa elections

Eliminate smart planning principles and other development guidelines

Shield cities from liability for sledding-accident injuries on public property

Implement “Iowa first” provisions in state government purchasing procedures

Allow flat-rate option for Iowa income taxpayers

Raise sales tax 3/8 of 1 percent for natural resources

Create specialty license plate with space for not-for-profit group decal

Require American products to be used in public improvements

Change collective bargaining rules

Expand school bus inspections

Create state tax credit on qualified student debt for technology workers

Allow electronic absentee voting by military and overseas voters

First District Republican candidate Steve Rathje has called for the appointment of special counsels to investigate recent allegations about the Obama administration’s handling of Benghazi, IRS monitoring of conservative groups and the Department of Justice monitoring news reporters’ phone records.

Steve Rathje

“While I have the utmost respect for (House Oversight and Government Reform) Chairman Darrell Issa and (Ways and Means Chairman) Dave Camp, these investigations need to be removed from the regular order of the House and be placed in the hands of special counsels,” Rathje said. “Several independent special counsels can do the work required by the American people, do it efficiently, and on a number of fronts.”

Those fronts include the “ever-changing stories” involving the Sept. 11 murder of the American ambassador to Libya and three others at a Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the IRS’ targeting of 501(c)(4) applications made by conservative groups, and the “unconscionable creation of an ‘Enemies List’ of both media and others being built by the Obama Administration, and used as a tool of intimidation,” said Rathje, a Cedar Rapids businessman.

Rathje believes the integrity of the office of the president is more important than the image of the officeholder.

“My announcement today is part of a growing bipartisan effort, which insists on a credible, independent effort to discover the truth about these weighty issues and determine the accountable parties,” Rathje said.  “I invite both Republicans and Democrats to join me in this call for a responsible investigation.”

For more about Rathje, visit www.steverathje.com

One likely topic for Gov. Terry Branstad’s weekly news conference underway now likely will be the firing of an Iowa Senate Republican communications staffer who claimed she was the target of sexual harassment.

Here’s a report from Radio Iowa’s O.K. Henderson:

A woman who was fired Friday after working five years for Republicans in the Iowa Senate this morning said her statehouse workplace was “toxic.”

DES MOINES – Millions of dollars and solutions to unfulfilled dreams were one elusive number away for three Iowans.

For hordes of other Iowans, they have far less or nothing to show for their long-odds, high-stakes gamble.

So it goes with lottery drawings.

Officials with the Iowa Lottery said Sunday the final results showed that 77,640 tickets sold in Iowa won prizes in Saturday night’s record Powerball jackpot drawing, including three tickets that came within one number of having at least a share of the jackpot.

The $590.5 million jackpot was won by a single ticket purchased in Florida.

Strong sales across the country pushed the jackpot to $590.5 million if taken as an annuity or $370.9 million as a cash option. That surpassed the previous Powerball jackpot of $587.5 million jackpot won by two tickets purchased in Arizona and Missouri last Nov. 28.

Lottery officials say an initial look at Saturday’s drawing and its Iowa results revealed the following:

• A total of 77,640 tickets purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes ranging from $4 up to $40,000. Two tickets purchased at Iowa locations in Fort Dodge and Aurelia matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win prizes of $10,000 each. One more also matched those same numbers, but had the Power Play option added to it, so that ticket purchased in Dubuque won a prize of $40,000.
• The winning numbers in Saturday’s $590.5 million Powerball jackpot drawing were: 10-13-14-22-52 and Powerball 11. Complete overall results for the drawing were not yet available late Saturday, as some lotteries in the game were still processing records to determine their in-state results.
• Iowa Lottery players bought more than $5.1 million in Powerball tickets for Saturday’s drawing, including nearly $2.8 million in tickets on Saturday alone. During Saturday’s busiest stretch from about 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Powerball tickets were selling at nearly $5,000 per minute in Iowa. However, the average Powerball purchase on Saturday in Iowa remained just $5.81, or 3 plays per ticket.

The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball were about 1 in 175.2 million because there are about 175.2 million ways to combine the numbers in the game to make a play. By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of the possible combinations have been purchased for a particular drawing. About 80 percent of all the possible combinations were purchased in Saturday’s drawing.

Republicans are stuck in the 1950s, Democrats in the 1960s – at least in their musical tastes.

Elvis Presley

Public Policy Polling’s music-centric poll also found a partisan divide in the favorability ratings of many of the biggest music stars of the past several decades. Voters overall  have extremely favorable reviews of Elvis Presley (73-14), The Beatles (76-15), The Rolling Stones (61-26) and the Beach Boys (74-16).

They’re split on Michael Jackson who holds a 48-44 favorability rating. Kurt Cobain is viewed favorably by just 25 percent while 44 percent say they have an unfavorable opinion of the late grunge icon. And a majority of voters view Madonna unfavorably (36-51).

When asked who is their favorite Beatle, 41 percent of voters choose Paul McCartney, 29 percent say John Lennon, 12 percent pick Ringo Starr and 11 percent go for George Harrison. Most voters (30 percent) chose Lennon and McCartney when asked who they thought was the best songwriting partnership of all time.

When asked what they thought was the best decade for music, Republicans chose the 1950s as their favorite decade and Democrats the 1960s. Overall, fully 75 percent of voters said the best decade of music was either the 50s, 60s or 70s.

For more on the partisan musical tastes, click here.

By James Q. Lynch

The Gazette

DES MOINES – A brainstorming session last year lead to development of an iPhone app to help connect Eastern Iowans to volunteer opportunities.

That app, created for the United Way of East Central Iowa Volunteer Center, has earned a mention in a congressional budget justification on volunteer services.

In the Corporation for Community Service congressional budget justification for 2014, the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service is highlighted as well as the app that works on Apple iPhones, iPads and iPods.

The app was the result of a conversation between United Way Vice President of Communications and Innovation Christoph Trappe and local app developer Karl Becker of http://karlbecker.com.

The app provides volunteers with a map of volunteer opportunities and a way to connect those interested with the organizations hosting those opportunities, Trappe explained. More than 100 volunteer opportunities are listed.

“It kind of came from thinking about how to get people more involved in volunteering,” Becker said in a United Way video. He wanted to provide a much easier way for people to access the volunteer opportunities by mapping where the opportunities exist.

“You can see a bunch of pins on the map showing, hey, there’s a volunteer opportunity just down the block from your house,” Becker said. “Wouldn’t that be great to go there on a Saturday from 10 – 11 a.m.?  It gets down to those specifics and it’s really easy to use.”

The United Way of East Central Iowa Volunteer Center has made the app available to other United Way agencies since it was launched in May 2012, Trappe said.

Also mentioned in the report to Congress was Gov. Terry Branstad’s Volunteer Iowa: A Call to Service initiative that created a public-private partnership to increase volunteerism in Iowa. The What’s Your 50? Campaign challenges Iowans to give back to their communities by volunteering at least 50 hours per year and the Iowa Volunteer Generation Fund grant is helping to establish partnerships to increase volunteerism in the state.

Comments:  (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@sourcemedia.net

Jason Glass, the director of the Iowa Department of Education since 2010, is a finalist for superintendent of the Eagle County, Colorado, school district.

Jason Glass

Glass, Republican Gov. Terry Branstad’s choice to head the department and lead his education reform efforts, is one of three finalists for the job. Glass was human resources director for the school district where he helped pioneer the district’s performance-based compensation.

Glass taught high school and university in Kentucky and worked for the Colorado Department of Education. He was vice president for Qualistar Early Learning in Denver, where he helped develop an early childhood education quality rating system.

Glass graduated from the University of Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. He earned his doctorate in education from Seton Hall University.

Remember Howard Dean?

The darling of the 2004 Iowa precinct caucuses — right up until caucus night.

Chances are the “Dean scream” is better remembered than the former Vermont governor’s 50-state plan that he implemented as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The Dean plan, quite simply, was a bid to build up party infrastructure and candidate recruitment at every level and in every state — even in solidly Republican bastions.

“We strengthened the parties so sitting governors could find good candidates” for offices high and low, Dean said. “That’s much easier to do from Topeka than it is from Washington.”

Governing columnist Louis Jacobs has done a retrospective on Dean’s strategy for winning elections and found that it produced pretty good results: “Looking at it from today’s vantage point, the project offers a nifty example of how modest investments in party infrastructure can pay tangible dividends — and how those dividends can disappear once the investments dry up.”

Here’s Jacobson’s post-mortem: http://smgs.us/3iro

Iowa had the ninth-highest casino tax revenue among states in 20123. according to the American Gaming Association.

Tax revenue in Iowa were $335 million — about 38 percent of the $869 million Nevada collected and less than one-fourth Pennsylvania’s $1.5 billion revenue.

States with the Highest Casino Tax Revenues in 2012

1. Pennsylvania $1.5 billion
2. Nevada $869 million
3. New York $823 million
4. Indiana $807 million
5. Louisiana $579 million
6. Illinois $574 million
7. Missouri $471 million
8. West Virginia $403 million
9. Iowa $335 million
10. Rhode Island $329 million

Source: American Gaming Association

DES MOINES – Iowans are being asked to sign an online petition urging former Democratic state Sen. Swati Dandekar to run for the open U.S. House seat in Iowa’s 1^st District.

Swati Dandekar

The “coming soon” message at http://swatidandekarforiowa.com, has been replaced with a petition:

“Friends of Swati Dandekar ask you to join us as we encourage her to run for Congress in the 1st Congressional District. (N.E. Iowa)

“Please join us by signing this petition and share it with others who want a committed voice representing Iowa.”

According to the website, it is not authorized by Dandekar.

The Marion Democrat has acknowledged she is being encouraged to run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, a Waterloo Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Tom Harkin, who is retiring.

“I’m flattered, I’m overwhelmed,” Dandekar said, but added that she hasn’t discussed the race with her husband and sons.

Supporters have suggested they will form an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for a Dandekar candidacy.

State Rep. Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, is the only Democrat in the race, but more candidates are expected. Rep. Tyler Olson, D-Cedar Rapids, Iowa Democratic Party chairman and a potential candidate himself, expects at least three to four candidates in a June 2014 primary.

Dandekar, 62, served in the Iowa House from 2002 to 2008 when she was elected to the Senate. She resigned in 2011 to accept Gov. Terry Branstad’s appointment to the Iowa Utilities Board.

The Republican field, so far, consists of businessmen Steve Rathje of Cedar Rapids and Rod Blum of Dubuque.

The 20-county district stretches from Marshalltown north to Minnesota and east to the Mississippi River. It includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Dubuque.