Pieces of Iowa’s Past, March 2, 2011

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. March 2, 2011 THIS WEEK: Seventy-fourth Iowa General Assembly

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, January 25, 2012

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. January 25, 2012 THIS WEEK: HOUSE RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED ON JANUARY 8, 1866 BACKGROUND: Background: The 11th General Assembly convened January 8, 1866, and adjourned April 3, 1866—an 86-day session. There were 146 members in the legislature, 48 senators and 98 representatives. Iowa’s Governor was William Milo Stone, and the 1860 census showed Iowa’s population at 482,699. Robert Finkbine represented House district 26. It was Finkbine’ s second term. He was 37 and listed his occupation as “builder.” Robert Finkbine went on to become the Superintendent of Construction for the present day Capitol. House district 26 represented Johnson County in 1866. In 1878, Marion County became the constituency for House district 26. The representative in House district 26 in 1878 was William Milo Stone, previous governor and resident of Knoxville

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, March 9, 2012

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. March 7, 2012 THIS WEEK: Orgin of the Historical Department of Iowa BACKGROUND: Charles Aldrich Charles Aldrich served as Iowa Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives for the eighth (1860) and ninth (1862) general assemblies. He volunteered for the Union Army in 1862 and served with the Thirty-second Iowa Infantry for 18 months. Aldrich came to Webster City, Iowa, in 1857. He started the Hamilton Freeman newspaper. He was also involved in the publishing and editing of the Dubuque Times and Marshall County Times. In 1882, at age 53, he represented Hamilton County in the House of Representatives during the 19th General Assembly. He was appointed as the Curator of the State Historical Department at its creation in 1890.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, January 30, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. January 30, 2013 THIS WEEK: A Distinguished Guest Visits the 25th Iowa General Assembly BACKGROUND: George Wallace Jones

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, January 30, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. January 30, 2013 THIS WEEK: A Distinguished Guest Visits the 25th Iowa General Assembly BACKGROUND: George Wallace Jones

Iowa Natural Resources, Agency Performance Plan, FY2013

The work of the Department of Natural Resources impacts the lives of all Iowans. Iowans deserve a clean environment and quality natural areas for public use and enjoyment. This report reflects the progress made during fiscal year 2013 (FY13) toward our goals and provides information regarding the condition of our state’s natural resources and the effectiveness of our programs. In FY13, we continued to improve collaboration with other executive branch agencies. The DNR and DOT work very closely on the issuance of permits needed for road and bridge constructions, but recently we have also been working together to meet the administrative needs of the agencies. The DNR is working closely with the DOT to adopt an Electronic Records Management System used by the DOT. This system will improve accessibility to public documents and reduce the amount of paper files retained in storage. The DNR also continues to improve collaboration with other agencies, such as the Iowa Economic Development Authority as we work closely with them on business development in the state. The DNR strives to continually improve our customer service and how we can meet Iowan’s needs. As an example, the online reservation system for campground reservations has grown over the past eight years so that now 88% of the camping reservations are made online. The DNR continues to improve our online presence and accessibility. In FY13 the Iowa Legislature approved paying off the State’s bond debt used to construct Honey Creek Resort State Park. By removing this debt, the DNR will be able to focus more on the future of the Resort, rather than the past debt. Finally, in August of 2012, the DNR was faced with a tragic accident, where a seasonal parks employee died after rolling a mower into a lake. This incident has caused us to establish a Safety Program at the DNR and to review all of our departmental safety trainings, programs, and equipment. By focusing on our employee’s safety and well being, it is another way that we can demonstrate that at the DNR, our employees are our greatest asset.

Looking Back: Historical Hall, 1899-1904; State Historical, Memorial and Art Building, 1905-1999; Ola Babcock Miller Building, 1999-Present, June 2013

For more than 80 years, visitors to the Iowa State Historical, Memorial, and Art Building were treated to the state’s collection of historic documents, literature, portraits, and historical, geological, and archeological artifacts. Those who visited might have memories of the spectacular sand paintings by Iowan Andrew Clemens, the variety of taxidermy Iowa animals, the pioneer Conestoga wagon in the basement, the biplane hanging from the dome ceiling, the odd display by the medical library of things removed from stomachs, or the Native American display on the third floor. This booklet is a look back at the origins of the museum. It includes some of the Historical Department reports, legislation passed by the general assembly, newspaper and magazine articles, and photographs pertaining to the museum and library. It is not intended to be an exhaustive review and documentation of displays and exhibits. It is a brief overview of the building’s history and some photographs that may bring back memories, for some, of a field trip as a student. This booklet has been created from a variety of source materials: photographs, newspaper articles, and various reports. The following have contributed: State Library of Iowa, Iowa State Historical Society, the Iowa Judicial Branch, Susan Wallace, Helen Dagley, Barb Corson, Jerome Thompson, Pam Rees, Georgiann Fischer, and Jason Mrachina.

The Iowa State Capitol Grounds 1913 Extension and Reconstruction Project, October 2012

The Capitol grounds have been evolving through planned and unplanned actions for more than 150 years. The 1857 Constitutio established Des Moines as the capital. The commissioners appointed to choose a site decided on land donated by Wilson Alexander Scott and Harrison Lyon. Located on the east side of the Des Moines River, on a gently rising hill, the site for the Iowa State Capitol began with fewer than 10 acres. The Old Brick Capitol was built in the center of that 10-acre plot, and the area to the north was used as a public park until work began on the present day Capitol. In 1884, the two-year process of moving from the Old Brick Capitol to the new Capitol began. The state commissioned John Weidenman to design the first formal decoration of the grounds. Weidenman’s plans for the west approach to the Capitol included planting statues, and walkways. The State held some additional land but not necessarily land adjacent to the Capitol. In 1909, legislation was passed, and in 1913, the Thirty-Fifth General Assembly enacted controversial legislation to acquire additional land. A commission was formed to locate a purposed monument honoring the long-serving U.S. Senator William B. Allison. E.L. Masqueray was hired as the architect expert focusing on the selection of a proper site for the proposed Allison Memorial. Masqueray’s plan detailed the placement of buildings and potential monuments. Growth of the Capitol Complex, as known today, began.

Iowa DOT's Infrastructure Annual Status Report, 2014

This is the Iowa Department of Transportation's summary of project status for infrastructure projects that have been appropriated revenue from various funds including Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure, Health Restricted Capitals, Bridge Safety, Revenue Bonds Capitals, and revenue Bonds Capitals II.

Fiscal Year 2015 (Adjusted) State of Iowa Program and Budget, 2014

Budget in Brief from the Governor's Office

FY 2013 ICN Report of Savings

Iowa Code section 8D.10 requires certain state agencies prepare an annual report to the General Assembly certifying the identified savings associated with that state agency's use of the Iowa Communications Network (ICN). This report covers estimated cost savings related to video conferencing via ICN for the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). In January 2012 the Iowa DOT requested the ISDN video circuit be disconnected which closed its ICN account.

Iowa Natural Resources, Agency Performance Plan, FY2014

The work of the Department of Natural Resources impacts the lives of all Iowans. Iowans deserve a clean environment and quality natural areas for public use and enjoyment. This report reflects the progress made during fiscal year 2014 (FY14) toward our goals and provides information regarding the condition of our state’s natural resources and the effectiveness of our programs.

FY'13 Biodiesel Fuel Revolving Fund Expenditures Report, January 27, 2014

Pursuant to Iowa Code section 307.20, the biodiesel fuel revolving fund (Fund) was created and is to be used to purchase biodiesel fuel for use in the Department of Transportation's vehicles. The act directed that the Fund receive money from the sale of EPAct credits banked by the DOT on the effective date of the act, moneys appropriated by the General Assembly, and any other moneys obtained or accepted by the DOT for deposit in the Fund. This report is of the expenditures made from the Fund during FY 2013.

Response of Iowa Pavements to Heavy Agricultural Loads, HR-1075, 1999

Iowa's county road system includes several thousands of miles of paved roads which consist of Portland cement concrete (PCC) surfaces, asphalt cement concrete (ACC) surfaces, and combinations of thin surface treatments such as seal coats and slurries. These pavements are relatively thin pavements when compared to the state road system and therefore are more susceptible to damage from heavy loads for which they were not designed. As the size of the average farm in Iowa has increased, so have the size and weights of implements of husbandry. These implements typically have fewer axles than a truck hauling the same weight would be required to have; in other words, some farm implements have significantly higher axle weights than would be legal for semi-trailers. Since stresses induced in pavements are related to a vehicle's axle weight, concerns have been raised among county and state engineers regarding the possible damage to roadway surfaces that could result from some of these large implements of husbandry. Implements of husbandry on Iowa's highway system have traditionally not been required to comply with posted weight embargo on bridges or with regulations regarding axle-weight limitations on roadways. In 1999, with House File 651, the Iowa General Assembly initiated a phased program of weight restrictions for implements of husbandry. To help county and state engineers and the Iowa legislature understand the effects of implements of husbandry on Iowa's county roads, the following study was conducted. The study investigated the effects of variously configured grain carts, tank wagons, and fence-line feeders on Iowa's roadways, as well as the possible mitigating effects of flotation tires and tracks on the transfer of axle weights to the roadway. The study was accomplished by conducting limited experimental and analytical research under static loading conditions