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Government Policy and Law

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Pleasant Hill breaks 7-year-old mark for permit valuations

The city of Pleasant Hill is getting in on the building boom that has seen several Greater Des Moines communities best or match previous records for the number and value of building permits. Though the…
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Ankeny seeks bids for comprehensive plan

Ankeny is looking for a firm to develop its comprehensive plan, which will guide the city’s development through 2050. Eric Jensen, director of planning and building, issued a request for proposals, which are due at …

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City of Des Moines to discuss coming budgets

The city of Des Moines will have a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Des Moines Central Library to discuss the city’s operating and capital spending budgets for the 2017 fiscal year. …

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Johnston selected for EPA water assistance

Johnston is one of 10 U.S. communities selected for financial and technical guidance as part of a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program. The entire program has a $500,000 budget to provide assistance for water…
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Legislative issues: Old tax issues will rise again

Iowa legislators must feel as though they meet themselves coming and going at the start of a legislative session. Without fail, a few pieces of stubborn legislation appear year after year. That will certainly be …

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Ernst says she will continue to fight clean water rule

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said she will continue to fight implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of waterways that are subject to the federal Clean Water Act. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama vetoed …

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Analyst: Medical device excise tax suspension will help industry

A two-year suspension of the medical device excise tax should help the U.S. medical device market over the next few years, according to an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData. The 2.3 percent tax …

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Electric vehicle sales lag Obama goal as gas prices continue to fall

President Obama set a national goal to have 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by 2015, but that number stands at about 400,000, Reuters reported.


When Obama made the pitch, gasoline cost nearly $4…
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Study examines Illinois’ ‘financial condition penalty’

The state of Illinois’ Jan. 14 sale of $480 million in general obligation bonds brought the state nearly $53 million less than it could have received had it been in better fiscal shape, according to …

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West Des Moines hires deputy city manager

  Jamie Letzring

Jamie Letzring has been hired as deputy city manager for West Des Moines. She will start work March 14 at an annual salary of $130,000, according to a release. Since January 2013, …