Braley backs tax on some Wall Street bonuses
From Radio Iowa
Congressman Bruce Braley says it’s time to tax some of the bonuses employees are getting at the companies involved in the Wall Street bailout.

AIG — the American International Group – got $170 billion from U.S. taxpayers to stay afloat. This week AIG executives announced employees in the company’s financial products division would be getting $100 million worth of bonuses. Braley says the bonuses aren’t deserved.

Culver wants prevailing wage law action
From the Quad City Times
Gov. Chet Culver encouraged lawmakers to make a run at prevailing wage legislation that led to a three-day standoff in the Iowa House last year as majority Democrats struggled to find a 51st vote.

“I still believe we need to push forward,” Culver said Wednesday after signing an executive order telling state agencies to consider using project labor agreements on large-scale construction jobs. “We’re talking about paying a carpenter, a pipe-fitter a couple more dollars an hour at a time when, again, families need more income, they need to work, they need to have good wages and that’s what prevailing wage will do.” Read full article…

Senators support extending unemployment benefits
From the Sioux City Journal
Two of the three Northwest Iowa congressional members support extending federal unemployment benefits in the next few weeks.

When Iowa Gov. Chet Culver came to Sioux City a week ago to discuss the help available to displaced John Morrell & Co. plant workers after the facility closes April 20, he asked the Iowa congressional delegation to commit to extending the benefits. Culver said that the 39 weeks of federal benefits would be a boon to the 1,450 Morrell employees who will be out of jobs. Read full article…

Photo via echiner1 on Flickr.