-- Sen. Chuck Grassley said that the Senate has approved funding for key Iowa projects as part of a spending plan for commerce, justice, state and judiciary programs across the country.
"The funding is an investment in the lives of Iowans," Grassley said. "The bill promotes quality projects with national importance like those that help fight crime in rural areas, encourage kids to study meteorology, help women who are recovering from domestic violence and fight illegal drug use."
The Senate approved the commerce, justice, state and the judiciary appropriations conference report for fiscal year 2002 by a vote of 98 to 1. The conference report is the final version of the legislation passed by Congress before going to the White House for the president's approval.
Grassley worked to include a provision in the bill that provides $800,000 to the Justice Department for the training of state and local prosecutors and police in the investigation and prosecution of child pornography and child exploitation crimes.
Following are additional funding items in the bill:
- $349,000 for the continued development of the University of Northern Iowa Science Center for Teaching, Outreach and Research on Meteorology. The funds will be used to develop a weather science curriculum for students in kindergarten through ninth grades;
- $725,000 for the Iowa Big Brothers and Big Sisters Rural Youth Mentoring Program;
- $1 million for the Iowa Methamphetamine Initiative;
- $200,000 for the Iowa Tanks-A-Lock Project;
- $1 million for upgrades to the Iowa Forensic Laboratory;
- $350,000 to the Iowa Department of Public Health to institute a pilot program to rehabilitate nonviolent drug offenders;
- $400,000 for the University of Northern Iowa for the Domestic Violence Services for Women project;
- $3 million for the Midwest Forensics Science Center at Iowa State University;
- $856,000 for the United States Marshal Service Detainee Facility in Davenport;
- $100,000 for the United States Marshal Service Detainee Facility in Sioux City;
- $2.1 million for the Sioux City Regional Meth Training Center.
