The State of Iowa will receive at least $2 billion from the federal economic stimulus package, but a group of state officials is hoping to secure millions more in a process that pits state against state for specific grants.
Jon Murphy is head of the state working group that’s reviewing the rules for getting those additional grants and loans.
"Along with that opportunity is a tremendous responsibility for the State of Iowa to get this right and to make sure that Iowans have confidence that their state government is receiving and expending the Recovery Act dollars as best as possible and to maximize the opportunity that’s being presented to us with the Recovery Act," Murphy says.
Federal grants will be available for a variety of specific projects, like extending broadband access, promoting renewable energy industry, and training workers to fill high-skill jobs. Murphy says he and the other members of the state working group have reviewed 66 different "funding categories" that are available from the federal economic stimulus package.
"Even though the bill was passed on February 17, there continues to be guidance coming out from the federal government almost on a daily basis," Murphy says. The details are still being "smoothed" according to Murphy and it’s hard to tell at this point how many grants the state may be able to win.