| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
|
|
LIHEAP Letter, Action Day Reception
| |
NEMW Congressional Coalition Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern, and Coalition Members Reps. Ed Markey, Chris Gibson, Peter Welch, and Lou Barletta, among others, are circulating for signature a bipartisan FY2014 House programmatic funding request for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP, a program within the US Health and Human Services Department, provides grants to states and other jurisdictions to assist eligible low-income households in meeting home energy (heating or cooling) costs. LIHEAP is an extremely important program for the wintry and populous NEMW region.
The NEMW Senate and Congressional Coalitions are helping coordinate a reception on Wednesday, April 10, for LIHEAP supporters as part of the National Fuel Funds Network's annual LIHEAP Action Day. The reception, hosted by the Edison Electric Institute, the trade association of U.S. Shareholder-Owned Electric Companies, will take place in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center's Congressional Meeting Room South (CVC-217) from 5:30-7pm.
For more information, contact Kate Ostrander or Mike Gaffin, Legislative Directors of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions, respectively. |
|
NEMW Letter, Briefing on Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) Program
| |
NEMW Congressional Coalition Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern, Coalition Member Rep. Mike Turner, and others are currently circulating for signature a FY2014 House funding request for the U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF)program. The program provides technical assistance to trade-impacted, economically distressed U.S. manufacturing, production, and service firms. In 2011, NEMW states received almost half of the total funds allocated to the centers. The letter is due to the Appropriations Committee on April 17.
The NEMW Coalition's Manufacturing Task Force is helping coordinate a TAAF briefing hosted by the American Business Council, Inc. on Tuesday, April 9 from 11-noon in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center's Congressional Meeting Room South (CVC-217). Center directors and client firms will introduce and explain the program and the briefing will also provide an update on the FY2014 appropriations requests.
For more information, contact Kate Ostrander or Mike Gaffin, Legislative Directors of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions, respectively. |
|
FRA's Northeast Corridor Preliminary Alternatives Report Now Available
| NEC FUTURE, the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) comprehensive planning effort for the Northeast Corridor (NEC), has released its Preliminary Alternatives Report. The report presents the process used to develop 15 Preliminary Alternatives that represent a wide range of possible futures for the NEC. The Preliminary Alternatives are study concepts that will be tested and refined to form a smaller set of Reasonable Alternatives for detailed evaluation. The alternatives present different service options, including new types of service to increase frequency, minimize travel time, or increase the number of "one-seat rides" available on the system, as well as providing improved connections to off-corridor markets. The FRA welcomes public involvement in the NEC FUTURE planning process and has set up a page for questions or comments.
For more information, contact Fritz Ohrenschall, Research Associate at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
NEMWI Great Lakes Hill Happenings: March 2013
| |
The March edition of the Great Lakes Hill Happenings is now available. This edition includes:
- Updates on Great Lakes program-relevant appropriations letters for FY2014, including one supporting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative;
- Legislative updates on Senate Committee Water Resources Development Act language on project authorization and the Harbor Maintenance Trust fund, the Great Lakes Protection Act that was introduced in the House and the Senate, and the final FY2013 Continuing Resolution;
- Details of the Asian Carp Awareness Symposium (March 6) and the annual Great Lakes Congressional Breakfast (March 7); and
- Information on upcoming events, including the release of the President's budget, expected Wednesday, March 10.
For more information, please contact Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program, Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
Webinar: Smart Growth & Equitable Development: April 9
| U.S. EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities will host a webinar on how communities are using equitable development and smart growth strategies to create neighborhoods that are healthy, sustainable, and inclusive. No pre-registration is required for the webinar, which will be held April 9 from 2-3:00 pm Eastern. To join, click on this link.
For more information, contact Beth Zgoda, Policy Analyst, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
Funding Announcement: HUD's Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants
| The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods program has announced availability of Planning Grants to support the development of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans with amounts up to $500,000. Applications for funding--which is contingent on future Congressional action--are due May 28, 2013. Eligible applicants are public housing authorities, local governments, nonprofits, tribal entities, and for-profit developers that apply jointly with a public entity. Click here for more information and here for full application package.
For more information, contact Beth Zgoda, Policy Analyst, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
Webinar: What Happened to the Brownfields Tax Incentive?: April 11
| The National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP) and the National Brownfields Coalition are hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 11th from 2:00 - 3:15 pm eastern time to hear from national experts about how the Brownfields Tax Incentive works, how specific projects have used the incentive, and strategies to renew it. The Brownfields Tax Incentive encourages brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, allowing cleanup costs at brownfields to be fully deducted in the year incurred, rather than capitalized and deducted incrementally over a property's useful life. This incentive expired at the end of 2011 and has not been renewed. Register here for the webinar.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
