Photos

	On April 22, Governor Chet Culver signed Senate File 2420, which will help make up a $200-million-a-year shortfall in Iowa’s transportation budget. Estimates show that the legislation will generate about $125 million by 2012, in part by changing the way pickup fees are assessed. This is a first step to developing a stable, fair and long-term way of maintaining the safe roads and bridges that support Iowa’s growing economy.
	On April 14, the Iowa Senate honored the talented young men and women who make up the 2007-2008 Drake University men's and women's basketball teams. Congratulations to the athletes and coaches, Keno Davis and Amy Stephens, on an incredible season. Their efforts have elevated the Bulldogs to rank among the best teams in the nation.
	Sen. Jeff Danielson talked with members from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association at the Statehouse on April 10. The groups were at the Capitol to advocate for better access to life-saving Automated External Defibrillators (AED) throughout Iowa.
	On April 1, Gov. Chet Culver signed Senate File 2347 into law, providing $4.6 million to create a statewide system of optical scan voting machines before the November elections. I was honored to floor-manage this bill when it passed the Senate earlier this session. This new law will give Iowans a verified paper record of the ballot they cast and will guarantee that voters with disabilities have the same opportunity to use a protected voting system.
	On April 1, the Senate passed a resolution honoring Iowa's 9 Olympic athletes, who will head to Beijing this summer as principal competitors or as alternates in skeet shooting, wrestling, basketball, gymnastics and track & field. Sen. Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk congratulated Sara McMann of Iowa City, wrestling, Haley Dunn of Eddyville, skeet shooting, Joey Woody of Iowa City, track and field, Joe Williams of Iowa City, wrestling and Tolly Thompson of Janesville, wrestling.
	Sen. Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk discussed the importance of Iowa's energy economy and its positive effects for the people of Iowa at a Statehouse press conference March 27. He was joined by Rep. Donovan Olson of Boone.
	On March 26, Governor Chet Culver signed what will be the biggest tax break of the 2008 session. House File 2417, which passed the Legislature earlier this session, will save Iowa taxpayers $67.5 million dollars by exempting state taxes on the federal tax rebates that are part of the economic stimulus plan approved by Congress.
	On March 25, Senators Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk and Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with students from the Iowa Civic Analysis Network (I-CAN), a group of student researchers from the University of Iowa who prepare non-partisan policy reports for officials in the state of Iowa. From left: Hannah Olson, Katherine Morrison, Jash Harbaugh, Danielson, Whitney Carson, Mike Schroeder, faculty adviser Tom Rice, and Bolkcom.
	On March 19, the Senate honored Iowa gymnast Shawn Johnson. She placed first in the team competition in the 40th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Stuttgart, Germany, and individually placed first in the all-around and the floor competition. Shawn is a remarkable young athlete whose dedication, skill, poise, and grace have taken her to the world stage and will take her farther still in the future.
	Nancy Witt of the State Public Policy Group talks with Sen. Jeff Danielson during a Statehouse visit on March 18. SPPG helps state agencies and private sector organizations promote their issues, define their goals and evaluate their results. Projects include the Association of Iowa Workforce Partners, the Iowa Peer Support Training Academy, and the Successful Families Caucus. For more on SPPG, go to www.sppg.com.
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk met with Mike Dargan and Ken Davenport in the Statehouse Law Library on Tuesday, March 11th. Dargan and Davenport were representing the Waterloo Public Library and were at the Capitol to discuss the public library system and ways to improve services for their patrons. (03/11/08)
Veterans from around the state came to the Iowa Statehouse March 11 when Governor Chet Culver signed HF2359 into law. The bill, which passed the Senate the previous day, creates a regular source of funding for the Veterans Trust Fund. The Legislature established the fund in 2003 to help Iowa’s veterans with expenses such as education and unemployment assistance. The problem is that there are only $5 million in a fund intended to contain $50 million. That will change now that we’ll have four new Iowa Lottery games, which are expected to pump an estimated $3.3 million a year into the Veterans Trust Fund.
	Pictured from left: Culver, Rep. Bob Kressig, Don Delamore of Cedar Falls, Sen. Jeff Danielson, Rep. Doris Kelley, Rich Cox of Cedar Falls.
	Pictured from left: Culver, Lee Booton of Ankeny, Lyle Dean of Dunkerton, Sen. Jeff Danielson, Al Flyr of Des Moines, and Dan Gannon of Ankeny.
	Senator Jeff Danielson visits with representatives from the Division of Latino Affairs on March 11. They were at the Statehouse for the Latino Business Breakfast, which gave them a chance to talk with legislators about growing opportunities for Latino entrepreneurs in Iowa. Danielson is chair of the committee that overseas the Division of Latino Affairs.
	Members of AARP visited the Statehouse on March 11 to talk with legislators, including Rep. Doris Kelley and Sen. Jeff Danielson, about the concerns of Iowa seniors and retirees.
	Diane Wilson, director of region 7 for the Association of Iowa Workforce Partners, talked with Sen. Danielson on March 11 about her organization's efforts to help Iowans get the training the need to secure good jobs.
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk listens to Vanessa Sheppard present her study on Design Research. According to Sheppard the purpose of her study was to take a designers vision and recreate it on stage. She began the process by researching the time, place, and history at which the plot would take place. Sheppard is a student at University of Northern Iowa . (Credit: Hans Erickson)
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk listens to Stacey Reisdorph present her research on Morphometry and the Rates of Evolution within the Pennsylvanian Fusulind Beedeina. Reisdorph is a Senior at the University of Northern Iowa, where Sen. Danielson is an alumni. (03/10/08)
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk listens to Andrew Dust, a senior at Iowa State University explain his research on Immigration in rural counties from the years 1950-2000. (03/10/08)
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk listens to Zenab Chowdhry present her research on Militarization versus Democratization: A case study of Pakistan and India's divergent political paths since independence. Chowdhry is a student at the University of Northern Iowa, where Senator Danielson is an alumni. (Credit: Hans Erickson)
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk listens to University of Northern Iowa student Elise Cochrane present her research on Special housing for freshman students. (03/10/08)
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk speaks with Randyl Meyer, a student from the University of Northern Iowa. Meyer is presenting her research to Senator Danielson on AFFERENT, a study on how immersion of the head into an ice bath alters continuous pressure sensory threshold. Senator Danielson is an alumni of UNI. (Credit: Hans Erickson)
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk listens to Jacob Reed present his research on a comparison of hands on the head versus hands on the knees recovery after exercise. Reed is a student at the University of Northern Iowa, where Senator Danielson is an Alumni. (Credit: Hans Erickson)
	Among the groups visiting the Capitol Thursday was a group visiting from Latvia. Iveta Verse, is the Director of the Education Development Center in Latvia, and she was here with other representatives of the EDC to get a firsthand look at how educational policies are developed here in Iowa. During their visit, Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk spoke with them for quite some time about a variety of issues. from left: Dita Grigore,Iveta Verse, Sen. Jeff Dadnielson, Sandra Kalnina, and Iguna Irbite.
	Black Hawk County Senators Brian Schoenjahn, Jeff Danielson, and Bill Dotzler congratulated the Dunkerton Raiders girls basketball team when thy visited the State Capitol February 28 while in Des Moines for the Girls State Basketball tournament.
	Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk met with students from the University of Northern Iowa, who were at the Statehouse Feb. 28.
	Senator Jeff Danielson took a moment to congratulate University of Northern Iowa's new Student Body President-elect Pernell Cezar at the Capitol Feb.28.
	Governor Chet Culver signed a bill increasing the state's contribution to local schools by 4 percent on Feb. 12. The appropriation, which passed the Legislature last week, provides our K12 schools with an additional $222 per student. The money is used for textbooks, heating bills, technology and other necessities that help make students, teachers and schools successful.
	On Feb. 12, Cedar Valley economic development and business leaders visited the Statehouse to talk about local economic growth opportunities with Sen. Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk. Left to right: Vision Iowa Chairman Andy Anderson, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance CEO Steve Dust, Denver Mayor Mike Isaacson, Danielson, Mark Kittrell, TEAM Technologies, Inc., General Manager of Cedar Valley TechWorks Cary Darrah, and Director of Government Relations Steve Firman.
	Senators Jeff Danielson and Bill Dotzler of Black Hawk County and Representative Elesha Gayman of Davenport met with Generation Iowa Commission members in the Senate Chamber on Feb. 7 to discuss the best ways to attract and keep young adults in Iowa's urban and rural communities. The Generation Iowa Commission was established in 2007. It is made up of 15 Iowans between 18 and 35 years old, who are appointed by Governor Chet Culver and confirmed by the Senate. The Commission recently created an interactive web site (www.generationIowa.com) geared toward the interests and needs of young adult Iowans. The site offers career advice, job search databases, social networking opportunities, links to upcoming events and festivals, young professionals groups, and the latest Iowa news. From left: Jodie Grover, 25, of Rowley; Gayman, who introduced the legislation that formed the Generation Iowa Commission; Danielson; Dotzler; Commission Chair Kyle Carlson, 27, of Colfax; and Emiliano Lerda, 27, of Urbandale.
	Hawkeye Community College student senate members traveled to Des Moines on Jan. 31 to meet legislators, including Senators Tom Hancock of Epworth, Jeff Danielson of Cedar Falls, and Brian Schoenjahn of Arlington. Iowa’s community colleges provide the training Iowans need to move up in life and the skilled workers the state’s economy needs to grow. All state legislators are proud to support our community colleges.
	The Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church sponsored a Moral Witness for Children rally at the Capitol on Jan. 30. These young Iowans reminded legislators to consider children, and especially children in poverty, during our deliberations this session.
	The proven benefits of doing more with less energy was a hot topic this week at the Iowa Statehouse. I talked with Bill McAnally, chair of Industrial Technology at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, and Simon Lindner, a 2007 graduate of his carpentry program. The two were in Des Moines to testify before a Senate committee about how modern building techniques result in new homes that use 65% less energy than older homes. We talked about how saving energy is creating jobs and improving the budgets of businesses and families across Iowa. To learn more, contact Bill at McAnally@iowacentral.edu. Left to right: Lindner, McAnally, and Senator Danielson.
	How to fund the repair of Iowa's roads and bridges continues to be hot issue facing the Legislature. Iowa Department of Transportation Director Nancy Richardson and her staff visited the Statehouse Jan. 24 to talk with members of the Senate Transportation Committee. Left to right: vice-chair Senator Jeff Danielson, Senator Tom Hancock, chair Senator Tom Rielly, and Richardson.
	Left to right: Lee Wilkinson, director of the DOT's Operations and Finance division; Shirley Andre, director of the Motor Vehicle division; Steve Gast, director of the DOT's Information Technology; Elizabeth Baird, DOT legislative liaison; and Senator Jeff Danielson.
	Helping Iowa children learn to read was much discussed at the Iowa Statehouse on Jan. 24. Sen. Jeff Danielson met with Dean Meier, chief for AEA 267, and Carol Watson, Reading Recovery teacher and trainer for the Waterloo Community School District. The Reading Recovery program involves short-term one-to-one tutoring for low-achieving first graders. Reading Recovery focuses on developing a student's vocabulary and comprehension. Left to right: Meier, Danielson, and Watson.
	Governor Chet Culver met with legislative leaders on transportation and infrastructure issues January 23. The Department of Transportation estimates that an additional $200 million a year in new investment is needed to maintain Iowa's roads and bridges. From left: Culver; Senator Matt McCoy of Des Moines, chair of the Transportation & Infrastructure Budget; and Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk, vice-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.
	Bonnie Fowler of Operation Threshold in Waterloo visited the Iowa Capitol on January 15 to talk with legislators about her efforts to help struggling Iowans become financially self-sufficient. While at the Statehouse, she spoke with State Senator Jeff Danielson of Blackhawk County about how the state of Iowa can best support her organization’s work to improve the lives of Iowa families.
	State Senator Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk met with Governor Chet Culver at the Iowa Statehouse on Monday to discuss the best ways to stand up for middle-class families and to continue responsible, prudent budget-making. Danielson and other legislators from across Iowa were at the Capitol to discuss priorities for the 2008 session, which convenes January 14. Last year’s budget left the state in better financial condition than the year before, and Danielson and other legislators pledged to repeat that accomplishment. Pictured from left: Culver, Senator Daryl Beall of Fort Dodge, and Danielson. (12/3/2007)