Photos

	On May 23, the opening prayer in the Senate was offered by Pastor Joseph Baring of the Payne AME Church in Waterloo. He was the guest of Sen. Dotzler and Rep. Berry.
	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.
	With the kids from Children & Family Urban Ministries, when they visited the Statehouse March 13 in support of after-school programs.
	Jerry Addy of the State Public Policy Group talks with Sen. Bill Dotzler and Rep. Bob Kressig 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.
	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.
	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.
	Helping Iowa children learn to read was much discussed at the Iowa Statehouse on January 24. I met with 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. From left: Sen. Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk County, Carol Watson, and I.
	On Dec. 18, I participated in Iowa's first Governor's Workforce Summit in Des Moines. The conference brought together experts from around the state to discuss the best ways of growing Iowa's skilled workforce. Estimates suggest that Iowa will have a shortage of 100,000 or more workers by 2012, but the Governor and the Legislature are committed to working with business & industry, educators and state agencies to find solutions. Pictured with me here is Rep. Roger Thomas of Elkader.