May 9, 2008

 

Around the district

Dubuque County receives Urban Youth Corps grant

Help available for flooding victims

Thank you to our emergency personnel

Successful bipartisan session reflects Iowans’ priorities

 

 


Around the district

I attended the ground breaking for the new Jones County Regional Medical center at Anamosa recently. This facility will provide new opportunities for health care providers to deliver state-of-the-art services. Many folks involved worked tirelessly to make this project a reality.

 

Coleen and I attended the Anamosa Firefighters & Camp Courageous breakfast recently.

 

The Legislature was able to get some funding for the new kitchen at the Anamosa corrections facility. I visited last week to see progress firsthand. The facility should be much more efficient as a result of this project. 

 

Dubuque County receives Urban Youth Corps grant

The Iowa Department of Transportation has approved an Urban Youth Corps grant for the Dubuque County Conservation Board.  Urban Youth Corps provides transportation-related employment and training to youth between 16 and 21 who face barriers to employment, while accomplishing improvements to transportation facilities. 

 

For more information, go to www.sysplan.dot.state.ia.us/Urban_Youth_Corps.htm, or contact Rebecca Law at 515-239-1738 or rebecca.law@dot.iowa.gov.

 

Help available for flooding victims

Low-income individuals affected by flooding in Jones County are eligible for assistance as a result of the Governor’s recent disaster proclamation. 

 

Iowans with household incomes of up to 130 percent of federal poverty guidelines may apply for a grant of up to $3,300 to help recover from flood damage.  This is a reimbursement program, meaning that applicants must include receipts when applying for help. 

 

The grant application and step-by-step instructions can be found at www.dhs.iowa.gov. Look for the words "Storm Help”, or call toll-free (877) 937-3663 to find out more.

 

Thank you to our emergency personnel

Our county emergency managers work hard and often don’t get the recognition they deserve.  Brenda Leonard has been doing a bang-up job in Jones County with the excess water issues.  I stopped by and visited with the new owner of the Walnut Acres Campground in Monticello, which has sustained quite a bit of damage.

 

Tom in Dubuque County and Mike in Delaware County are also top-notch directors. Their needs outweigh their resources, and they respond to many issues that never make headlines. Thank you to our local EMA directors for all you do for us. 

 

 

Successful bipartisan session reflects Iowans’ priorities

I believe that bipartisan efforts in the Legislature gave us a productive year that honored our commitments on healthcare, education, jobs and the environment.  At the same time, we put together a fiscally responsible state budget.

 

One of the highlights of the 2008 session is the effort to make healthcare accessible to all Iowa kids within three years.  This will make Iowa the first state to bring affordable coverage to all of its youngsters and is one of the reasons Iowa has become a national leader in healthcare reform. 

 

This year’s successes are many.  Here are some at the top of my list:

 

  • Completing a three-year effort to increase average teacher pay to 25th in the nation, up from 42nd

 

  • Jump-starting Iowa’s energy economy by funding the second year of the four-year Iowa Power Fund initiative

 

  • Legislation that kick-starts the rebuilding of Iowa’s roads and bridges

 

  • Significant new investment in school buildings, infrastructure and property tax relief

 

  • New consumer protections, including the state consumer insurance advocate, a mortgage scam crackdown and identity theft protection

 

  • $67 million in income tax relief for working Iowans and seniors by exempting federal rebates from state taxes

 

  • Ensuring veterans keep their jobs when returning from Iraq and Afghanistan

 

  • Setting aside a record amount of money in the state’s “rainy day” accounts

 

  • Restoring the Senior Living Trust Fund so that Iowa seniors can continue living in their own homes

 

A majority of all Senators approved these efforts because Republicans and Democrats worked together to craft initiatives important to all Iowans—education, jobs, health care, and renewable fuels. 

 

Citizens right here in our area also played a part in the process.  I appreciate the time many people in the district took to contact me during the session.  Your ideas, suggestions and priorities are reflected in many of the bills that made it to the Governor’s desk.

 

Throughout the interim, please stay in touch.  You can meet me at local listening posts and other events, or you can just contact me directly.  My home phone number is (563) 876-3219.  E-mail me at thancock@mchsi.com.  

 

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in the Iowa Senate.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a legislative update from Senator Tom Hancock.  For newsletters, photos and further information, go to www.iowasenatedemocrats.org/hancock.      

 

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