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Senator Wally Horn of Cedar Rapids congratulated Meghan Busswuitz for an outstanding paper she submitted for
the Write Women Back into History essay contest. Meghan and fellow Prairie Middle School students Tyler Hupp and Connor Drahos were
recognized at the Capitol on March 4.
Their winning essays can be found at www.women.iowa.gov.
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We continue to make progress by putting together a
fiscally responsible state budget that keeps our commitments to middle-class Iowa families and
grows our economy.
Several weeks ago, the broad outline of the budget was
released. While we are still working
on the details, some things are certain.
We’ll set a new record by pouring more than half a billion
dollars into the state’s rainy day funds.
We’ll continue to repay the Senior Living Trust, which helps seniors
live independently. And we’ll keep the
commitments we made last year to improve education, make health care more
accessible, and grow Iowa’s
economy.
Unlike the federal government’s budget, Iowa’s budget must be balanced and there
are expenditure limitations to impose fiscal discipline. In the coming weeks, I’d appreciate hearing
your thoughts as we fill in the details on next year’s state budget.
This session we’re taking additional steps to protect more
Iowans from identity theft.
The Senate Judiciary Committee recently approved a
“security freeze” proposal that would help consumers protect their credit and
protect themselves from identify theft.
The bill would allow Iowans to request that credit agencies put a
freeze on their credit information.
Making this request would be free to those who’ve been
victims of identity theft. For the
rest of us, a security freeze would cost $10.
The freeze stays in place until the consumer asks that it be
lifted. Thirty-nine states already
offer this protection to their residents.
The Commerce Committee is also considering “security
breach” legislation that would require companies to tighten access to
personal information, such as credit card details. The proposal outlines who a consumer’s
personal information can be shared with and increases businesses’ accountability
for protecting your information.
The bill would cover retailers, chain restaurants, gas
stations, convenience stores and other businesses that operate in Iowa and are not
already covered by federal security breach legislation.
The growing number of overweight Iowa children is alarming. More than 40
percent of our kids are overweight, and 20 percent of them are morbidly obese
or approaching morbid obesity.
Overweight children are at higher risk for long-term
health problems, including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, certain
cancers, high blood pressure and gallbladder disease. Overweight childhood
also have a significantly increased risk of obesity in adulthood.
In 2007, the Legislature created a Healthy Child Task
Force to assess policies and statutes affecting the health of children. The Task Force examined factors that affect
children’s health, including physical activity, physical education, food and
nutrition, and nutrition education.
Based on the Task Force’s findings and overwhelming public
concern, the Senate Education Committee has passed a Healthy Kids Act. This bill directs the Iowa Department of
Education to establish nutritional standards for food sold during the school
day and to make sure children engage in physical activity every day.
Good nutrition plays an important role in successful
learning and development. Inadequate diets and hunger, as you would expect,
reduce the ability to learn and decrease motivation and attentiveness.
To read more about the task force’s recommendations, go to
www.iowa.gov/educate/content/blogcategory/59/904/.
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