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In less than a month we will begin the summer community
celebrations. I look forward to seeing
everyone in the parades and local events.
It has been a difficult planting season so far with a
great deal of rain. I wish all of our
agricultural friends a safe and successful year.
Low-income individuals affected by flooding in Clayton,
Fayette and Black Hawk counties 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 on how
to fill it out 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.
I’m proud of what the recently adjourned legislative
session accomplished for Iowans. Bipartisan efforts 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) 633-4065. E-mail me at bschoenjahn@arlingtonia.com.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in the Iowa
Senate.
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