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Senate
Democrats Legislative Report
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Senate moves to protect the
health of Iowa workers
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Senate takes another step to raise student achievement
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Housing stimulates the economy
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Senate panel votes to help victims of domestic violence
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Recognizing generous, long-lasting gifts to our state
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How are we keeping Iowa’s children safe from sexual
predators?
We are continuing to make progress in our efforts to
protect the health of Iowa
workers.
On a bipartisan vote of 29-21, the Senate voted this week
for a statewide smoking ban in public places.
This initiative would reduce Iowans’ exposure to
second-hand tobacco smoke, which annually kills 440 people in Iowa and makes
thousands ill. In addition, Iowans
spend a billion dollars each year to treat smoking-related illnesses,
including $300 million in the state budget from your tax dollars.
The smoking ban would apply to all workplaces, public
places and certain outdoor areas.
For years, the big tobacco companies have had their own
way in this state. They’ve made
amazing profits selling an addictive, dangerous product. The medical and social costs have been passed
on to the public at large.
Republican and Democratic Senators listened to their
constituents and stood up to big tobacco companies this week by protecting
the health and safety of workers across Iowa.
The bill will now go to the House for its consideration.
The Senate took another big, bipartisan step this week in
our efforts to increase student achievement across Iowa.
I was proud to support adoption of a model core curriculum
bill that give all Iowa teachers the tools they need to make sure our
students are learning. Iowa’s
model core curriculum offers rigorous and relevant classroom experience by
helping teachers know “what” to teach and “how” to teach it.
This legislation follows our recent efforts to increase
basic state aid to local schools, bring teacher pay up to 25th in the nation,
and make quality preschool available to all Iowa families.
Under the Model Core Curriculum, every student will
graduate with the skills to start college or get a high-quality job. Every
teacher should have the very best, modern resources we can provide. And every
parent must have the confidence that a diploma from an Iowa school reflects the rigor and
relevance that will allow our young people to succeed in the global economy.
When I was going to school, my classmates and I were
competing with Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other neighboring states.
Now, a high school graduate competes with students in China and India
for the jobs that used to be right here in Iowa.
This initiative is another step in our efforts to boost
student achievement, improve teacher quality, and enhance our bipartisan
efforts to keep more of Iowa’s
best and brightest graduates in our state.
Affordable, quality housing is key
to Iowa’s
economic stability, according to a new study.
Legislators heard this week from Dr. Heather MacDonald of
the University of Iowa, who discussed her research on Affordable
Housing in Iowa.
Housing stimulates the state’s economic growth. The study
shows that for every dollar spent on affordable housing, an additional 64
cents is generated elsewhere in the economy. In addition, for every two jobs
created by housing development, another job is created elsewhere in the
economy.
Quality, affordable housing is important in attracting a
skilled labor force, which makes it a key consideration in addressing Iowa’s workforce
shortage. Good housing is part of what
makes for livable communities, which is crucial to luring and keeping
businesses and employees in our small towns and urban areas.
To learn more about housing and rental programs in Iowa, check out the
Iowa Finance Authority’s web site at www.ifahome.com. The IFA was established by the Legislature
to help low- and moderate-income Iowans find quality, affordable housing.
The Senate Judiciary Committee recently approved two bills
that will help protect victims of domestic abuse.
Senate File 2095 allows a judge to include family pets in
a domestic abuse protective order.
Many victims report that their abusers threaten family pets in an
effort to control the victim. Many
victims also report that they put off leaving an abuser because they fear for
their pets. Children often witness the
abuse and are understandably distressed and emotionally distraught. This bill will provide some additional
protection and help ease the concerns of victims who fear for their animals.
Senate File 2103 prohibits an employer from firing or
otherwise punishing an employee if the employee misses work to testify in a
hearing for a domestic abuse protective order. Current law prohibits
employers from taking action against employees who are required to be
witnesses in criminal proceedings.
This bill extends that protection to victims who are witnesses in
certain civil hearings. Victims who seek “no contact” orders against their
abusers should not have to choose between losing their jobs and seeking the
safety that every citizen deserves.
I have tremendous admiration for the individuals and
families who donate land to benefit Iowa's
parks, open spaces, recreation areas and other public uses.
Their generosity results in some of the most important
legacies that Iowans can leave for future generations. Their gifts improve Iowa’s quality of life and become
important assets to local economies.
This week, I joined the rest of the Iowa Senate in voting
to set aside the first Monday in April as “Gift to Iowa's Future Recognition Day” to honor
these individuals. This will be a day
when Iowans who have recently made such donations will be invited to the Iowa
Statehouse to be recognized by the Legislature.
If it becomes law, Senate File 2108 will require the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources to maintain a registry to record the names of
all persons who have donated land for these public uses.
Iowa
ranks near the bottom when all 50 states are compared with regard to the
amount of land that is available for parks and recreation. I hope this annual recognition will
encourage others to consider donating land for nature preserves, public
hunting or other public purposes.
How are we keeping Iowa’s children safe from sexual predators?
During the 2007
session, the Legislature took significant steps to provide a safe future for Iowa children.
We stepped up efforts
to catch and convict people who use the Internet to prey on children. Three new
full-time employees at the Department of Criminal Investigation have joined
the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The Legislature also approved funding for Prevent Child
Abuse Iowa to offer sexual abuse prevention
in 66 counties across Iowa. These programs help teach children how to
protect themselves and adults how to keep children safe.
Additional measures include:
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$150,000 for Victims Assistance Grants to
programs offering sexual and domestic abuse education.
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$100,000 to Iowa’s Coalition Against
Sexual Assault (CASA) and $162,000 to the Department of Public Health for
sexual violence prevention.
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$1.8 million increase to Community Based
Corrections for sex offender supervision and treatment.
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An additional $1.3 million for a Department of
Human Services program at Cherokee for the commitment and treatment of
sexually violent predators.
Iowa
is a great place to live and work, and by taking these steps, we’re ensuring
our state remains a safe place to raise a family.
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