|
Senate
Democrats Legislative Report
·
Iowa
ready to tackle tough economy
·
Governor seeks to move Iowa
forward
·
Power Fund is growing
Iowa’s economy
·
Iowa Guard to assist at
presidential inauguration
·
Chief Justice outlines
challenges for Iowa Courts
·
Iowa’s GED On-Demand
receives national praise
·
Prevent house fires in cold
weather
Iowa ready to tackle tough economy
The 2009 legislative session convened on Monday, January
12.
One thing was immediately clear to every Republican and
Democratic state legislator: The deepening national recession will make this
session very challenging.
The nation’s economy is not good and it’s not getting
better. Even though the Iowa
economy and our state budget are in much better shape than most states, we’re
still sharing the national pain.
Iowa
families are losing jobs they depend on. Iowa small businesses are seeing a drop in
sales. Many Iowa homeowners face foreclosure. Iowans
are wondering how bad things will get.
At the Legislature, our job is to help Iowans through
these tough times, to be optimistic about the future of our state, and to
keep the commitments we’ve made on economic growth, health care, education
and energy independence. That’s the best way to ensure that Iowa continues to be a great place to
live, work and raise a family.
“In addition to the devastation of the natural disasters,
Iowans have been hit by another perfect storm, but this time it’s an economic
one,” Governor Chet Culver said in his Condition of the State address on
January 13. “We’re dealing with a severe national recession, the likes of
which we haven’t seen since the Great Depression. And, it has already
displaced Iowa
workers and threatened jobs.”
In an effort to create jobs in Iowa,
strengthen the Iowa
economy, and improve communities across the state, the Governor proposed
investing $700 million in “Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Investment Bonds.”
Because of the Legislature’s sound budgeting practices, Iowa has earned a AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s, the highest
rating possible. This means the state could issue bonds at very low interest
rates. The bonds would be backed by existing state gambling revenue, thus
avoiding an increase in taxes.
The Governor also asked the Legislature to:
1. Cut spending, the details of which will be presented in
the Governor’s budget proposal at the end of the month.
2. Pass a $43 million Rebuild Iowa Bill to help pay for
recovery and rebuilding from last summer’s floods and tornadoes. The money would come from the state’s cash
reserves, which last year reached $620 million, the largest amount
ever.
3. Approve the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission’s
recommendations, which include improving land use planning, disaster
insurance, watershed management, and emergency response.
As we learn more about the details of the Governor’s
proposal, I’ll be paying attention to how this legislation benefits the
communities I represent.
For a full transcript of the Governor’s speech and the
session opening remarks of Senate President Jack Kibbie and Senate Majority
Leader Mike Gronstal, go to www.iowasenatedemocrats.org/transcripts.
The Iowa Power Fund Board has awarded more than $29
million to projects that will move our state toward energy independence.
These awards have leveraged more than $181 million in additional investments.
The Power Fund was established in 2007 to expand Iowa’s renewable
energy, alternative fuel, and clean technology industries.
This week Roya Stanley, director
of the Office of Energy Independence, met with Senate Economic Growth
Committee members to discuss the 18 projects that have received Power Fund
grants.
Funding for these awards comes from the Legislature’s
investment of $25 million a year over four years. Our efforts are ensuring Iowa remains a global energy leader by encouraging production of home-grown energy that can help
our family farmers become more profitable, strengthen our national security,
and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Information about the Iowa Power Fund and the state’s
Office of Energy Independence can be found at www.energy.iowa.gov.
Iowa Guard to assist at presidential
inauguration
Iowans led the effort to make Barack Obama the 44th
President of the United States,
and now thousands from around the state are heading to Washington, D.C.,
for the inaugural festivities.
Among them will be members of the Iowa National Guard, who
will be on duty for ten days surrounding the presidential inauguration on
January 20. Of the 7,000 Guard members activated for inauguration duty, 1,000
are from Iowa.
They will assist with security, transportation, traffic control and other
activities.
In her annual State of the Judiciary address on January
14, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus told legislators that
difficult economic times provide a unique opportunity for positive change in Iowa’s court system.
The Chief Justice emphasized government’s crucial job of
“administering justice under the law equally to all people” and that
“administering justice is one of the reasons that governments exists.”
She said that Iowans will lose their trust in government
if this duty is neglected. However,
because of tight economic times, the Judicial Branch will not ask the
Legislature for an increase in funding this year.
The Chief Justice outlined steps the Courts can take to
conserve resources while continuing their work. She also asked for passage of legislation
to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the courts without requiring
additional state dollars or disrupting services.
To read the Chief Justice’s complete speech, go to www.iowasenatedemocrats.org/transcripts.
Iowa’s GED On-Demand receives national praise
The New York Times recently spotlighted an innovative
program that is designed to make it easier for Iowans to earn their General
Education Development (GED) degree.
The write-up on “GED On-Demand” was part of a series
focusing on efforts to improve workforce skills.
Iowans without a high school diploma can now prepare for
the GED exams at their convenience using on-demand television technology. The
initiative was launched in 2008 through a partnership between the Iowa
Department of Education, Iowa’s
15 community colleges, Iowa Public Television and Mediacom.
For more information on GED On-Demand, go to www.readiowa.org/GED/geddemand.html.
With recent bitterly cold weather across Iowa, there have been a number of house
fires that have resulted in tragic deaths.
The State Fire Marshal’s website can help you protect your family by
providing information on fire prevention: www.dps.state.ia.us/fm/inspection/awareness.shtml.
|