September 13, 2011

It has been a beautiful summer! The garden has been good, especially tomatoes! I am hoping for a good butternut squash harvest. I am painting my house this summer (a few hours at a time) and have enjoyed all the recent dry weather. I’m happy to say that I am almost done!!!

The arrival of September marks a busier time for just about everyone. School is back and there is no shortage of community activities and events.

My legislative schedule is also picking up. I am serving on three committees that will be meeting in the next few months. They include the Fiscal Committee, Legislative Tax Expenditure Committee and Mental Health Redesign Interim Committee. I am looking forward to a busy fall.

Bob Reich spoke in Iowa City last week. I had a chance to meet and visit with him prior to his lecture.

DHS public listening session - Coralville on Friday
This summer and fall there is a significant effort under way to redesign the mental health and intellectual disability system in Iowa. There are several committees working on this, including a legislative interim committee that will be meeting later this fall and winter. I will be serving on this committee.

The best place to find updated information on the redesign is at http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/Partners/MHDSRedesign.html.

In an effort to gather consumer and family input into this process, a series of meetings is taking place around the state. This Friday, there will be a meeting in Coralville.

Friday, September 16, 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Coralville Public Library
E. Jean Schwab Auditorum
1401 5th Street, Coralville

Coralville Library - The City of Coralville offers a free 2-level parking lot for meeting attendees. Participants are encouraged to park in the lower level lot, which opens directly into the meeting room corridor. Meeting Room participants are asked to park in areas other than the two rows closest to the library entrance.

Moving Planet in Iowa City
Moving Planet is a historic opportunity to demonstrate the need for climate action. In Iowa City on Sunday, September 25, you can bike ride and walk and learn. The event will be leaving from the Pentacrest at 1:30 p.m. to Lower City Park for a program and environmental fair that runs from 2-6 p.m. For more information about the Iowa City event, visit http://sustainability.uiowa.edu/iowa-city-moving-planet-event/.

IC residents receive Lifesaving Award
At this year’s Iowa State Fair, 26 individuals were recognized for unselfish service with the Governor's Lifesaving Awards. Among them was Emily Kleinmeyer of Iowa City, who helped save the life of Samuel Gordon who went unconscious after a strenuous workout at Coe College in August 2010. Also honored was Juanita Gensley-Bader of Iowa City, who helped administer CPR to a four-year-old child who went under the water in a hotel pool and was unable to resurface in April 2009. Congratulations!

Local Iowans to serve on new education council
Congratulations to the Iowa City-area folks who’ve been appointed to the state’s new 40-member STEM Advisory Council. Created by Executive Order 74, the Council will work to grow Iowa’s commitment to bolstering Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education and innovation to better help Iowans compete in the global economy and ensure our state’s future prosperity.

The Iowa City-area residents that Governor Branstad appointed to the Council are:

• Victoria Sharp, University of Iowa.
• Jordan Cohen, University of Iowa, Iowa Innovation Council, Iowa City.
• Teresa Finken, Iowa Wesleyan College, Iowa City.
• Deb Dunkase, Iowa Children’s Museum, Iowa City.
• Jon Ericson, ACT, Iowa City.
• Sally Mason, President, University of Iowa.

Smarter budgeting builds stronger economy
A recent report from the State Auditor confirms that work by Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature over the past several years has helped keep Iowa’s state budget in good shape.

Since 2005, we’ve balanced the state budget without raising taxes. Fiscal Year 2011 ended with a surplus of $264 million, plus $594 million in our savings accounts. This means Iowa has a total of $858 million in the bank.

Iowa’s economy is now 5th best in the country, up from 10th last year, according to CNBC’s annual report on America’s top states for doing business.

This type of growth is made possible by a solid state budget, on-going fiscal responsibility and the state’s economic recovery-- a recovery that is stronger than that of most other states.

With the state budget in such good shape, I look forward to the next legislative session and to focusing greater attention on job creation, our local schools and other much-needed investments in Iowa’s continued growth.

Standing up for working families
Hard-working middle-class families are under fire in Iowa and across the nation. During the 2011 session, I stood up for Iowa’s working families, joining them at rallies and hearing their concerns at local events.

As a result, I helped pass bipartisan legislation to give them the tools they need to succeed. This includes:

• Protecting Iowa’s successful voluntary preschool program. Working families should have the option of choosing affordable, high-quality early childhood education. The Iowa Business Council and other organizations say improving early childhood opportunities is crucial to our state’s economic success.
• Continuing to invest in Iowa’s nationally-recognized community colleges. They help educate and train our workforce for in-demand jobs at local businesses so that all Iowans can provide a better future for their families.
• Limiting tuition rate hikes by reducing cuts to our state universities. When students are forced to rely on expensive student loans to pay for college, they often end up seeking higher-paying jobs out of state rather than using their top-notch Iowa education here at home.
• Maintaining workers’ rights that help ensure high standards in local schools, police forces, fire departments and other public services.
• Making sure all Iowa kids can see a doctor when they’re sick. I helped block proposals to slash Hawk-I, which provides affordable health care to Iowa kids living in poverty.
• It’s my hope that in the upcoming session, Republican and Democratic legislators will take another look at additional initiatives to help Iowa’s working families that didn’t become law this year, including:
• Creating good Iowa jobs. A new report from the nonpartisan Iowa Policy Project indicates we need to create 72,600 jobs to return employment in Iowa to pre-recession levels.
• A working families tax cut that would increase the Earned Income Tax Credit and put more money in the pockets of working Iowa families with incomes less than $45,000.
• Skilled worker training to help Iowans earn industry-approved certificates and fill local job shortages.
• Making sure Iowans get paid by cracking down on employers who steal wages from their workers. This cheats legal workers, drives down wages and is unfair to Iowa businesses that play by the rules.

Creating more good jobs in Iowa, growing local business and ensuring all Iowans get a chance at prosperity is my focus as I prepare for the 2012 session. I hope you will share your ideas for how we can work together to achieve these goals.

Lower taxes is good news for Iowa employers
Our state’s unemployment insurance system is among the nation’s stronger programs, which is why Iowa employers will see a decrease in their unemployment insurance costs this year.

Employers will see approximately $96 million in savings on their unemployment insurance taxes for 2012, with the average rate falling from 2.8 to 2.4 percent. The rate for non-construction employers will decrease from 1.9 to 1.5 percent. In 2012, more than half of Iowa businesses will pay nothing in state unemployment insurance taxes. Iowa is one of only six states in the country that provides a zero rate.

Since the early 1980s, when Iowa’s unemployment system experienced a deficit of $166 million and had to borrow from the federal government, labor and business groups have worked with Iowa Workforce Development to create a financially stable system. Unlike Iowa, during the recent recession, 32 states have been forced to borrow from the federal government and have increased taxes on employers to repay those funds.

The drop in taxes for Iowa employers is good news. I look forward to next session when I can continue to work on initiatives that will help Iowa’s economy and further support businesses that create jobs.

Iowa students rank No. 2 in nation on ACT
Two of my highest priorities are to increase student achievement and to ensure that more Iowa high school graduates are ready for college.

As a result of the efforts of the Legislature, Iowa high school students have again scored high on the ACT, placing second in the nation among states where more than half the students took the test. In Iowa, 61 percent of the 2011 graduating class took the ACT. The percentage of students who earned scores showing they are ready for college increased to 31 percent, compared to 25 percent nationally.

The overall college readiness of our students is growing. Let’s keep working to make sure all Iowa students are ready for college and work in today’s global economy. For more on Iowa’s ACT scores, go to www.act.org/news/data/11/states/iowa.html.

Nominate an outstanding volunteer for Hall of Fame
Do you know someone who has forever changed their community, the state, the nation or the world with their volunteer service? Consider nominating them for the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame, the most prestigious state-level honor volunteers can receive.

Nominations are being accepted through November 1 in several categories. Details and nomination materials are available at www.volunteeriowa.org/promotion/volunteer_recognition.aspx.

For more information, contact the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service at icvs@iowa.gov or 1-800-308-5987.