House Journal: Page 40: Tuesday, January 9, 1996

 and teach it to his children? Only here in Iowa. It is here
that the character of a people, though weathered by 150 years of
flood and drought, depression and war, has emerged stronger and
tougher than ever.
Just look at a few of our accomplishments over the past year.
Our economy is thriving; our fiscal condition is sound; our
communities are growing; and our families are stronger.
Today:
</U>More Iowans are working than ever before and our unemployment
rate remains at half the national average.
</U>Exports and land values continue to rise. For the first half of
1995, we saw exports jump 29 percent and land values increased
by over 7 percent last year.
</U>Our state budget is in the best condition in a generation with
cash reserves full and a surplus of $435 million.
</U>Iowa school children continue to receive a truly first class
education with more students taking courses in foreign
languages, higher levels of math and science, and advanced
placement.
</U>We are one of the best places in the country to raise a family.
Kids Count ranks us second in the quality of life for children.
Our focus on jobs and quality education has paid off. Today,
Iowa is truly a vibrant, growing state, even though just a few
years ago the "experts" said we were destined for decline. Well,
they couldn't measure with their census tracts the character and
resilience of Iowans.
But as we celebrate and give thanks for our successes let us
remember that this is not a sprint, but a marathon. And the
finish line has yet to be crossed.
We must not now abandon that common sense and constancy of
purpose which has been the hallmark of our character. Today, we
stand at the threshold of a new century, poised for greatness
and it is those very same qualities that will help us build on
our success and make it last.
We must seize this day, and fashion a future string of endless
success stories: of families coming back home for good paying
jobs; of communities with new leaders and new  life; of a state
known for steady growth.
How do we do it?
First, we must remember the lesson of our ancestors - that
educating our citizens is government's most important task.
The progressive nature of Iowans was never demonstrated more
clearly than in 1839, when Iowa's territorial government set up
the first free public schools. They made sure that a schoolhouse
was within two miles of every Iowan.
Today, those one room township schoolhouses are gone. But in
their place, we have 384 local school districts, many non-public
schools, three world-renowned state universities, 35 independent
colleges and universities, and 15 area community colleges.
In the last decade, we have taken education in Iowa to new
heights, but now we must go even further. There is no state in
the nation which is better prepared to educate its children to
succeed in the Information Age than we are today in Iowa.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: House Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 2)

© 1996 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? hjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

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