House Journal: Page 16: Monday, January 13, 1997

The challenge is somewhat more complex. Simply put, the
challenge is that as we address the current problems and
concerns of Iowans, that we also offer and advocate solutions
that take into account the future generations of Iowans.
During the past four years, the Legislature, with the House of
Representatives clearly leading the way, has turned Iowa around.
Our great state is now on a course of unprecedented growth,
opportunity and prosperity. We are here at a time when Iowa sits
on the brink of many possibilities, especially in the areas of
the quality of life, education and technology. We must be bold
in advancing those possibilities for current and future
generations of Iowans.
The singer, Mary Chapin Carpenter, has a line in one of her
songs that describes where we are on a legislative timeline. She
sings, "Every story's got a chapter/That chapter will be
defined/By what's before and what comes after." This body over
the past four years has defined the before chapter. Today, we
begin work on the chapter about what comes after.
The agenda that will be pursued by the majority party is basic
and focused.
1.  We will maintain our commitment to what we do best in this
state _ education. This legislature will fund the allowable
growth and school technology commitments. The allowable growth
funding for our K-12 school system will be a funding increase of
over 6 percent. We will also provide an additional $30 million
for technology to help prepare our students for the future.
2.  As this house did last year, with bipartisan support we will
pass Learnfare this session. Our Learnfare proposal will apply
to children between the ages of 6 through 11. Now some people
will spew the rhetoric that this plan is unfair to poor people
or mean to children. What is mean to children is not making sure
that they get an education. An education is a requirement to
escape poverty. Learnfare can be one more way to help break the
cycle of welfare dependency.
3.  We will pass the Restore the Outdoors plan. This plan over
the next couple of years will provide $12 million to our park
system to repair and improve our parks all across the state.
4.  We will pass a resolution, this week, urging Congress to
adopt the Balanced Budget Amendment and send it to the 50 states
for ratification. Fiscal irresponsibility at the federal level
by both the legislative and executive branches has resulted in a
lower standard of living for all Americans. The massive federal
debt is endangering opportunities for my son and for all your
children and grandchildren.
5.  Part of our agenda will be to take a closer look at the
juvenile justice system. It is imperative that we look at not
only punitive measures to combat youth violence, but that we
find additional funding for proven preventative measures.
And finally, last night as I was sitting in my apartment, I was
listening to the Beatles and a song came on that has a great
deal of significance for this legislative session. It was a song
called "Taxman," and one of the lyrics really hit home. "Let me
tell you how it will be. There's one for you, nineteen for me,
cause I'm the taxman." Well, all Iowans should know that after
this legislative session, the taxman is getting less.
Considerable time will be consumed this session as we work to
reduce the tax burden on all Iowans. Let me repeat, all Iowans!
Our taxes are too high and in order to compete regionally and
globally, to maintain and create new jobs, we must reduce the
tax burden on all of our citizens. To those amongst us who want
to preach the politics of division and class warfare _ this is
not what the citizens of Iowa want from you. If it were, there
would be a new majority in the U.S. Congress today.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: House Journal (77th General Assembly: Session 1)

© 1997 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? hjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

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