Senate Journal: Page 1: Monday, January 13, 1997

  FIRST SESSION DAY

  Senate Chamber
  Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, January 13, 1997

  Pursuant to chapter two (2), sections two point one (2.1) and two point
  three (2.3),
  Code of Iowa, the 1997 Regular Session of the Seventy-seventh General
  Assembly
  convened at 10:01 a.m., and the Senate was called to order by Senator Mary
  E.
  Kramer.

  Prayer was offered by the Reverend Dr. Sam Massey, pastor of the Westminster
  Presbyterian Church, Des Moines, Iowa.

  REMARKS BY THE MAJORITY LEADER

  Senator Iverson addressed the Senate as follows:

  Today is my first day as the Majority Leader of the Iowa Senate, and as I
  assume
  this new position, I feel a great deal of pride about the current condition
  of this state
  and this state's government.
  Over the past five years, Iowa has moved from a $400 million budget deficit
  to a
  budget surplus that is larger than any state in the nation. At the same
  time, we have
  passed tax cuts in the last two years that take important steps toward
  reducing
  property and pension taxes in Iowa. And we have made important investments
  in
  education, including a $150 million technology fund that puts at the
  fingertips of
  Iowa's school children the resources for them to get the best education in
  the world.
  But challenges persist. Despite our efforts over the past two years, Iowans
  pay more
  in state and local taxes than do individuals in forty other states, and
  working class
  families bear a far greater burden of the taxes than working families in
  states that
  surround us.
  There's no doubt that Iowa's tax system, which requires 12% of the people to
  pay
  50% of the taxes, is unfair. There is also no doubt that any effort we
  undertake to fix
  Iowa's tax code will be fair to all Iowans.
  Our efforts to reduce taxes will benefit Iowa families not just by putting
  more money
  back in the family budget. It will also help bring even more good paying
  jobs to Iowa.

Iowa General Assembly

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

© 1997 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? sjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

Last update: Wed Jan 22 13:01:06 CST 1997
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