Senate Journal: Page 3: Monday, January 13, 1997

  1st Day MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1997 3
  Those efforts include:
  Making sure that we pay our bills to local governments and fully fund the
  homestead credit and other tax credits.
  Making sure that our schools are high-quality and safe. First, we must
  continue to
  recognize that education has always been a priority in Iowa and is in fact
  our
  strongest economic development tool. Second, we need to make a major
  commitment of
  state dollars to our crumbling schools-many are in such bad shape that the
  state fire
  marshal believes our children are at risk. Let's not wait for a tragedy to
  force us to
  respond.
  Recognizing that higher education is increasingly out of reach for many of
  our
  children we need to insure that every Iowa student with the talent and
  determination
  can go on to higher education. For many Iowans, higher education means our
  community colleges. That's why we proposed last fall to increase our
  investment in
  technology at all of Iowa's community colleges and why we should guarantee
  two years
  of post secondary education at our community colleges.
  Moving ahead with our initiative to give local officials more support to
  fight crime -
  including juvenile crime. We appreciate that the Governor has changed his
  mind on
  this subject and we hope he will work to convince House Republicans that
  local
  governments need more resources from the state to fight crime and make our
  neighborhoods safer.
  Boosting our economic development efforts by increasing our investment in
  affordable housing. We hope the Governor has re-thought his veto of a
  bipartisan plan
  last year that took the first steps to developing a comprehensive, statewide
  plan to
  increase affordable housing.
  Fulfilling our obligations to our innovative welfare reform program. In
  1997, that
  means expanding our investment in affordable day care, high-quality job
  training, and
  creating jobs that pay living wages.
  Addressing the state's growing problems in the well being of children. A new
  study
  has found that in seven of eight measures of child welfare Iowa is losing
  ground.
  Iowa's infant mortality rate has risen past the national average - which, as
  the study
  said, "should be a wake-up call for all of us."
  As I said before, it is time now that we set aside the heat of the political
  battles of
  last fall and begin the important work of finding solutions to the problems
  that
  confront Iowa. In my campaign last fall, while knocking on thousands of
  doors, I never
  heard a citizen suggest that we needed Republican solutions .......... and I
  also never
  heard one say we needed Democratic solutions. They expect us to listen to
  each other
  and recognize that neither party has all the answers and together we can
  find common
  sense solutions to the challenges that confront us.
  Finally as you look around the chamber and the offices in this institution
  and see
  the changes being made to accommodate the transition to the new majority
  party I
  hope you'll recognize the countless hours of work that the staff has put
  into making
  the change as smooth as possible. I'd like to personally thank the
  nonpartisan senate
  staff who have worked so hard and often find themselves caught between our
  partisan
  differences. They have done their jobs with grace and dignity and with the
  single goal
  of making our jobs easier. They have my respect and gratitude.
  Thank you madam President.

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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