House Journal: Page 15: Monday, January 11, 1999

	I like to go fast.  But I know that there is a fine line between going fast and being reckless.  When moving fast becomes reckless Democrats will put on the brakes.

Democrats look forward to a productive session under the leadership of our new governor, Tom Vilsack.  Together we can get a lot of good things done.
REMARKS BY MAJORITY LEADER
Siegrist of Pottawattamie offered the following remarks:
Good morning and welcome to the opening day of the 1999 Legislative Session.  We stand here today as the legislators who will be setting the course for Iowa as 
we enter the 21st Century.  It is always an awesome responsibility to serve in this grand chamber, but even more so to know that we will make up the Iowa House of 
Representatives as we enter the next millenium.  What an unique opportunity!
It is always like the first day of school when we start a new year.  It is great to see old friends and catch up on what has been happening in their lives back in the 
real world.  For my part, it was a great interim, made more special by the fact that my wife, Valerie, gave birth to a baby daughter in September.  Harriet Addison 
joins her 3 1/2 year-old brother, Evan, in making our lives very special and very hectic.  It will also make it very difficult for me to be here for the next four months. 
I'm not sure that the citizens of Iowa truly understand the sacrifice we make in order to serve in this place.  Leaving behind families, friends, and careers is not easy.  
I would just like to thank all of you for having the guts and commitment to public service to put your name on the ballot.  And now that you have been elected, thank 
you for the sacrifices you are making to be here.
The tough part is over.  You got elected!  As David Wilcox sings in his song, Top of the Roller Coaster, "It's all downhill from here".  Today, we begin the fun part.  
Today we start to govern; to set public policy.  To be sure, there will be days that it feels like a roller coaster.  However, we must be successful.
To the 15 new members - welcome!  You are about to embark on the best ride of your life.  This is a great bunch of people who will become like a second family to 
you.  Occasionally, it will be a dysfunctional family, but you couldn't ask for a better group of individuals.
We arrive here today to a landscape that has changed.  While both the House and Senate have increased Republican majorities, in a couple of days, Tom Vilsack 
will be sworn in as our first new governor in sixteen years, and the first Democratic Governor in thirty years.  Many of us know and respect Tom Vilsack.  With a 
new administration comes new challenges and exciting possibilities.  We cannot afford to let these opportunities pass us by.  Since the election, House Republicans 
have made it clear that we want to work in a bipartisan manner to move Iowa forward.  That was not empty rhetoric.  We are sincere in our desire to find common 
ground on the many issues facing our great state.  Governor Vilsack, Minority Leader Schrader, and the rest of the Democratic Caucus, my pledge to you is that I 
will work as hard as I can to forge bipartisan solutions to the issues before us.  I realize that we will have disagreements and occasional controversy, but we must 
strive to work together.  The election is over.  It is time to make a difference.

© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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