House Journal: Page 1809: Wednesday, April 28, 1999

	In accordance with the foregoing motion, the Chief Clerk cast the 

votes of all the members of the House of Representatives for the 
Honorable Brent Siegrist as Speaker of the House of Representatives 
of the Seventy-eighth General Assembly. The Honorable Brent 
Siegrist of Pottawattamie County, having received all of the votes 
cast for the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 
Seventy-eighth General Assembly, was declared duly elected to that 
office.
Eddie of Buena Vista moved that a committee of two be appointed 
to escort the Speaker to the chair.
The motion prevailed and the following committee was appointed: 
Drake of Pottawattamie and Myers of Johnson.
PRESENTATION OF SPEAKER
The Honorable Brent Siegrist was escorted to the Speaker's station 
and, having been sworn, assumed the chair. Speaker Corbett of Linn 
presented Speaker Siegrist with the gavel and congratulated him on 
his unanimous election.
Speaker Siegrist thanked the House for the honor bestowed upon 
him and offered the following remarks:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I want to thank the members of the House for allowing me the great honor of 
serving as the Speaker of this great institution.  I am humbled and excited that the 
members of the Republican Caucus as well as the members of the Democratic Caucus 
have allowed me the opportunity to serve the General Assembly as the Speaker of this 
entire House.
I don't intend to take much of your time this afternoon talking to you because I am 
hopeful that in the next day or two we will be adjourning for the year. I'll have some 
additional comments then as I always do as the year winds down, and I'll have some 
observations at that point but for now basically just two things.
First, our jobs in this body demand sacrifices back home in our other lives.  We all 
have a difficult job balancing this place with family and friends.  The job of Speaker as 
well as Majority Leader is very demanding, as well as the Minority Leader.  It takes a 
lot of time away to do this job properly. My wife, Valerie, and my son, Evan, are here 
today.  It wouldn't be possible for me to serve in the legislature, let alone as Speaker, 
without their love and support.  To Val, Evan, and my daughter Harriet who isn't here 
today, all seven months of her, I love you very much and I thank you for the sacrifices 
you make to let me serve here. I couldn't do it without you.

© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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Last update: Thu Apr 29 13:40:03 CDT 1999
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