Senate Journal: Page 170: Thursday, January 28, 1999

  He later received his Master of Fine Arts from the prestigious University of
  Iowa
  Playwrights Workshop last year.  Dramatic Publishing calls Lorenzo "the
  exciting new
  Latino voice in America today."  Ladies and gentlemen of the assembly,
  please say
  hello to another Iowan - Lorenzo Luis Sandoval.

  I understand what it means to be close to your dream but to have concerns
  about
  whether there will be finances to make it become a reality. Twenty-five
  years ago this
  year, I spoke with my father for the last time on the phone. I called him to
  tell him that
  I had been admitted to law school. In a tired and weary voice he said to me,
  "That's
  great. I don't know where the money will come from but we'll find it some
  place."
  Several days after that call he passed away. The money came from a variety
  of
  government loans, programs, and my own work. I understand the struggle of
  many in
  this state today are going through to try to realize their educational
  dreams.

  We need to make higher education more affordable and accessible. To do so,
  we
  need to look at a package of increased funding measures. We need to increase
  funding
  for the State of Iowa Scholarship program; we need to continue to increase
  funding for
  the Iowa Tuition Grant program; we need to support vocational and technical
  tuition
  grants; we need to send a message to those who serve in the National Guard
  that we
  care about them by extending educational opportunities to them as well. For
  those
  community college students who are here today, we need to keep the faith
  with their
  dream by fully funding the community college formula and continue our strong
  and
  traditional support for the Regents Universities.  Our collective goal
  should be that no
  one wishing a higher education will ever be denied that opportunity in our
  state simply
  for lack of money.

  Finally, as we approach a comprehensive look at education we should not and
  must
  not neglect the important role of libraries.  Iowa is one of the few states
  that provides
  no direct assistance to libraries.  Let us join the rest of the nation in
  improving the
  communication centers of many of our communities.  Let us enrich ourselves
  by
  enriching Iowa.  We should begin funding the Enrich Iowa initiative now.

  Our goal is to be first in the nation in education.  Let it be said that
  here in Iowa we
  put our money where our children are.

  We have in Iowa a truly amazing array of natural grace.  When Albert Lea
  first
  explored Iowa in 1835 he wrote:  "The general appearance of the country is
  one of great
  beauty. . . one grand rolling prairie, along one side of which flows the
  mightiest river in
  the world. . .  (For) water, fuel and timber; for richness of soil; for
  beauty of appearance . . .
  it surpasses any  portion of the United States."

  Too often today, there is a difficult playing field for Iowa farmers who
  want to
  protect our land and water.  But it is our farmers who have the greatest
  immediate
  stake in the environment.  It is their families who are first to drink the
  water, breathe
  the air, and eat the food raised in the soil.  So David and Corrine Williams
  and their
  children Steve and Wendy operate a fifth-generation farm near the Montgomery
  and
  Page County line. They do so with respect and diligence.  By using minimum
  and no-
  till technology, rotational grazing, alternative watering for their cattle,
  they were
  recently honored with the National Cattlemen's Association Environmental
  Stewardship Award for "protecting the environment while making their
  business more
  profitable."  Join me in congratulating the Williams family for showing us
  that we can
  make sound environmental decisions that are also sound economic decisions.

© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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