Senate Journal: Page 5: Monday, January 14, 2002
Every day an Iowa child leaves their hometown and leaves our state for better
economic opportunity. Want to talk about preserving choices? Let’s take action to
ensure more of our best and brightest stay in our state, to build their families rather
than divide them.
Economic security and modernizing Iowa’s economy—these are the top goals of
Democrats in the Iowa Senate. We must ease the economic worries of Iowa families by
addressing rising heath care costs, energy costs, and stagnating wages. To lay the
groundwork for future prosperity, we must modernize Iowa’s economy and give Iowans
the chance for good jobs at good wages so they can choose to remain Iowans.
Here are specific steps we should quickly act on to address our current recession:
1. Make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. The enthusiastic response
to the drug discount program created by Governor Vilsack and Senator Harkin has
provided still more evidence of the need. We should expand that program and increase
the returns.
2. Expand health insurance coverage to protect all Iowans. Governor Vilsack has
helped bring regular medical care to 30,000 Iowa children. We must continue in this
direction and work to make sure working parents, struggling to keep families together,
have the benefits of health care coverage.
3. Raise the state’s minimum wage. The majority’s effort to grow Iowa through
low-wage jobs has been tried and failed. Raising the minimum wage will lift all wages.
It will begin to repair the damage to our communities of forcing families to do the
impossible, to solve heartbreaking budget choices that are far more difficult than those
we will face this year.
4. Help consumers make smart, informed choices about the services they buy. In a
wide-open economy, government should act to create a level playing field that is free
from fraud and reduce deceptive and high-pressure tactics.
Making Iowa a 21st century state means protecting and improving education.
Quality education is the basis for our state’s positive image. Quality education is what
will attract and create the quality jobs we need so our kids can stay and work in Iowa.
We must continue working to improve and reform Iowa’s schools. We must demand
accountability while holding them safe from budget cuts. We must work to attract and
keep the best teachers possible for our kids.
We support streamlining government by eliminating redundant services and
putting more services on-line. Iowa, a state which imports most of its energy, must
invest in clean, renewable and profitable energy sources like ethanol.
We must protect our environment. Having the best schools, efficient government
and good jobs will not be enough if the air is unbreathable and the water undrinkable.
I welcome the recent announcement by Republican leaders that they will finally allow
debate on the hog lot issue. In previous sessions, Democrats have repeatedly offered
sound reforms which will protect our air and water. I am glad we are finally
addressing this issue. Let’s have a real debate that produces real results. Nibbling
around the edges is just not good enough.
© 2002 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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