Iowa Senate President John P. “Jack” Kibbie (center) administers the oath of office to Liz Mathis, Iowa’s newest State Senator. Also pictured is Senator Mathis’s husband, Mark Mathis.

Iowa’s newest State Senator, Liz Mathis of Robbins, was sworn in Monday by Iowa Senate President Jack Kibbie.

Mathis, a Democrat, will represent Senate District 18.  She defeated Republican Cindy Golding with over 55 percent of the vote in a special election on November 8, 2011.

Mathis currently works for a child welfare and juvenile justice agency, Four Oaks, and its affiliates, the Affordable Housing Network and Iowa KidsNet. She is Chief Information Officer, overseeing legislative advocacy, public relations, marketing and development. Mathis currently is an Ohnward Bank Board Director with branches in Marion and Cedar Rapids and sits on the Wartburg College Board of Regents.

Mathis was a news anchor, reporter and producer at KCRG-TV from 1998 to 2007. Prior to KCRG, Mathis spent 16 years at KWWL-TV in Waterloo, where she was an executive

producer and first female co-anchor of the evening news. She also taught communication studies and first amendment law at Wartburg College from 1996-1998.

Mathis and her husband, Mark, who owns the advertising agency ME&V, live near Robins and have two children.  She grew up on a farm in rural Iowa and is a University of Iowa graduate. (mathis4statesenate.com)

Senate Democratic Interns MinJu Kang and Ashley Zitzner prepare to grill Senator Mike Gronstal on the set of IPTV’s Iowa Press. Here’s more information on becoming an intern during the 2012 session.

Sen. Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) and Sen. Jerry Behn (R-Boone) are the guests on this week’s edition of Iowa Press. Gronstal, the Iowa Senate Majority Leader, and Behn, Minority Leader of the Iowa Senate, will discuss the upcoming session of the Iowa legislature, which begins January 9.

This program will be broadcast Friday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 20 at 11:30 a.m. on Iowa Public Television. The program will also be broadcast on IPTV WORLD (.3) Saturday at 8:30 a.m., and will be available online beginning Friday at www.iptv.org.

You can listen to the meeting live. The committee agenda, reporters and other information is here.

Previous news articles:

State expecting mental health redesign recommendations soon

Iowa should set up 5 to 15 mental-health regions, advisory panel says

Governor Branstad has issued a summary of responses to his education reform proposals.  It includes a sentence from Senator Herman Quirmbach, chair of the Senate Education Committee:

“The governor’s proposal is yet another step in the process of improving education.”

Quirmbach’s complete quote illustrates the cautious approach Senate Democrats have learned they must take when dealing with Republican education initiatives:

“The governor’s proposal is yet another step in the process of improving education. The governor’s proposal, if it is consistent with those (education goals set forth by both parties) and if he provides some way of paying for his proposal, I think there is a good chance we will adopt them.” (Des Moines Register)

Enough with the cherry picking.  Here’s the message  Senator Quirmbach sent directly to Iowa reporters:

“The governor’s proposal is one more step in a lengthy process of education improvement.  We intend to give fair and serious consideration to his ideas.  The next step is to listen to educators, parents, and students across the state to get their ideas, too, and to hear their reactions to Branstad’s suggestions.

“Education Director Jason Glass has repeatedly told legislators that goals like attracting more top graduates into teaching, freeing up time for master teachers to mentor and collaborate with colleagues, and aligning course design and teaching methods with new, higher curriculum goals all will require additional resources.

“We eagerly await the other half of the governor’s proposal, which will be his budget message in January.” (Iowa Senate News Release)

First question from reporters at the Monday, Oct. 3 news conference :“How can Iowans make a decision about the changes you’re proposing without telling them how much it will cost? (Complete audio) “There is no price tag for the plan.”   (Radio Iowa) “The plan will require the state to increase the nearly $4 billion it already spends on education, although it lacked cost estimates.”   (Des Moines Register) Branstad said he couldn’t yet say how much the plan will cost the state.  (Waterloo Courier) “The governor conceded the plan would cost more than the $3.45 billion the state currently spends on schools, but he says a final price tag hasn’t been set”  (WHO-TV) Quirmbach said. “…The governor’s proposal, if it is consistent with those (education goals set forth by both parties) and if he provides some way of paying for his proposal, I think there is a good chance we will adopt them.”  (Des Moines Register) “The Governor’s got the right goals, but rhetoric without resources simply won’t cut it,” said Schoenjahn.  (Iowa Senate Democratic Statement)

]]> http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/branstad%e2%80%99s-education-reforms-rhetoric-without-resources/feed/ 0 http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/making-voting-more-efficient-protecting-election-integrity/ http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/making-voting-more-efficient-protecting-election-integrity/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:10:03 +0000 Senate Intern http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/?p=11578

From left to right: Senator Danielson, Cindy Gross, Buchanan County Auditor (D), Senator Joni Ernst of Red Oak (R), and Clay County Auditor Marjorie Pitts (R).

Senator Jeff Danielson (Black Hawk) recently met with local county auditors to discuss “Precinct Atlas,” the award-winning election software developed in Iowa that improves the voting process for voters and poll workers while protecting the integrity of elections.  As chair of the Senate State Government Committee, Senator Danielson helps craft election law.

Using “Precinct Atlas,” election workers can quickly verify a voters address, update their registration, and prevent election fraud.

“Precinct Atlas” has won 2 national awards: 2010 Starts & Stripes Award from The Election Center; 2011 Achievement Award “Best of Category” from the National Association of Counties; and 2010 Excellence in Action Award from the Iowa State Association of Counties.

More information can be found here.

State Senator Matt McCoy of Des Moines

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs has appointed State Senator Matt McCoy of Des Moines to serve as the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. McCoy replaces Senator Swati Dandekar who has resigned from the Senate.

“Senator McCoy is a strong advocate for a competitive, Iowa economy that encourages the creation of good jobs at good wages,” said Gronstal. “As the chair of the Commerce Committee, he will put the interests of Iowa businesses and consumers ahead of out-of-state corporations. He’s working to create an environment where businesses can find well-educated, well-trained workers, a high quality of life, and a competitive tax policy.”

Sen. Bob Dvorsky (D-Coralville), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee

This week, will Governor Branstad produce the missing evidence to support demands for severe cuts?

Statement by Senator Bob Dvorsky, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee

 “Governor Branstad defends his starvation budget with a simple, sparse message: Iowa spends more than it takes in.  During stops across the state this week, the Governor will likely repeat this claim many, many, many times.  Here’s the question reporters and Iowans should ask in response: ‘Where’s the proof?’   

“‘Fiscal crisis’ is pretty much the Governor’s only defense for the deep cuts to education, job creation, and other state services that Iowans depend on.  It is his go-to answer when he is asked why Iowa should freeze state support for local schools, slash help for community college and university students, close local workforce offices and cut job creation efforts.

“For example, at his last Statehouse news conference in May, Governor Branstad claimed four separate times that the state of Iowa spends more than it takes in.¹

“The Governor is certainly on message, but what if that message is false?

“It is past time for the Governor to produce convincing evidence supporting his position.  A steady stream of facts is proving him wrong.  These facts flow from his own Iowa Department of Revenue,² from the non-partisan Legislative Services Bureau,³ from the Treasurer of the State of Iowa,⁴ and from the nation’s top credit rating agencies. ⁵

“Here’s what the facts currently on the public record show.  Iowa’s recovering economy is increasing state revenues, so much so that Iowa’s reserve funds are now full at $600 million.  That means the equivalent of 10% of the entire state budget is sitting in our savings accounts.  In addition, the fiscal year ending on June 30, is expected end with a positive balance of $400 million more.

“Claiming Iowa is in fiscal crisis is the Governor’s most frequent and most convincing argument for severe budget cuts.  If that claim isn’t true, then there is no excuse for harsh Republican budget cuts that will hurt Iowa students, Iowa workers, and Iowa’s small businesses and communities.”

-end-

Supporting Information

1) Quotes from the Governor’s May 31, 2011 Statehouse News Conference:

(3:02)  “That’s important that we spend less than we take in.”

(4:59) “But they continue to insist on spending more than the state is taking in”

(14:39)            “We want a budget that spends less than we take in each and every year”

(23:13) “A budget that is sustainable for the long term and spends less than we take in each year”

Audio of four unsupported claims that Iowa is spending or will spend more than it takes in.

2) Iowa Department of Review reports on Iowa Leading Indicators: http://www.iowa.gov/tax/taxlaw/econindicators.html

 3) Iowa Legislative Services Agency Quarterly Revenue estimates: http://staffweb.legis.state.ia.us/lfb/qre/qre.htm

 4) Statement by Michael Fitzgerald, Treasurer of the State of Iowa.  http://www.treasurer.state.ia.us/about/news.cfm?action=view&PressReleaseID=251 

 5) Moody’s and S&P affirm Iowa’s AAA rating.

http://readme.readmedia.com/State-of-Iowas-Excellent-Credit-Rating-is-Affirmed/1482182