Health and Human Services Budget shows Senate, House Differences
On April 12 the Senate passed the Health and Human Services budget which allows seniors to stay in their home and protects at-risk kids in Iowa.
New jobs initiative passes Senate
Iowa business leaders repeatedly point out that Iowa has a shortage of skilled workers. And Forbes says our state ranks 40th when it comes to a ready labor supply. If we can identify skilled worker shortages and help Iowans fill them, we’ll go a long way toward growing the Iowa economy and putting more Iowans [...]
February 25, 2012
Read the full story >>
How can we grow the Iowa economy?
The 2012 session should be all about jobs so that Iowa can continue recovering from the national recession and increase our global competitiveness. I intend to work in a bipartisan way to help Iowans create jobs and grow our economy. We have plenty of opportunities. First, we should help Iowa businesses create jobs by cutting commercial property taxes. Last year, the Senate voted to cut property taxes in half for four out of five Iowa businesses.
January 17, 2012
Read the full story >>
Your advice will help improve education, jobs
Thanks to everyone who shared their concerns, ideas and hopes with us in 2011. Your input helps shape what happens in the Legislature. Last session, the bipartisan effort to provide every Iowa four-year-old with high-quality early education was at risk of being shut down. When Iowans got involved, they made it clear that Iowa’s preschools should stay open. Iowans also told us that job skills and economic opportunity for workers and businesses was their top priority.
December 19, 2011
Read the full story >>
Legislators consider special session on Workforce Offices
Legislators are considering further steps to keep Workforce Development field offices open, including the possibility of a special session with the sole purpose of overriding Governor Branstad’s line-item vetoes of legislation prohibiting the closure of the offices.
July 28, 2011
Read the full story >>
Supporting our local community colleges
April is National Community College Month. Here in Iowa, we’re celebrating 45 years of community colleges, whose services are available in nearly 100 communities statewide. Community colleges are a tremendous value for the investment—and it’s an investment that’s more critical than ever as Iowa continues recovering from the national recession and growing a successful economy.
April 24, 2011
Read the full story >>Fighting to keep workforce offices open
The Iowa economy is beginning to rebound, but too many Iowans are still out of work. That’s why we voted in the Senate to keep all 55 workforce offices open (Senate File 517) so that job-seekers can get the assistance they need. Governor Branstad wants to close 39 workforce offices around the state. That would only make finding a job even more difficult for the more than 100,000 out-of-work Iowans.
April 18, 2011
Read the full story >>
Community colleges prepare more Iowans than ever for workforce
Iowa’s community colleges are an excellent pathway to a better life, especially in these tough economic times. That’s why Iowa’s community college enrollment is at an all-time high. According to a report from the Iowa Department of Education, enrollment at our state’s 15 community colleges has exceeded 100,000 for the first time in their 43-year history.
December 14, 2009
Read the full story >>Connect:
