Stay in touch this session

Please contact me this session if you have something you’d like to share.

You can call me at the Statehouse during the week at 515-281-3371. On weekends, I can be reached at 319-759-5334. E-mail me at tom.courtney@legis.iowa.gov.

You can also join me at local forums, where we’ll have a chance to talk face-to-face about state issues, as well as your ideas and concerns. If you’re looking for more information, go to http://www.senate.iowa.gov/Courtney, where you can read my legislative newsletter, view my latest photos and more.

Keep up on what’s happening in the Legislature

A couple Internet resources can help you to stay informed during the 2012 session. At www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats, you’ll find:
** Articles on legislation, current events, grant opportunities and state resources.
** Summaries of bills voted on in Senate committees and in the chamber.
** Social media links to connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and photos, or our RSS feed.
** Live streaming video of media events at the Statehouse, such as the Legislative Leaders’ weekly news conference on Thursday mornings.

You can also follow what’s happening in the House and Senate at http://www.legis.iowa.gov, where you can track bills of interest, review what’s happening in legislative committees, listen to live debate in the chambers, and even set up a tour of the Statehouse if you’re planning a visit.

How can we grow Iowa’s 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. The tax cut would be paid for with state dollars, not by shifting the cost of local schools and services onto the backs of homeowners and farmers. Most importantly, the Senate’s property tax cut helps those who need it: Iowa’s small and Main Street businesses.

This proposal passed the Senate last year on a bipartisan vote of 46 to 4, but wasn’t taken up by the House. Now’s the time to finish our work on this commercial property tax cut and send it to the Governor for his signature.

Second, we should improve education in a way that will lure business to the state and prepare Iowans for high-skilled jobs. We want a more talented, more productive, more competitive workforce, as well as inventive, innovative Iowa entrepreneurs.

The ultimate goal of education reform is a stronger Iowa economy. Talented, skilled workers are the foundation of our economy, which is why student achievement is so crucial to creating jobs. We need great teachers, strong math and science education, and affordable college tuition.

Third, we should finish work on the job creation legislation awaiting action in the Iowa House. The 2012 session is the second year of the 84th General Assembly, so the jobs bills that the Senate approved last year can still be passed by the House and sent to the Governor for his signature.

These measures include:

** Helping 60,000 Iowa businesses through a state tax credit to defray the cost of offering employee health insurance.

** Providing low-interest loans to small businesses struggling to recover from the national recession.

** Helping Iowans earn job training certificates that give them the skills to fill job openings.

** Jumpstarting Iowa’s clean energy industry through consumer rebates for small solar and wind power at homes and businesses.

** Making sure the benefits of rules and regulations outweigh the costs of implementing them.

Improving education, improving Iowa’s economy

Governor Branstad outlined his education reform proposal this week during his “Condition of the State” address.

I’m pleased that the Governor is focusing on our schools. I share his goals to raise standards, improve teaching and encourage innovation in our classrooms. Great schools are what our kids deserve. Great schools prepare them for the workforce and prepare Iowa communities for long-term economic growth.

I’ll consider and evaluate each of the governor’s proposals. If an idea improves our local schools and helps to increase the skills of Iowa’s future workers and entrepreneurs, we should move forward on it. If an idea has been proven to work in other states or countries, we ought to consider it. After all, the goal is to do the best we can for our kids and for Iowa’s future.

I do have some concerns about Governor Branstad’s education plan. His proposals will cost money. Where will that money come from? Unfunded mandates on our local schools won’t help improve student achievement.

I’m also concerned about spending a lot of money on more testing. This approach doesn’t square with what experts had to say at the Governor’s education summit last summer. They said the best way to raise student achievement is improving teaching and increasing collaboration among educators.

I want to help our local schools be the best they can be, and I know you do too. Many of you have shared your concerns and suggestions for improving student achievement. I’m here to listen and bring your ideas to the Statehouse, so please continue to send your thoughts my way.

To review the Governor’s plan for education reform, go to www.educateiowa.gov.

Sound courts make Iowa a good place for business

The Chief Justice of Iowa’s Supreme Court, Mark Cady, delivered the State of the Judiciary address on January 11.

Justice Cady said confidence in Iowa’s legal system is a key ingredient for growth and prosperity. That’s because businesses want to operate in a state with a fair, efficient and stable court system that assures them that “their investment will be fully protected under the rule of law in the same way individual rights are maintained.”

Iowa’s courts have an outstanding national reputation. The foundation for our court system was laid by Iowa’s first leaders in the 1800s when they recognized the need “to properly guard both the lives of the waves of people who were entering this state at the time and the resources these people were investing into the state.”

In addition to being one of the fairest and most impartial systems in the country, Iowa’s courts are known for transparency. We have cameras in the courtroom and an award-winning judicial branch website (www.iowacourts.gov), where citizens can easily find the information they need. Over the last year, the Iowa Supreme Court has heard arguments in communities across the state, giving more Iowans a chance to witness proceedings firsthand.

By continuing to invest in our courts, we can serve Iowans’ legal needs, ensure a safe future for our children, and maintain a climate that boosts economic growth.

News you can use
Take the 100-Day Wellness Challenge

Live Healthy Iowa’s 100-Day Wellness Challenge kicks off January 23. Over the course of 100 days, teams of 2 to10 people take part in friendly competition by tracking their activity minutes or weight loss. Get involved and take advantage of the Live Healthy Iowa website’s personal tracking, goal-setting options and nutrition resources. Learn more at www.livehealthyiowa.org.

Iowa Scholarship for the Arts applications due Feb. 1

Iowa high school students entering college next fall with a major in the arts can apply for a 2012 Iowa Scholarship for the Arts by February 1. The Iowa Arts Council offers the scholarship to students with proven artistic ability in dance, literature, music, theater, traditional arts or visual arts. Each recipient will receive $1,000 toward 2012-2013 tuition and expenses at an Iowa college or university with a major in the arts. The application and requirements are available at www.iowaartscouncil.org/funding/scholarship-for-the-arts.

Iowa no longer mailing out paper tax forms

Iowa taxpayers will no longer receive paper tax forms and booklets delivered to their mailboxes. The Iowa Department of Revenue encourages taxpayers to file their returns electronically, which is more efficient and cuts costs. For forms and instructions, go www.iowa.gov/tax or call 1-800-532-1531.

Contact Tom

CAPITOL:
Iowa Statehouse
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3371

HOME:
2609 Clearview Drive
Burlington, IA 52601
319-759-5334

tom.courtney@legis.iowa.gov

http://www.senate.iowa.gov/courtney