Rebuild Iowa, Economic Security Top Agenda for 2009
On a statewide tour this week, Democratic legislative leaders said the Legislature will focus on helping Iowans rebuild and recover during the 2009 legislative session, which begins on Monday, January 12th.
“With the national recession beginning to take hold in Iowa, we know thousands of Iowans are struggling to make ends meet. Our goal is to provide more economic security for families through good-paying jobs, energy independence, and a world-class education for our kids,” said House Speaker Pat Murphy of Dubuque.
Renewable and alternative energy have been the centerpiece of the Democrats’ economic plans since 2007 and the effort will continue in 2009. The bipartisan effort to make Iowa an energy independent state has included such initiatives as the Iowa Power Fund and efforts to improve energy efficiency. The result over the last two years has been 2,300 new “green” jobs for Iowans. (more…)