State: Do more to put Iowans back to work
Comments (...)A foundation of bipartisanship has been established in the first three weeks of the 2012 Iowa legislative session. I am pleased with this development and am doing my best to be part of it. While bipartisanship requires cooperation, the minority party must call for immediate action from time to time.
Since the session began three weeks ago, we’ve been pushing for the House majority to help prevent college tuition hikes on Iowa National Guard members. The issue arose last month when members of the National Guard were informed that awards and benefits for spring semester tuition assistance would be cut.
Last week, the Senate passed a bill restoring their assistance. I co-sponsored a companion bill in the house. I am proud to report the House majority agreed to approve this bill, and it hit the governor’s desk before the weekend. As I write this commentary on Friday night, I am hopeful Gov. Branstad will sign the bill in the coming days. If he does, Iowa’s National Guard soldier-students will return to class with the tuition assistance they deserve.
Restoring their benefits requires immediate attention. Nearly 3,000 Iowans returned home last year after serving in Afghanistan. Many of them were unable to return to school because of the cuts. They deserve, earn and count on tuition assistance. The bill will allow Iowa National Guard members to upgrade their skills before re-entering the workforce.
Over 10 percent of the soldiers returning home are unemployed. Keep in mind, the most recent state unemployment estimate for December was 5.6 percent. Nationally, 39 percent of veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 are unemployed. These numbers are unacceptable. We must do more to help these soldiers re-enter the workforce, not less.
My top priority is growing our economy and helping to put Iowans back to work. Iowa must continue to build a foundation for solid economic growth. We need a highly-skilled workforce that can adapt and re-train for the jobs of the 21st Century. Our community colleges provide this opportunity to many Iowans in urban and rural communities. In Jasper County, our DMACC Campus and Career Academy help attract and maintain employers by strengthening our workforce.
I was invited to represent the House minority on a panel discussion at a community college conference recently. Sens. Kibbie, Bowman and Feenstra as well as Rep. Schulte and I met with 250 student government leaders from Iowa’s 15 community colleges. I was excited to hear the students’ ideas on how Iowa can best prepare for our economic future. We discussed Iowa’s leadership in agriculture and renewable energy. I talked with students who are enrolled in programs offering training in hands-on-skills such as welding. This skill development is necessary for Iowa and the entire Midwest to take advantage of new opportunities in manufacturing, many of them in the renewable energy field. I also met students who pursue professions in nursing, business and culinary arts.
Community colleges can quickly adapt to train workers for the jobs needed in local communities. Educators and administrators of these schools work closely with local businesses to ensure workers are getting the right training for jobs as they become available. The students I met are likely to find work without leaving Iowa, perhaps in their hometowns.
Many of the community college student leaders expressed deep concern with Gov. Branstad’s budget plan which will reduce worker training initiatives in all fields at community colleges. As we begin our budget work for next year, I will continue work to ensure higher education is affordable and accessible to the middle class and working families.
Clearly, the state should be doing more to put Iowans back to work, not less. The governor’s proposed cuts to community colleges are unacceptable. I hope you will join me in supporting our students and employers by signing an online petition at www.iowahouse.org/communitycollege. If you do not have Internet access, contact me by phone or write using the contact information listed at the end of the column, and I will send you a copy.
During the panel discussion on Wednesday, a DMACC student (who obviously did his homework on the bills I’m drafting) addressed Iowa’s need to further develop its digital-infrastructure. I am working on a bill to improve cellular access to rural communities. The students agreed with me that access to the Internet is just as important to the economic future of rural Iowa as the roads and bridges that connect our towns. As digital devices become more mobile, cellular access becomes necessary. To attract future high-tech employers and new residents while assisting Main Street retailers and service providers, Iowa must more aggressively address this issue now.
The Internet offers a new way to follow the daily activities of the Iowa House of Representatives this session. Log on to www.legis.iowa.gov and click on “Live House Video.” This gives greater transparency to state government by making our debates more readily available to Iowans. No state tax dollars were spent on this effort as a grant was secured.
Feel free to contact me any time at (641) 521-9260 or email dan.kelley@legis.state.ia.us. Visit my website at www.electkelley.com, friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
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