I share Governor Branstad’s education goals of raising academic standards, improving the effectiveness of educators and using innovation to enhance learning.

As we choose the best ways to reach these goals, my colleagues and I are listening to parents, teachers, students and concerned Iowans. Their suggestions are the basis of the education reforms contained in Senate File 2284.

The recent report of rising state revenues is another sign that Iowa’s response to the national recession is working. Our economy is improving, and now’s the time to strengthen the foundations of a lasting recovery.

When the deep national recession hit, we reduced the annual state budget by hundreds of millions of dollars by reforming and downsizing state government and putting the focus on job creation and long-term growth.

We’ve made a good start, one that has put Iowa ahead of other states. Now is the time to invest in education, job creation and other opportunities to build a strong Iowa economy for the future.

Studies show a student’s future success often depends on reading proficiently by third grade. That’s why reading is essential to education reform discussions.

Governor Branstad is demanding that schools flunk students who don’t score well on a test given in third grade. Longtime teachers and other education experts say flunking third-graders is not effective and that there are more effective ways to help struggling students improve.

For our students to do their best, they need a great start in school. That’s especially important in the early grades, when kids are learning to read. That’s when one-on-one time with teachers can make a big difference in a student’s life.

To ensure students get the attention they need, the Senate voted to prevent $30 million in cuts to Iowa’s kindergarten through third-grade classrooms.

This class-size reduction effort—officially called the Iowa Early Intervention Block Grant Program—was set to disappear if the Legislature didn’t vote to continue it.

Stigma against HIV-positive Iowans and access to insurance are issues that are exacerbated by current Iowa law, but one new bill and an amendment I am sponsoring provide much needed change.

A bill I sponsored cleared a Senate subcommittee last week, but did not make it out of standing committee in time for the end of funnel week. This bill proposed changes to modernize and update Iowa's current HIV criminal transmission laws that do not reflect current medical knowledge or treatment. This bill would help HIV positive individuals and encourage openness and support for victims by decreasing criminal penalties for transmission of the disease.

Congratulations to Mary O’Keefe from Cumming, who has been inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame, the most prestigious state-level honor for Iowa volunteers. Mary has helped her community by increasing volunteerism and philanthropy among young people. She serves as the volunteer chair of the board that coordinates the Principal Charity Classic, which raised more than $3 million for kids and creates a $20 million boost in economic benefit annually to the community. She also leads nearly every aspect of The Principal Riverwalk project and her dedication and countless volunteer hours have made a profound impact.

To learn more about volunteering in Iowa, visit www.volunteeriowa.org.

The deaths last year of an Iowa firefighter, tow truck operators and others responding to emergencies are painful reminders of the risks that workers face on our roadways.

That’s why I sponsored a bill, which has been approved by the Senate Transportation Committee, to strengthen Iowa’s “move over” law. Currently, drivers must move over and slow down when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle, tow truck or maintenance vehicle displaying flashing lights.

Senate File 2091 specifies that if it isn’t possible to move over, a driver must reduce speed to at least 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit and be prepared to stop.

The bill also stiffens penalties for those who fail to move over and slow down. License suspension is mandatory if a violation causes damage to the property of another person, bodily injury to another person or death. The suspensions and any fines imposed by the courts would be in addition to other penalties applicable under law.

Strong local schools prepare Iowa students to succeed and help our economy grow.

We’ve worked to continue Iowa’s educational excellence by making sure kids start school ready to learn, keeping the best teachers in our classrooms, raising standards to make a high school diploma more meaningful, and providing workers with training for in-demand jobs.

We must continue our efforts to improve academic standards, increase the effectiveness of educators and develop innovations that enhance learning.

The input of Iowans—educators, parents and students—have provided the basis for the education reform proposals in Senate Study Bill 3171, which has been approved by the Senate Education Committee. This is a work in progress, and I’d like to know what you think. Please have a look at the legislation by going to www.legis.iowa.gov and searching for SSB 3171.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and questions on this proposal to improve student achievement. I am passionate about creating world-class schools here in Iowa and want to provide our students the best possible educational opportunities.

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 back to work. This week, the Iowa Senate approved Senate File 2024, which invests $20 million in workforce training to do just that.

Take Iowa agricultural manufacturers. They’re doing pretty well right now, but they could do better if they had an additional 500 skilled welders. There’s a similar shortage among information technology workers. These types of skilled worker shortages make it difficult for Iowa businesses to increase sales and pump more money into the Iowa economy.

If you earned $50,000 or less in 2011, you can receive free tax preparation. You also may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and e-Filing. Meet with an IRS-certified tax preparer at a United Way tax site near you. Call 2-1-1 to make an appointment, or to find out more about this service.

Through April 6, individual Iowans, businesses and organizations may apply for the state’s Environmental Excellence Awards. These awards recognize leadership and innovation in protecting and conserving our natural resources and environment. For complete details and an application, go to www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/IowaEnvironmentalAwards.aspx.

A $25 billion federal-state accord has been reached over mortgage foreclosure abuses, fraud and unacceptable mortgage practices.

The proposed agreement provides an estimated $40 million in direct relief to Iowa homeowners and addresses future mortgage loan servicing practices. Highlights of the agreement include:

• Iowa borrowers will receive an estimated $5,899,449 in benefits from loan term changes.
• Iowa borrowers who lost their home to foreclosure from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2011, and encountered servicing abuse would qualify for $7,402,512 in payments to borrowers.
• The value of refinanced loans to Iowa’s underwater borrowers would be an estimated $11,602,880.
• The state will receive a direct payment of $15,330,480, which will be used for the Iowa Mortgage Help Hotline, housing counseling, Iowa Legal Aid, future enforcement, and agreement implementation and monitoring.
• The settlement does not grant any immunity from criminal offenses and will not affect criminal prosecutions or prevent homeowners or investors from pursuing individual, institutional or class-action civil cases.

More information will be made available as the settlement is implemented. To find out what kind of help you may be eligible for, go to www.nationalforeclosuresettlement.com/help or call the Iowa Mortgage Helpline at 1-877-622-4866. For further details on the proposed agreement, visit www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov.

Governor Branstad has signed into law legislation that the Senate unanimously approved last year. Senate File 93 toughens the penalty for domestic abuse that includes strangulation or choking.

Choking is one of the most common forms of domestic abuse. It’s an intentional act, and often indicates more deadly domestic assaults in the future. That’s why states are cracking down on choking.

Under current Iowa law, abusers often get just a slap on the wrist, spending little or no time in jail. With this legislation, we’re sending a message to abusers: you will be punished and held accountable.

To continue Iowa’s recovery from the national recession, we must invest in our workforce and economy. Our state is known for quality education and a highly skilled works, but we can’t afford to move backward when the jobs of tomorrow require more training than ever.

As we hammer out the state budget, education is the biggest area of difference between the Iowa House and the Senate. The budget proposed by House Republicans will shut down worker training programs, eliminate economic growth initiatives, and price Iowa’s middle-class families out of a college education.

House Republicans seek to cut $31 million from our state universities. To keep college affordable for middle-class Iowa students, I support a $27 million increase for the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State and the University of Iowa. Our nationally recognized universities not only educate our future workers and business leaders, but they are economic engines in their own right.

In the Senate, we’ve unanimously approved a bill to give more than 260,000 Iowa households a boost in their state tax return, including the families of 37 percent of Iowa’s children.

Boosting the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) supports working families, places value on raising children and puts money into local economies. That’s why we made raising Iowa’s EITC our first priority for tax reform this year.

Senate File 2161 is a $54 million tax cut that increases Iowa’s EITC from 7 percent of the federal EITC to 13 percent in the 2012 tax year, 15 percent in 2013 and to 20 percent in 2014.

Republican and Democratic legislators and many experts agree that Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the best anti-poverty programs in the nation. Iowa is one of only six states that taxes families earning less than poverty-level wages, which is one reason the United Way of Iowa has made increasing the state EITC a high priority.