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.

The snow is melting and the Legislature is halfway through the 2011 session.

I’m marking these events by getting outside in the sunshine when I can and by continuing to listen to you, my neighbors and constituents, about your priorities. Your ideas, questions and concerns are a welcome balance to the lobbyists crowding the Statehouse these days.

Many constituents have said we need to do more to rebuild Iowa’s economy by sparking job creation on our Main Streets. I’ve responded by including your ideas in a diverse economic growth package that offers tax breaks to business owners and working families, loans to small businesses creating jobs, and expanded job-training at our community colleges.

A shortage of skilled workers hurts our state’s economy, especially when it comes to good jobs. The Senate Education Committee approved a new effort this week to help unemployed and underemployed adults complete industry-recognized certificate programs at local community colleges.

Senate File 202 is part of our “Iowa Works” initiative. It will help Iowans get the training they need, while also helping local businesses find skilled employees.

The bill includes innovative student aid to eliminate financial barriers preventing workers from learning new skills needed by Iowa employers. Eligible students could get help with training costs, including tuition, books, fees and equipment.

Iowa continues to show signs of an economic recovery with a drop in unemployment.

Iowa Workforce Development reports that our state’s unemployment rate for December dropped to 6.3 percent from 6.6 percent in November. That’s the largest monthly decrease for 2010, a sign that companies are starting to rehire. In addition, nonfarm employment has added 15,400 jobs compared to last year.

Iowa currently has the 6th lowest unemployment rate in the country. This is great news, but we still have work to do. Job creation and growing our economy will be my number one priority until Iowa has fully recovered from the national recession.

When more Iowa small businesses are doing well, more Iowans will be working again. That’s the basis of a new Senate proposal to help our state continue to recover from the lingering national recession.

We’ve listened to local small business leaders. Based on what they’ve told us, we’ve put together a “Small Business Works” proposal that will lower employee health insurance costs, allow easier access to credit and cut red tape for Iowa’s small businesses. In addition, communities will have more resources to revitalize their business districts.

The 2009 legislative session convened on Monday, January 12.

One thing was immediately clear to every Republican and Democratic state legislator: The deepening national recession will make this session very challenging.

The nation’s economy is not good and it’s not getting better. Even though the Iowa economy and our state budget are in much better shape than most states, we are still sharing the national pain.