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St. Charles woman appointed by
Governor
Madison County family fun day
Successful bipartisan session
reflects Iowans’ priorities
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Congratulations to Susan Salsman,
a rural contractor from St. Charles. She was recently appointed by Governor Chet
Culver to the Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Examining Board. Administered
by the Iowa Department of Public Health, the board is established to test,
license and discipline plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration and hydronic
professionals throughout the state.
Madison County family fun day
All families in Madison
County are invited for
a day of free fun, food and learning.
The Madison County Family Fun Day will be at Wildwood Hills Ranch, 3000 St. Charles Road
in St. Charles
on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Activities include Internet safety,
fishing education, crafts, swimming, a resource fair, horseback riding and lake
activities.
I’m proud of what the recently adjourned legislative
session accomplished for Iowans. Bipartisan efforts gave us a productive year
that honored our commitments on healthcare, education, jobs and the
environment. At the same time, we put
together a fiscally responsible state budget.
One of the highlights of the 2008 session is the effort to
make healthcare accessible to all Iowa
kids within three years. This will
make Iowa the first state to bring
affordable coverage to all of its youngsters and is one of the reasons Iowa has become a
national leader in healthcare reform.
This year’s successes are many. Here are some at the top of my list:
- Completing
a three-year effort to increase average teacher pay to 25th in the
nation, up from 42nd
- Jump-starting
Iowa’s
energy economy by funding the second year of the four-year Iowa Power
Fund initiative
- Legislation
that kick-starts the rebuilding of Iowa’s roads and bridges
- Significant
new investment in school buildings, infrastructure and property tax
relief
- New
consumer protections, including the state consumer insurance advocate, a
mortgage scam crackdown and identity theft protection
- $67
million in income tax relief for working Iowans and seniors by exempting
federal rebates from state taxes
- Ensuring
veterans keep their jobs when returning from Iraq
and Afghanistan
- Setting
aside a record amount of money in the state’s “rainy day” accounts
- Restoring
the Senior Living Trust Fund so that Iowa seniors can continue living in
their own homes
A majority of all Senators approved these efforts because Republicans
and Democrats worked together to craft initiatives important to all Iowans—education,
jobs, health care, and renewable fuels.
Citizens right here in our area also played a part in the
process. I appreciate the time many
people in the district took to contact me during the session. Your ideas, suggestions and priorities are
reflected in many of the bills that made it to the Governor’s desk.
Throughout the interim, please stay in touch. My home phone number is (515) 961-6982. E-mail me at staci.appel@legis.state.ia.us.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in the Iowa
Senate.
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