Photos

	State Senators Becky Schmitz of Fairfield and Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City talk with a newspaper reporter during an Aug. 20 health care roundtable at Des Moines University. Bolkcom, a member of the Legislative Commission on Affordable Health Care, and Schmitz helped pass Iowa's health care reform legislation this year.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City takes a moment to pose with his clerk, Dennis Tibben during the home stretch of the 2008 legislative session. (04/25/08)
	Legislators met with Kristie Fisher and Nicole Hill in the Senate Chamber on April 17. There were representing Kirkwood Community College women's basketball team, which was honored with Senate Resolution 153 for winning the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Tournament. Pictured, from left: Sen. Wally Horn of Cedar Rapids, Sen. Bob Dvorsky of Coralville, Hill, Fisher, Sen. Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids and Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City.
	On April 15, Governor Chet Culver signed Iowa's Smoke-free Air Act into law. This statewide ban on smoking in public places will reduce exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, which kills more than 400 Iowans annually and makes thousands ill. The initiative should also reduce the $300 million in taxpayer money that goes to treat smoking-related illnesses each year. The ban will apply to most workplaces, public places and certain outdoor areas.
	On hand for the Smoke-free bill signing were Sen. Joe Bolkcom; Eileen Fisher, president of Cafe Iowa (Clean Air for Everyone); Ross Wilburn, Iowa City City Council; Sen. Bob Dvorsky; Dr. Christopher Squire, board member of Cafe Iowa.
	On April 14, the Iowa Senate honored the talented young men and women who make up the 2007-2008 Drake University men's and women's basketball teams. Congratulations to the athletes and coaches, Keno Davis and Amy Stephens, on an incredible season. Their efforts have elevated the Bulldogs to rank among the best teams in the nation.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City and Tegan Hauser pose for a picture in the Senate Chamber on Thursday, April 3rd. Hauser is a 12th grade student from Iowa City who was at the Statehouse to shadow Senator Bolkcom and experience life as a Senator for the day. (04/03/08)
	On March 26, Governor Chet Culver signed what will be the biggest tax break of the 2008 session. House File 2417, which passed the Legislature earlier this session, will save Iowa taxpayers $67.5 million dollars by exempting state taxes on the federal tax rebates that are part of the economic stimulus plan approved by Congress.
	On March 25, Senators Jeff Danielson of Black Hawk and Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with students from the Iowa Civic Analysis Network (I-CAN), a group of student researchers from the University of Iowa who prepare non-partisan policy reports for officials in the state of Iowa. From left: Hannah Olson, Katherine Morrison, Jash Harbaugh, Danielson, Whitney Carson, Mike Schroeder, faculty adviser Tom Rice, and Bolkcom.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with students from West Branch Middle School when they paid a visit to the Statehouse on March 24. The students put together a display about Compact Fluorescent Lamps and their positive effects on the environment. From left: Justin Roth, Tyler Donavon, Brennan Nelson, Tyler Haub and Bolkcom.
	Tom Slater of the State Public Policy Group talks with Sen. Joe Bolkcom during a Statehouse visit on March 18. SPPG helps state agencies and private sector organizations promote their issues, define their goals and evaluate their results. Projects include the Association of Iowa Workforce Partners, the Iowa Peer Support Training Academy and the Successful Families Caucus. For more on SPPG, go to www.sppg.com.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City talked with local librarians on March 11. They were at the Statehouse Law Library to talk with legislators about funding for Iowa Libraries and the services they provide. From left: Jennie Garner of North Liberty, Bolkcom, and Heidi Lauritzen and Maeve Clark of Iowa City
	Members of AARP visited the Statehouse on March 11 to talk with legislators, including Sen. Joe Bolkcom, about the concerns of Iowa seniors and retirees. Johnson County representatives Eve Casserly, Betty Kelly, Richard Tibbets and Carolyn Warkentin discussed the financial literacy and the Consumer Fraud Protection bill currently making its way through the Legislature.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom with Ken Cook, president and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group. On March 10, Cook told legislators at the Statehouse about the persistent negative effects of low environmental standards at the federal level. Research shows that umbilical cord blood from babies born in 2005 contains toxins that have been banned in the U.S. for more than 30 years. Since its founding in 1993, EWG has earned renown for its innovative, headline-making computer investigations of environmental problems. The organization's research and analysis have made it a major force in national policy debates over toxic chemicals, pesticides, air and water pollution, and the ecological impacts of modern agriculture.
	Kirkwood Community College instructors were at the Statehouse on March 5 to talk with legislators about community college funding and faculty salaries. From left: math instructor Doug Gustafson from the Iowa City campus, Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City, carpentry instructor Barry Kucera of the Cedar Rapids campus, philosophy instructor Bob Sessions of the Iowa City campus, and math instructor Andrei Perkhounkov of the Iowa City campus.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City spoke with members of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society during their lobby day at the Capitol Feb. 26. Bolkcom is sponsor of Senate Study Bill 3190, which would require insurance companies operating in Iowa to cover the costs of routine care for cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials.
	Senators Joe Bolkcom and Amanda Ragan and other legislators watch debate on the Senate floor Feb. 27 when a statewide ban on smoking in public places passed on a bipartisan 29-21 vote.
	State Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services representative Orville Townsend on Feb. 28. Townsend was at the Capitol to share with legislators IVRS efforts to help people with disabilities find employment. More information about the IVRS can be found at http://www.ivrs.iowa.gov.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with University of Iowa President Sally Mason during a luncheon at the Statehouse on Feb. 20. Mason was at the Capitol for Iowa City Legislative Day on the Hill.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with members of SEIU and Iowans for Health Care outside the Senate Chamber on Feb. 14. Left to right: Jim Jacobson, Bolkcom, Sarah Swisher and Chris Bonfig, all of Iowa City.
	Members of the Iowa Catholic Conference were at the Statehouse on Feb. 12 to talk with legislators about issues important to the Catholic Church and society. Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City spoke with Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport, who served as Pastor of the Day, giving the opening prayer in both the House and the Senate.
	I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce my new clerk to everyone. Dennis Tibben is a senior in Political Science at Iowa State. Dennis is originally from Manning, Iowa, a small town in Western Iowa, and he now lives in Ankeny. While Dennis is new to the legislature, he is no stranger to the capitol. This past summer and fall, he completed back-to-back internships in the Governor’s office. Aside from helping me with scheduling, correspondence, and serving as the committee secretary to the Ways and Means Committee; Dennis also a full-time student. He is taking classes at night and online to keep on track to graduate in May.
	Steve Spenler, director of Johnson County Ambulance Service, was at the Statehouse on Jan. 31 to talk with legislators about the needs of Iowa’s EMS workers. While at the Capitol, Spenler talked with Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City, a strong supporter of Iowa City’s regional emergency services training center. Iowa’s professional and volunteer EMS workers provide essential services to thousands of Iowans each year.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with Michelle Kenyon-Brown, also of Iowa City, at the Statehouse on January 24. Michelle is part of Iowa Renew and was at the Statehouse to talk about the state of renewable energy in Iowa and how we can improve our renewable energy efforts.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with members of the Middle Iowa River Watershed at the State Capitol on January 24. The group was at the Statehouse to discuss conservation efforts for the Iowa River, which is currently the third most endangered river in America. Pictured from left: Dave Ratliff, Kasey Hutchinson, Craig Just, Bolkcom, Hillary Maurer, Carol Sweeting, Kaylene Carney, and Jim Caldwell. All are from Iowa City.
	Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City talked with Aaron Schlumbohm Jan. 16th in the Statehouse rotunda. Schlumbohm, a member of University of Iowa Veterans Association, was at the Capitol for Veterans Day on the Hill. He was among hundreds of Iowa veterans visiting Des Moines to discuss their legislative priorities. Schlumbohm said he was particularly interested in developing a GI bill that addresses tuition and veterans' benefits. (Photo Credit: Christjahn Beck)
	State Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City (right) talks with Jim Merchant (left), Dean of the UI College of Public Health, after the final meeting of the statewide health care reform commission on Jan. 8. Bolkcom was a member of the commission and Merchant chaired a advisory panel of experts. The Commission is calling for 79 individual improvements in Iowa health care, including universal coverage, medical homes, telehealth and other electronic reforms, and cost containment and transparency. It is now up to the Iowa Legislature to act on the commission’s recommendations. Hear Commission members’ remarks about their proposals at www.iowasenatedemocrats.org\media.
	State Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City met with Governor Chet Culver at the Iowa Statehouse on Monday to discuss the best ways to stand up for middle-class families and to continue responsible, prudent budget-making. Bolkcom and other legislators from across Iowa were at the Capitol to discuss priorities for the 2008 session, which convenes January 14. Last year’s budget left the state in better financial condition than the year before, and Bolkcom and other legislators pledged to repeat that accomplishment. Pictured from left: Culver and Bolkcom. (12/3/2007)