The View from Here

Honoring Veterans
The first official action of the Senate this past week was the passage of a resolution commemorating April 6, 2016, as the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. I want to sincerely thank all veterans who have put themselves at risk in order to protect freedom. The Senate also honored veterans when it passed a bill to help them find jobs and give them the resources they need to find those when they come home. Veterans are already given preference when applying for public sector jobs. This bill would create a clearinghouse at Workforce Development to provide information regarding this preference. This information can be found at the Attorney General, The Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Workforce Development Center website.
Unspent taxpayer money
Midway through the week, we had a list of 24 bills to pass. Most of them passed 50-0. One that I did not support was SF 2308, which dealt with our unspent balance at the end of the year. If our ending balance is over $100 million, $25 million would be put into a fund to enhance Iowa by establishing a sports tourism program. This would include advertising and promoting college sports, building sports complexes, enhancing river recreation, building water parks, and bike and hiking trails. I opposed this bill because this is taxpayer money that is beyond the needs of state government at the moment. It should be returned to the taxpayers or used to reduce tax rates. Too often, the Legislature has the attitude, “Look, unspent taxpayer money! There must be some way we could spend this!” The bill passed 34-16 and will move to the House.
Homeschool Day at the Hill
Thursday, the Capitol was full of homeschool families. I enjoyed watching parents shepherding their children around the Capitol, explaining how our government works. I was able to take to take a family to the top of the dome where they could get a view of the entire government complex, as well as of downtown Des Moines. I am always impressed at how eager these families are to learn. I am glad to know that these young people will one day contribute much to our society.
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.”--Theodore Roosevelt
It is an honor to serve the people of District 4. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at dennis.guth@legis.iowa.gov or call me at (641) 430-0424.