Essential Estrogen

I was so excited to hear Gov. Chet Culver's budget proposal before the joint meeting of the legislature today. It came just off the heels of the minimum wage hike (which was a good and needed thing, even if I think the increases should have been spaced out a bit more) and I was ready for more good news. With such important causes in the budget such as healthcare for Iowa's most vulnerable, increases in teacher pay and lifting the ban on some stem cell research, I should have been delighted. Right?

I alternated between watching the address on television and listening to it on the radio. There were a few places, as I walked between the two, I missed words and sentences. When the speech ended, I went back over what I'd heard. Stem cell research? Check. Cigarette tax for healthcare? Check. Continuance of semi-vague campaign rhetoric? Check. Funding increases for education? Check. Women's issues? Che... wait a minute.

Unsure if I'd actually missed something within the speech, I trotted over to the Des Moines Register site to double-check the written version of the speech. I skimmed it and saw no mention of women/woman/gals/etc. Hmmm. I then did a word search on the page and found only one instance of the word 'women' in his speech:

Finally, there are some additional important priorities in this budget. They are: ... protecting and expanding access to shelter services for at-risk women, mothers and children. I can tell you the First Lady will continue to be a real advocate on behalf of shelter service care providers and the vulnerable individuals who desperately need them. Thank you dear for your efforts, and we will direct these important resources into shelter care.

The logical side of me keeps up the steady "be happy" drumbeat. It's a blessing to hear anything positive about women in the speech. (Seriously, whenever you hear the word 'woman' or 'women' come out of GW's mouth, you just have to cringe at what might follow.) The emotional side of me, however, is still feeling a bit pandered to by the Culver campaign.

You see, a year ago Chet Culver was in a heated contest for the Gubernatorial primary against Mike Blouin (former Director of Economic Development who has recently been relieved of his duties in that state agency -- I can't imagine why Chet would do that, Mike! -- and has taken a post at the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation). Both Culver and Judge stirred the women's rights activists throughout the state by pointing out Blouin's issues with choice. It was arguably that one issue which brought Culver and Judge through the primary and into the general contest.

Further, when I attended the inauguration ceremonies in Des Moines earlier this month, I was asked by a priest during his invocation to "pray for those unborn, wishing to be citizens." WHAT?!? We have all these walking-around-outside-the-womb children dying overseas, but this man wants me to focus my attention on another woman's uterus?

In the budget speech, it is good to note that Culver honored the first woman Command Sergeant Major in the Iowa National Guard. Unfortunately, the honoring came too late for her to enjoy it. Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn Gabbard died following a helicopter crash in Iraq. Deepest condolences to her family.

While I don't expect every good thing coming out of Des Moines to be linked specifically to women, I would remind both Culver and our state legislators of Abigail Adams' words to her husband John:

"...in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors."

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver will be appointing Lt. Gov. Patty Judge to be his top advisor on homeland security.

As a part of that appointment, she will lead a team of top advisors including Iowa National Guard Gen. Ron Dardis, Dept. of Public Safety Commissioner Gene Meyer and Division of Homeland Security Administrator David Miller. Judge will take the lead role from Dardis, who has led the effort since July 2005.

In a news conference this morning, Culver said Iowa needs to be "prepared to manage the unimaginable." He went on to add that Judge has been on the front lines of doing just that. While serving two terms as Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture, she led efforts to create the Center for Agriculture Security and served on national groups exploring strategies for safeguarding the nation's food supply. She also was among a key group of Iowa agency administrators who took part in preparedness drills and briefings.

She will now be in charge of communicating with federal and state agencies, coordinating response plans and overseeing budget issues. Dardis was in attendance at the morning news conference and added that lieutenant governors in three other states fill similar roles.

Perhaps the most unexpected response to the news came from Senate Minority Leader Mary Lundby who not only welcomed Judge's appointment but stated she believed the Lieutenant Governor would "do a wonderful job."

Kudos to Culver and Lundby for seeing Judge's expertise in this issue and big kudos to Judge for being the first woman in Iowa to fulfill such an important role.

Love her or hate her, few will argue with Lt. Gov. Patty Judge's tenacity. Someone, however, should have warned Iowa's new Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey that Judge doesn't limit herself by title.

On Saturday, Iowa was hit by a major winter event which caused widespread power outages throughout many counties. Governor Chet Culver, on the Hill at the time, contacted state officials immediately and began lobbying for states of emergency in various counties to protect the people of Iowa. It seems Patty, knowing Iowans themselves were in good hands, reached back to her own agricultural roots to contact livestock groups including the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

According to officials at the IPPA, Judge contacted their offices early Sunday and offered the state's help to their livestock producers and wanted their help in identifying losses and damage. At that point, the group estimated nearly 110,000 rural electric cooperative customers remained without power and anticipated the agricultural losses to be high.

Such 'taking the bull by the horns' initiative appears to have rubbed Northey the wrong way. Upon learning of Judge's early contacts to the livestock producers, a person in the freshman official's office said Northey contacted key reporters to ensure he would be associated with the assistance coming to the rural families and farmers.

Northey spent most of Monday at the state's emergency operations center, where he could keep a close eye on the power outages and be available to reporters. As a side note, producers in need of generators can call (515) 281-5798; those who are suffering massive livestock casualties should phone their local Emergency Management Agency, county sheriff's department or the ag desk at the State Emergency Operations Center, (515) 323-4267.

As of this morning, Iowa's Rural Electric Co-ops estimated 40,000 customers remain without power. In total the storm left more than 4,000 electrical poles and unknown numbers of power lines in its wake. While the group is working to restore power as quickly as possible, some rural customers will not see relief for 10-12 days. Unfortunately for everyone another winter storm is expected to sweep through the state on Wednesday evening.

Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge joined with Senate Leader Mike Gronstal and the Iowa Pride Network College Coalition today to press the legislature to change the Iowa Civil Rights Code to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

In a move which will, no doubt, truly disturb the fundamentalist and evangelical Christians throughout the state, Judge stated that the civil right's code had a "glaring" omission. "Discrimination and intolerance have no place in our society and that is why Chet Culver and I are supporting this change," she said.

While this may not be the best political move for Judge and Culver, we are extremely pleased they have decided to weather the storm. Iowa should not be a state of equal treatment for all humans. Good job, Patty!

It's been an interesting week in Des Moines as state legislators worked overtime to clear bills through House and Senate committees. Most left town last night for their homes across the state... most likely to spend some time with their favorite journalist about their views of the session thus far.

A few, however, didn't allow the cheese to become aromatic at room temperature before opening a big bottle of whine.

"I’d give them an A for the fact that they’ve been committed to their issues," said Senate Minority Leader Mary Lundby, R-Marion, of the new majority.

"I’d give them an F for caring about Iowans and what most Iowans need and want. They have left behind so many Iowans with this agenda," Lundby said.

While on the surface it looks like just a nice spark of wit, this comment is actually a pretty good slap to every Democrat in the state. Lundby says she'd give Dems an A for commitment to their issues... then follows with an F for caring about Iowans. With that one statement Lundby says Democrats, their platform, their key issues and everything they stand for is bad for our state and our people. Those are pretty strong words, Mary.

It is difficult to see Lundby's diatribe being more than sour grapes when we recap what the Democratic majority has accomplished so far this session: raising the minimum wage, protecting Iowa students from bullying, and allowing existing stem cell research to be applied in patient care. She didn't even bother to mention that the doves appear to be in the clear.

If you've ever wanted to know the ideological fiscal differences between conservatives and liberals, you get a good peek by reading the quote from House Minority Leader Chris Rants (R-Sioux City).

"Democrats are determined to get every anti-business piece of legislation shoved out of committee."

There seems to be this divide between the political parties when it comes to business and individuals. That is, legislation which helps individuals is anti-business while legislation which benefits business is anti-people. Republicans (especially true Conservatives) tend to view everything through business-enhanced glasses. True progress in our state would be both parties realizing both entities are required to be health for society to flourish.

As Funnel Week comes to an end, wave goodbye to open meeting and records reform; the statewide smoking ban (which really didn't make much sense when the state *needs* the extra $1 a pack to pay for new initiatives); undoing Steve King's English-only bill and the resurrection of TouchPlay. Only divine intervention in the form of political maneuvers can save them now.

Just over two weeks ago, I sat quietly in the backyard and said goodbye to an old friend. It was, for the most part, a happy goodbye even if it has been difficult to continue to function without the friend in my life.

Since that time, I've made some new friends (such as Hubba Bubba and Trident), but nothing seems to completely fill the void left behind when I stopped smoking cigarettes.

I realize there are several people reading this right now and shaking their heads in confusion. 'Cigarettes are friends?' or 'It is unhealthy, your body is thanking you' are what I imagine most are considering while reading. However illogical or difficult for a non-smoker to understand, cigarettes were my friends and, at least in my mind's eye, helped me through some very difficult situations. While I realized the medical community's ire for them, I'm still not convinced that they are any more unhealthy than other items in which people partake. For instance, I wasn't washing my troubles away with a bottle of wine and then driving around town.

My reasons for quitting are many. Primary was the want of my children for me to do so. Secondary was my personal want to smell better. I think, if I'm honest with myself and you, I'll have to admit that mostly I quit because I wanted to prove to myself that I could. I needed to know that no matter how much I had become use to my little tobacco friends, I was still in charge.

One thing which did not factor into setting the cigs down was the proposed $1 per pack tax going through the legislature at the time. The more I think about this tax, however, the more I believe it will end up causing more problems than it solves.

Proponents of the tax increase have stated that the dollar will be funneled into healthcare expenses -- in particular, new healthcare expenses for the state. They also voice their hope that the tax will both discourage young people from starting to smoke and will encourage existing smokers to either cut down or quit. Quite frankly, those goals -- use of the tax money for new services and smoking prevention -- are in direct competition. Consider the ramifications to one if the other succeeds:

If the monies are successful in creating a new healthcare program it will take progressively more and more funding to maintain the same set of services. (Statewide, our population is increasing with each census.) Therefore the legislature will need to either find a new way to supplement the $1 per pack tax, will have to increase the tax or will need more people to smoke and pay the $1 per pack tax.

On the flip side, if the tax is successful as a stop-smoking incentive how will the state fund the new healthcare initiatives? Obviously, the government has a dollar figure in mind for their healthcare budgeting. How many smokers does the state require to meet that goal? Also, if the people enacting this law agree that smoking is one of the world's greatest evils, why are they willing to base so much on what is obviously 'blood money'?

While this little diatribe of a former smoker has cost me some points in liberal circles, my concerns are valid. No matter the outcome of the $1 pack tax increase, there will come a time when the legislature will need more money from all of us in order to fund their new healthcare initiatives. Because of that it's too bad that the people of Iowa haven't been able to debate the new initiatives as much as they have the $1 per pack.

Finally, this article was written with the expressed intent of ignoring the proposed smoking ban. Because when you add that proposed legislation (which looks like it will pass and let the government decide whether there can be smoking in private businesses) with the budget and the tax increase, it pretty much seals the deal that our legislature has serious mental defects.

You know, I have a spreadsheet showing my children purchased 100,000 packs of bubblegum last year. I've informed them that from now on I'll be charging them an extra dime for each pack of gum they buy. We'll be using the dime to remodel our kitchen. I've further informed them that not only will gum chewing be banned in our home, I've told neighboring parents, their school and the local police department to help me enforce a community-wide chewing ban (because the sugars can be so hard on the teeth). Finally, because the remodel of the kitchen is more of a necessity than a luxury, I'm prepared to pull money from the children's allowances if the gum tax doesn't provide what's expected... but that final piece of information is on a strictly need to know basis.

Two women and two men were added to the Environmental Protection Commission today by Gov. Chet Culver.

Susan Healthcote -- head of water quality efforts for the Iowa Environmental Council since 1996 -- and Charlotte Hubbell -- a lawyer who has served as trustee of the Nature Conservancy and co-founder of the Iowa Environmental Council -- will join the nine member panel.

The two male appointees are Dale Cochran (Fort Dodge farmer who served as Secretary of Agriculture from 1987 to 1998 and a former Speaker of the House) and Ralph Klemme (LeMars farmer and former Republican legislator who headed the House Ag Committee and Resources Committee).

Interesting choices.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the bits and pieces you've might have missed:

Upcoming Peace Rallies

The folks over at Century of the Common Iowan have a nice list of the upcoming peace rallies in Iowa.

Clinton to headline for Boswell

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to headline a fundraiser to kickoff Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell's re-election campaign. The fundraiser is slated for April 21 in Des Moines, according to the Clinton camp. No other details are yet available.

Judge appointed to national council

Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge was appointed to serve on the State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Government Coordinating Council for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The appointment is for one year and Judge said she plans to keep rural areas a focus of the group as well as major population centers.

Judge was also earlier named by Gov. Chet Culver as the Homeland Security Advisor for our state.

Fair Share bill waits for another day

There were not enough votes in the Iowa House for Democrats to want to debate Fair Share this week. And, according to the Des Moines Register, Rep. Dawn Pettengill (D-Mt Auburn) was seen by Republicans leaving the Democratic meeting with tear-stained cheeks.

The bill will sit throughout this week and is anticipated to come to the floor the week after.

Jacoby steps in for Petersen

Rep. David Jacoby (D-Coralville) was named interim Chair of the House Commerce Committee while Rep. Janet Petersen (D-Des Moines) is out on maternity leave.

The committee regulates business, financial institutions, insurance, utilities and real estate. It is one of the most powerful in the Iowa House.

In addition to his new assignment, Jacoby also serves on Appropriations, Human Resources and State Government committees. He is also a member of the Administrative Rules Review Committee.

It could be worse

According to Reuters, a Finnish member of parliament is aiming for re-election by campaigning with a translation of his web site into Klingon, used in the television series "Star Trek."

While we sometimes wish candidates spoke in obscure languages so they couldn't dominate every new cycle, Klingon is extreme even for us. Further the foreign politician said there have been translation difficulties since Klingon doesn't have words for tolerance and many colors (such as green, the party under whose banner he is running in the national elections tomorrow).

Of course, non-warriors can access his site in English, Swedish and Finnish.

Okay... let's get that out of the way first...

I'm one of the lucky quarter of all Iowans who live in an area requiring those purchasing a legal substance to leave their name and number behind... for eternity. That's right, if you're gonna buy a keg in Marion, you're gonna register your keg in Marion. (Unless, of course, you drive the five minutes into Cedar Rapids.)

Let me first mention I'm a little concerned about the fact that I'm once again getting ready to plant my ass firmly on a Republican point. (Whoa, boys, it's not to be taken literally!) The keg registration legislation is the same for the state as it was for Marion: pointless.

Here's my disclaimer: I'm not a drinker and I don't believe I've every purchased a keg in my entire life. I can only think of perhaps two or three parties I've attended where there were kegs. Quite frankly, I've seen more kegs at political events than I've ever seen at parties. Contrary to my children's belief, however, I was young and a bit wild on the edges once. I attended my fair share of parties both as an underage person and as a 'legal adult.' So... some of the things I know to be true:

1. Most people buying for underage people aren't buying kegs! (Usually they are buying for the underage folks because they are:
   1. Barely legal drinking age
   2. Three sheets to the wind already
   3. Wanting more alcohol
   4. Spending the money the underage kids provided for the booze
2. Most of the time the kids who get into the keg do so without an adult knowing about it
3. When preparing for a weekend party, the 'kids' will often travel from store to store, buying a 12-pack or case at each one. This is done because:
   1. If the buyer is underage, the clerk/cashier is less likely to card him/her for such a small amount
   2. if the buyer is an adult and buying for someone underage, purchasing a small amount is less memorable than a large amount
4. The holy grail of the underage party is Cowboy Kool-Aid (no beer required)

Quite frankly, this legislation doesn't and won't affect me at all. I doubt there will ever come a time when I'll need or want to buy a keg of beer. It is, in my opinion, useless government red tape which only serves to complicate matters for people who are doing something completely legal. Further, it is quite possibly an infringement on privacy since personal information isn't destroyed upon the keg's return... or even 48 hours or week after the keg's return.

Instead of making such laws, we should concentrate on changing our society's relationship with alcohol. After all, we should be a country which learns from it's ... *cough* prohibition *cough*... mistakes.

Our society will not be able to overcome the 'mystification' of sex, alcohol and drugs until we stop putting them up on pedestals in front of our children.

You may have read the article in today's Des Moines Register which discussed a roughly $250,000 spending boost for the Iowa Highway Patrol's Executive Protection Unit. The funding increase, according to the article, is to provide salary, benefits, equipment, training, uniforms and cars for two additional troopers.

The additional troopers are needed, said Communications Director Brad Anderson, because of the two young Culver children and "additional security concerns." Gov. Chet Culver and his wife Mari Culver have two children: Clare, age 6, and John, age 4. In addition, Mari continues to work part time for a Des Moines law firm.

While a quarter of a million dollars isn't 'chump change' by any means, it also isn't too much to ask when lives are at stake. Our Governor, his family and our Lieutenant Governor are well worth the investment, regardless of which letter falls behind their names.

Very quickly, because even I'm growing tired of the Clinton-Vilsack speculation... There's an article at the New York Sun stating that not only will the Vilsack's be endorsing Clinton, but will take on key roles within the campaign.

Sources said Mr. Vilsack will be named a national chairman of the campaign in Des Moines today, while his wife, Christie, will be named co-chairwoman of the Iowa operation.

The article also quotes former IDP Chair Gordon Fischer about the strength of both Vilsack's endorsement and his ground operation in our state. While Gordon is a terrific person and overall good man, he's far from an unbiased bystander when it comes to Tom Vilsack. Lest we forget, Gordon stated his prediction about the Vilsack campaign from the very beginning:

...As I said, I'll be blogging much more about this, obviously, but for now, I'm predicting it flat out: President Vilsack.

While most activists in Iowa understand and appreciate Gordon's position, it is worrisome when he is picked up by the national press and slapped with only his 'former chair' label. As of late, and especially when discussing Vilsack, Gordon has been more of a stalking horse than a state ambassador.

One other issue with the article: "The Vilsack endorsement could deliver the biggest blow to Senator Obama, because Senator Edwards already has a strong Iowa infrastructure from his run in 2004. It could also prompt some of Mr. Vilsack's Iowa staffers to defect to Mrs. Clinton."

Those Vilsack staffers who haven't already found a home with another campaign are probably jobless for a reason. This is Iowa! Last week my dog received a lucrative offer from one of the hopefuls. The cat is debating between local or national races.

As for dealing blows to other campaigns, it is doubtful -- at least from our perspective -- if Sen. Barack Obama will be touched by the endorsement. Currently, he seems to be utilizing his 'rockstar' image to full advantage in Iowa, tapping potential pools of previously non-active caucus-goers. While his campaign won't be purposefully pushing anyone away, some long-time Iowa activists have expressed they feel overlooked and/or ignored while the Obama folks court the newcomers.

The article is on the money about Sen. John Edwards. As we previously reported his staff went quickly to work, pulling Vilsack supporters into their own camp.

There are good quotes and insights toward the end of the article from Drake professor Arthur Sanders.

One thing is for certain, Iowans have seen Vilsack come from the bottom to win more than one political contest. It's difficult to ever completely rule him -- or his influence -- out.

While everyone knows we Iowans are all about the warm fuzzies, yesterday's Vilsack endorsement of the Clinton Campaign may have been less about the fuzz and more about the dough.

According to a post at the NY Times, the Clinton Campaign has agreed to help 'erase' at least a portion of the $430,000 debt Tom Vilsack accumulated in his own Presidential bid. The politicians are pointing to past personal connections (Christie Vilsack's brother, Tom Bell, served with Clinton on the Watergate Committee), but the public doesn't seem to be convinced.

A random poll of four people on the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids this morning showed that while all believed the endorsement was done for monetary gain, none found it shocking. "It's politics," said one woman while she laughed and walked away. "What do you expect?"

Another gentleman lamented the irony of Vilsack's recent calls for clean elections and grassroots politics while planning to back "one of the largest political machines in the world."

Iowans still remember when Vilsack took employment opportunities with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. as a consultant on renewable energy and Drake University Law School as a visiting professor. In short, Iowans know their former Governor was not left penniless when he walked out of Terrace Hill two months ago.

While it will still be interesting to view the financial papers filed by the Vilsack and Clinton campaigns at the end of the month (made available April 15), don't expect any big revelations as to where the money came from and where it went. Chances are, the strategists have already decided not to let loose any funds until after the March 31st deadline, ensuring nothing will be reported until the next cycle. Even then, it will probably be buried under salaries, with Vilsack then paying his vendors from his private pockets. (Wonder how much a national chairman and Iowa Co-Chairwoman make?) The campaigns are no doubt hoping that most will forget by mid-summer and no one will take the time to dig deep enough to make the connections.

Those interested may also wish to view the two letters Tom Vilsack signed recently. The first requests money for his own campaign and the second requests the same for the Clinton campaign. The first letter went into the mail late last week and the second was an email blast by the Clinton Campaign just moments after the endorsement was official.

Be sure to read the second and let us know your thoughts on this statement:

Today, Christie and I made a contribution to Hillary's campaign, and we did it for two reasons.

Does that say/read what I think it says/reads?

Yeah, you know what's coming...

What a difference a week makes! Just 10 days ago, Senate Minority Leader Mary Lundby was praising Gov. Chet Culver for his four nominees to the Iowa Board of Regents.

Culver’s appointments are subject to Senate confirmation, and initial reaction from lawmakers was positive Thursday.

“They look like outstanding Iowans,” said Senate Minority Leader Mary Lundby, R-Marion. “They certainly appear to be qualified.”

Lundby praised Culver for shaking up the board’s membership.

“I think it was a very wise thing to do, and it was necessary,” Lundby said.

Within hours praise had turned to grumbling as the Register announced two of the nominees "gave almost as much to [Culver's] gubernatorial campaign as more than 100 new appointees to state boards and commissions combined." Donations from Bonnie Campbell, David Miles and their spouses totaled over $60,000. Of the 180 appointments announced at the same time, the appointees represented over $135,000 which had been contributed to his campaign... or roughly $750 per person. What the article does not state, however, is how many out of the 180 gave no donations to the campaign. Toward the end, it does take note that overall the campaign raised more than $8.2 million.

Doing some quick math:
Miles and his wife gave $39,500
Campbell and her husband gave $23,000
David Erickson (Iowa Finance Authority Board) gave $29,500
Rich Eychaner (Iowa Civil Rights Commission) gave $15,000
Donald Timmins (Accountancy Examining Board) gave $4,500
Margaret Whitworth (Board of Pharmacy Examiners) gave $2,900
That's a total of $114,400
Subtract that from the $135,475 total listed in the Register and you're left with $21,075

There were originally 180 people appointed
Minus the six listed above
Leaves 174 people to share those remaining contributions.

Basically, if what was left was divided evenly among those remaining, it would amount to $121.12. Wow. Stop the presses.

"If he is that indebted to them and they are that indebted to him, you have to question it," she said. "It also creates the perception that you can buy an appointment. What will average Iowans think? 'God, I'll never aspire to a high committee in government because I simply can't afford it.' "

Well, obviously, we aren't the first to think of doing the math. For those wanting to make an issue of the campaign contributions, there was also another big roadblock: the other two nominees to the Board of Regents weren't supporters... they weren't even Democrats.

Craig Lang serves as President of the Iowa Farm Bureau, an organization which actively opposed the Culver-Judge gubernatorial ticket and donated at least $40,000 to the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Jack Evans, president of The Hall-Perrine Foundation, donated at least $1,750 to 2nd District Republican Congressional candidate Jim Leach and at least $250 to Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle.

When it became obvious that Iowans weren't buying the 'buying appointments' memo, a new complaint emerged. If confirmed, the new Board of Regents would have no representatives from Western Iowa serving. Previously Tom Bedell, of Spirit Lake, served on the Board but resigned following the chaos involved in the University of Iowa president search.

When the nominees appeared before the House Education Committee, Evans highlighted his governing role at Coe College while also pointing out that he was originally from Early (Sac County) in northwestern Iowa and continues to maintain a family farm in that area. Although the committee sent the nominees to the floor with only one dissenting vote, the confidence and geographical history didn't seem to be enough for Lundby.

“I grew up in Carroll,” said Senate Minority Leader Mary Lundby, R-Marion. “And you can ask my caucus any given day if I represent western Iowa. They will tell you no.”

Two-thirds of the Iowa Senate must approve for the nominees to be confirmed. Democrats control the chamber 30 to 20 which leaves them four votes shy of what is needed. The Iowa Board of Regents governs University of Iowa, Iowa City; Iowa State University, Ames; University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls; Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, Vinton; Iowa School for the Deaf, Council Bluffs; Lakeside Lab Regents Resource Center, Okoboji; Quad-Cities Graduate Center, Quad Cities; Southwest Iowa, Regents Resource Center, Council Bluffs; and Tri-State Graduate Center, Sioux City.

The Regent Nominees (taken from a press release by the Governor's office)

Bonnie Campbell: The only woman who has ever been Iowa's attorney general, a position she held from 1990 through 1994. Currently, she focuses on providing crisis management in publicized matters in her legal practice. She is a Democrat and lives in Des Moines.

Jack Evans: The president of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private Cedar Rapids philanthropic corporation. He sits on the Board of Directors of Gazette Communications and has experience on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange. He is a Republican and lives in Cedar Rapids.

Craig Lang: The president of the Iowa Farm Bureau, an organization that he joined in 1992, when he was elected as the District 6 representative. Along with his father and brother, Lang farms more than 1,000 acres, where they own 400 dairy operations. He is a Republican and lives in Brooklyn.

David Miles: The chief financial officer of Countryside Renewable Energy Inc. He has financial experience, which he developed as the executive vice president of Principal Mutual Funds. Miles is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a Democrat. He lives in West Des Moines.

Members of the Iowa House voted 54-40 to pass HF 611, known in most circles as the 'sex education bill.' Unfortunately, two amendments allowed blankets of ignorance to remain on many of Iowa's young.

Amendment 1493 inserts a sentence into the bill which allows state accredited but non-public schools to choose curriculum "in accordance with doctrinal teachings."

Amendment 1496 is both ignorant and unnecessary. It essentially offers an interpretation of the proposed law and, no doubt, was written to reassure certain constituents of the continued status of abstinence-based and abstinence-only programs. Perhaps members of the Iowa House need a lesson about the three branches of government?

The first amendment was proposed by Rep. Dave Heaton (R-Mt. Pleasant) and Rep. Jodi Tymeson (R-Winterset). The second amendment was put forth by Rep. Cindy Wincker (D-Davenport).

Lawmakers did, however, reject changes to allow groups such as the Heritage Foundation to be named as reliable sources of fact/research-based statements for sex education curriculum.

This bill was written and intended to ensure researced-based, age-appropriate sex education in Iowa schools. It also calls for school districts to provide such curriculum information to agencies and organizations upon request. When this law is in place any school which is accredited by the state will not be able offer statements in relation to intercourse, sexually transmitted disease and HIV/AIDS which are false and cannot be backed up by scientific research.

This is what makes the second amendment completely unnecessary. Not only is it attempting to interpret as well as create a law, but it is overlooking the scientific, research-based fact that the best way to avoid exposure to sexually transmitted disease, pregnancy and HIV/AIDS is to practice abstinence.

The doctrinal teachings bit is just one more nice, ineffective line in our law books which was placed there only to appease those who believe anything which doesn't force their own particular religious-based 'doctrine' on everyone is wrong. We can only hope those peace-loving, globally orgasmic folks don't head into Iowa and start up a school. (Then again, think of the homework assignments.)

An interesting item of note is the changes in lobbyist declarations since we last discussed the proposed law. Most recently the Concerned Women for America have stated their opposition. Of course the various right to life groups have opposed as well (although I'm still trying to wrap my head around why). We noted last time that the Iowa Association of Christian Schools was undecided on the bill (as of March 6), this surprisingly has not changed. There are no other religious-based lobbying groups who have remained either for or undecided on this bill. In the interim, it appears organized labor and the Iowa Coaltion Against Sexual Assault are promoting the bill.

Ironic as it may seem, the bill allows for each and every parent in Iowa to request his/her child not participate in the required sex education curriculum. So, schools that are comprised of families who believe sex education can and should only be taught in the home only need to provide waiver forms and the entire requirement can pretty much be dropped in the nearest litter box. Sure a district will still need to have a plan, but no one will ever have to benefit from it.

The bill was sent immediately to the Senate and should be placed in the record there at the start of next week. It will be interesting to see if state senators attempt to do the right thing and put some teeth back into the bill. It is possible since they've just sent SF 514 which calls for insurers to cover the HPV vaccine over to the House. And if that doesn't seem like excitement enough for you, SF 427 (an act relating to the Iowa civil rights Act and discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity) has been put into a house subcommittee for consideration.

If you have time, be sure to visit the Cedar Rapids Gazette article on this bill. Not only does it have some wonderful quotes from Rep. Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City), it lists some of the misinformation which has been distributed via sex education curricula prior to this bill. Here's a taste:

Poverty, depression, suicide and many other problems may be totally eliminated by remaining abstinent until marriage;

One half of gay male teens have tested positive for HIV;

A press release went out yesterday from the Iowa Department of Public Health "celebrating" May as "Asthma Awareness Month."

I commend both Gov. Chet Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge for their interest in this chronic disease and their quest to educate the Iowa public about it. While reading the press release, however, I noticed something odd. Viruses, often a trigger for asthma in both children and adults, was not on the list.

The first time my daughter had an attack, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. She had a bit of a runny nose the night before, but I didn't think much of it. The next morning, she began to cough a little and was obviously not feeling up to par. After a few sips of juice, she stretched out on the couch and fell asleep again. I woke her up an hour or so later because she had developed a fever and I wanted to give her some medicine for it.

Within a half an hour, she was having a very difficult time breathing. I called our pediatrician and headed to her office. The drive is maybe 20 minutes in heavy traffic, but it felt like a five hours. My sweet baby sounded like Darth Vader after running the Boston Marathon (or at least how I imagine he'd sound). I could see the skin being pulled in around certain parts of her neck when she would try to breathe. There were large dark spots under her eyes and her complextion was thin and pale.

As I carried her into the doctor's office, the nurse picked up the phone and called an ambulance. My daughter's lips and fingertips had a light blue look to them.

To my credit, I do very well under pressure -- especially when I think my children need me. I'm solid and tough for as long as I'm the one in charge during a crisis. Once I'm relieved of duty, however, I crumble like a day-old donut.

That's exactly what happened in the ambulance on the way to the emergency room... once my daughter passed out and the paramedics began working on her, my composure was shot.

It was late the next day before I began to relax again because it took that long to see improvement. Little by little, she began to breathe easier and her color returned. (It was days later before the dark circles disappeared.)

That was the first time she had an asthma attack, although no one was willing to actually call it that. The entire event took less than 16 hours. The obvious downhill failing of her breathing happened in under three hours. Still, it was considered like a fluke and we went back to life as usual. I don't remember how long it was until the next virus came along and the next asthma attack followed.

Soon we became the proud owners of a nebulizer and carried it everywhere. She had a standing prescription for oral steroids at the pharmacy.I began to learn how to recognize and run first defense against the attacks. Although that winter, she was admitted to the hospital six times. (At one point that winter I had one child in a half-body cast, another in the pediatrics unit and the third being prepped for out-patient surgery.)

Today -- and I write that literally meaning "these past 24 hours" -- we seem to have the asthma under control. Twice during the winter she developed a cold and was able to fight it and the asthma off without using oral steriods (although the nebulizer is still her friend). She is getting to the age when we'll soon know if this is something which will improve as she grows.

Former Gov. Tom Vilsack will be presented with the 2007 Interfaith Award during an annual awards dinner next week.

The award is being presented by The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in honor of his efforts to protect all children with anti-bullying legislation, to expand the Iowa Civil Rights Code to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and his commitment to maintain the separation of church and state during his two terms as Governor.

Vilsack made unsuccessful attempts during each of the past three years to get the Iowa legislature to pass a law requiring schools to establish anti-bullying policies, forbidding harassment against gay and lesbian students. In October of last year, Vilsack wrote a letter to school superintendents and principals, asking them to adopt no-tolerance policies in relation to bullying in their schools. In the letter he cited the results of a 2005 Iowa Youth Survey which found 43 percent of the kids questioned said students in their schools "do not treat each other with respect."

Vilsack continued to pound this issue throughout his final days at Terrace Hill, even while building his own Presidential campaign and drawing the ire of House Minority Leader Chris Rants who told the Quad City Times, "The thing I thought was inappropriate was trying to tie the memory of our fallen soldiers to this notion of providing special rights to gays and lesbians in our schools. I don’t think that’s how our soldiers necessarily want their sacrifice to be remembered.”

Despite Vilsack's urging, however, he was never allowed to sign his 2004 initiative into law. Current Gov. Chet Culver signed the measuring this past March.

The keynote speaker for the dinner will be Rabbi Jack Moline, a national leader in the Conservative Jewish tradition. He is the current chairperson of The Interfaith Alliance (national) and has been the rabbi at the Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, VA since 1987. He was formerly co-chair of the Social Action Committee of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and is currently chair of the Social Action Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly. Moline served as president of the Washington Board of Rabbis and is past chair of the Alexandria Interfaith Association.

Rabbi Moline has advised and written for many public figures, including President Bill Clinton, for who he composed much of President Clinton’s memorable eulogy for Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He has also written two books, Growing Up Jewish, a book of humor, and Jewish Leadership and Heroism.

Reservations are required to attend the dinner which will be held at the Olmsted Center at Drake University this Thursday, May 17. Contact the office of The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa at (515) 279-8715 or tiaiowa@dwx.com to make reservations or for more information.

It is alive!

Those who were around Iowa in 2004 may remember the First in the Nation web site put together by the Iowa Department of Economic Development: IowaCaucus.org

Yup, someone took the old girl into the back room, fluffed up her dress, applied some new war paint and sent her back out to the greeting line.

This morning Gov. Chet Culver's office announced the launch of the site, now dubbed "Iowa Caucus 2008: First in the Nation." It will once again serve as a statewide, non-partisan resource for news media, campaign staff and the public on the caucus, Iowa quality of life and something called "Iowa's new economy."

Iowa ranks 'first in the nation' in the production of ethanol, E-85 and biodiesel fuels, and is third in wind energy production. The state was also ranked first by Forbes Magazine in overall quality of life.

"The Iowa Caucuses give us an opportunity to showcase the state's strengths on a world stage," Culver said in a released statement. "Most Americans know that the state is 'first in the nation' in the presidential campaign, but may not be aware of Iowa's leadership role in renewable energy or our top ranking in quality of life. It's time for Americans to learn what 21st century Iowa has to offer."

The change to the informational site has taken place within the past two weeks. Google's cached version from May 18, while missing graphics, shows the 2004 text.

Content has been updated to reflect present-day information, but the types of content offered haven't changed much. Caucus facts, major employers, candidate information, links to caucus experts and state fact sheets remain a part of the offerings.

A new website to highlight the need for sustainable communities and working with government to bring about progressive change.

Former state lawmaker Ed Fallon and longtime activist Lynn Heuss sent a letter to supporters this morning about the public launch of the site -- www.IMforIowa.com -- as part of an initiative he began during his gubernatorial campaign in 2006.

"One of the key strategies of our 'Independence Movement' is to advocate for sustainable living," Heuss said in the announcement. "What we mean by that is: we believe in supporting communities and neighborhoods that support themselves -- that have a vibrant downtown or shops within walking distance from housing with locally-owned businesses that provide goods and services to residents. Not only does this have a significant and beneficial impact on the local level by supporting the people who own the businesses who then support the community, it is where we all have the opportunity to address national and global problems like reducing our use of fossil fuels if we aren't driving as far to shop."

Fallon, a former representative from Des Moines, and Heuss request that site visitors provide contact information for businesses such as grocery stores, restaurants, barbershops, hardware stores, pharmacies and more in their community. The businesses, however, must be locally owned and "big box" stores are excluded.

The goals of the initiative, however, are loftier than just creating a list of locally owned businesses. The group plans to actively advocate for progressive legislative changes and progressive legislators -- especially in the realm of Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE), local control over factory farms and universal health care.

In an earlier letter to supporters, Heuss, also of Des Moines, explained how she came to believe working from within government system was the best way to bring about change.

"My greatest cause of frustration," she wrote, "was the seeming lack of compassion and concern by those in politics for the well-being of the poor. I had, up until my conversation with Ed, simply believed that one could work more effectively for justice through religion. Naively, I didn't anticipate the level of politics involved in our religious institutions. That, then, is what led me to jump back into governmental politics with both feet, including working on Ed's gubernatorial campaign, as his clerk for the 2006 session, and now I'M for Iowa. If it takes getting involved in the system to change it -- I decided I wanted to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."

As stated on the organization's website, I'M for Iowa is developing a network of Iowans working for:

• Independence from special-interest campaign contributions
• Independence from poverty, injustice and discrimination
• Independence from fossil fuels
• Independence from government subsidies for big business, from risky ventures that waste our tax dollars while failing to deliver on promises of economic prosperity, and from national chains that exert a stranglehold on our communities
• Independence from government officials who operate without the public's interests in mind, often behind the closed doors, and with a lack of integrity and accountability

To tackle that agenda, I'M for Iowa plans to recruit and assist progressive candidates, provide grassroot support for legislative initiatives to enact VOICE, provide leadership to encourage changes in personal habits and public policies related to global warming, broaden the base of the movement through public speaking and media events, and to network with Iowans concerned about these issues.

It's so exciting that former Iowa Rep. Jim Nussle has been tapped to take over as White House Budget Director! Now I can re-run my favorite ad from the Iowa gubernatorial race:

No doubt Nussle isn't walking out of Iowa so much as he is running from the torches and pitch forks of his fellow GOPers after he dubbed their Ames Straw Poll as "an American Idol style circus ...that is meaningless."

I do remember the good folks over the Iowa forum at Democratic Underground had a contest of sorts to guess the date when Nussle would high-tail it back to the beltway. I wonder if anyone thought he'd stick around this long?

And, if you want the real skinny on this development, better head over to Iowa Independent. Given Nussle's track record with our tax dollars, we can't stop alternating between fits of hysterical laughter and uncontrollable sobs long enough to post something serious.

Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge will be hosting a series of Wellness Town Hall meetings throughout the state in the coming weeks. Led by her Commission on Wellness and Healthy Living, these meetings are designed to begin a conversation across the state centered on new and innovative ways to improve the health of Iowans.

Ideas discussed at the meetings will be recorded by officials from the Iowa Dept. of Public Health. The ideas will then be used as the Culver/Judge administration formulates new policy initiatives for the 2008 legislative session.

Judge will attend the following meetings:

Tuesday, July 10 @ Fort Dodge
Celebration Center at Friendship Haven, 420 Kenyon Rd.
5 to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, July 17 @ Sioux City
Briar Cliff University, Stark Student Center, Assisi Room, 330 Rebecca St.
7 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 18 @ Newton
Newton Public Library, 100 N. 3rd Ave.
5:30 to 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 6 @ Cedar Rapids
Mercy Medical Center, Hallagan Education Room, 701 10th St. SE
5 to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, August 7 @ Cedar Falls
UNI, Gallegher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Davis Hall
2 to 4 p.m.

Additional meetings (without Judge in attendance) will be held:

Wednesday, July 11@ Burlington
Chamber of Commerce Meeting Room, 610 N. 4th St.
4 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, July 12 @ Davenport
Kahl Education Center, Room 1006, 326 W 3rd St.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 19 @ Mason City
Liberty Room, 22 N. Georgia
4 to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, July 24 @ Oskaloosa
Mahaska County Extension Office, 21 N. I St.
6 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, July 25 @ Atlantic
Atlantic Library, 507 Poplar St.
4 to 7 p.m.

"We must begin to discuss new and innovative ways to increase wellness," Judge said. "By doing so, we will be able to increase the health of Iowans and give everyone a healthier outlook for the future -- from the youngest child to the oldest senior. I hope to see as many Iowans as possible during these events, and I encourage everyone to join with us as we begin this conversation."

The Commission includes at least one member for each congressional district. The members are Dr. Seldon Spencer (chair), Sen. Maggie Tinsman, Sharon Yearous, Kim Dorn and Art Silva.

Three of Iowa's community foundations are a little more flush today, thanks to matching grants from Endow Iowa.

Gov. Chet Culver joined the Iowa Council of Foundations and the