A week of compromise closes this legislative session. After nearly a week of political posturing, both political parties decided it was in the best interest of Iowa and Iowans to find that middle ground compromise that no one is satisfied with, but both sides are willing to accept. It is reported that this has been the third longest session in the history of the Iowa Legislature. This extended session cost very little because legislators did not receive pay or expense money, nor are clerks employed, after the end of April.

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It was a long weekend for most members of the Iowa House. My wife and I were able to attend the Tribute to Neil Diamond and the Deborah Raymond performance. Many of you will remember Deborah as a hometown girl who has performed internationally. Being able to attend Broadway and Branson, Missouri class-entertainment in Fairfield at Fairfield prices is certainly a plus for rural Iowa living. 

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I hope everyone had a Happy Easter and were able to spend time and thought reflecting on the real values in our lives. Holidays are often the only time families gather together, and we are able to slow down from the rapid pace of life, and undo some of the stress of our lives. 

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I spent the weekend talking with constituents about their concerns regarding a nuclear power plant being built in Iowa. In summary, they expressed their concern for safety, as well as a bailout of an investor-owned utility company, MidAmerican. Safety is on the mind of almost everyone with the recent Japanese accident. I’m concerned that human error, technological error, and natural disaster could combine to cause a huge problem – making a large part of Iowa unsuitable for life or the growing of crops.

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It was another busy weekend with a KRUU radio station interview and a speech to Iowa driver education teachers. Diane and I also managed a short visit with our daughter, son-in-law, and two preschool granddaughters. 

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The weekend was filled with constituent contacts and the Ottumwa Riverview Forum. I was pleasantly pleased to see so many people attending the last scheduled Ottumwa forum on such a nice day.   I also attended the 2^nd Congressional District Central Committee meeting where the discussion included the topic of the recently released redistricting map. The map, if adopted, would change District 90 from its present boundaries to a new district number of 82. 

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Last Friday I was pleased to tour the Eddyville Iowa Bioprocessing Center. This is an industrial center where four international companies have clustered together, investing more than $1.5 billion dollars in plants engaging in value-added agriculture products. 

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Public forums with the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce and the Jefferson and Van Buren County Farm Bureau members kept me busy this weekend. In addition, I attended a rally on Sunday in Ottumwa and met with constituents. 

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Monday at the Capitol we started with a fire alarm. I never did find out if this was a false alarm or a security breach. Things continued to be both unusual and tender as one of the young troopers assigned to the Capitol Security Force proposed marriage to a secretary of one of the other representatives. I wonder if this was the first time in history that a marriage proposal was made and accepted on the floor of the Iowa House of Representatives during an actual session. I wish the young couple well and many years of martial bliss!

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It was another busy weekend as I attended the League of Women Voters Forum held in Ottumwa, and then traveled to the Annual Child Care Conference held in Fort Madison.  

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Last Saturday, February 26, I met with representatives of the Jefferson and Van Buren Farm Bureau. The discussion covered a broad area of interest to area farmers, including Pseudorabies testing of swine and control of the ever increasing deer population. I was informed that damage to crops caused by deer may be as high as 30 percent of the expected yield. 

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I tried to pack a lot into this past weekend. The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce Forum was held on Saturday, February 19. It was nice to see so many at the forum. I was sorry to learn that Brent Willet, who is currently the Executive Director of the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce, has accepted another position.   Brent’s expertise will be missed.

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Monday was a beautiful day as the snow started to melt. I hope the melting continues slowly and we are able to avoid spring floods. I plan to attend a briefing on March 2 about the Iowa Spring Precipitation and Flooding Outlook to be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines. 

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This week started with a class explaining the new Iowa Legislative Website (http://www.legis.iowa.gov). The goal of this website is to make legislative information readily available to the public, staff, and legislators. The more information that is available to the public the more transparent our government becomes.   When citizens have accurate up-to-date information, the hope is that government will become more responsive to the people. This is a complex website that will require the user to become familiar with its many features. Please don’t become discouraged if at first you find it a bit over-whelming.   

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Iowans have much to be thankful for. Our treasury is nearly full and consideration is being given in this Chamber to give sizeable refunds to corporations and taxpayers. We are among the states leading our economy back from the brink of disaster. I recently learned that tourism is a 32 million dollar industry in Fairfield and Jefferson County. The tourism industry employs 360 people in Jefferson County. I have not seen the tourism numbers for Van Buren County; however, I suspect those numbers would also be positive.

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