Paul McKinley is the Iowa Senate Republican Leader

Iowans received more sobering news on the economy late last week. Unemployment ticked up to 6.9 percent with 116,800 Iowans out of work – an increase of 2,600 from the month before.

This news comes as Governor Culver is traveling the state touting his $1.7 billion dollar I-JOBS program that he promised would create 30,000 jobs and spur an economic revitalization of Iowa’s economy. But since unveiling his I-JOBS idea during the Condition of the State address in January 2009, Iowa has actually lost over 30,000 jobs while nearly $1.7 billion has been added to the state’s credit card.

Based on employment numbers from Iowa Workforce Development, the graph below illustrates the month by month unemployment numbers …

I was given the opportunity to sit on the floor of the Iowa House (thanks to Erik Helland) during tonight’s public forum on House File 2420, which allows unions to collects fees from employees that work in the Executive Branch of the Iowa government to cover the costs of contract bargaining and grievance assistance. It became clear that the new selling title for this bill is “Reasonable Reimbursement”.

In the Iowa House chamber, there were 58 speakers today, 32 in favor and 28 against House File 2420.

Almost every speaker in favor of the bill had little more to say than “everyone benefits, so everyone should pay”. Not much explanation why someone who does not want to be represented by a union has to …

Evidently anticipating a challenging public presence (although as of 5:10 PM there are only about 100 people in the Iowa House galleries), Speaker Murphy provided the following list of rules:

1. Persons signing up to testify will be permitted on the House floor during a public hearing.
2. To testify, members of the public will be required to enter the House chamber through the main entrance off the rotunda and will be required to sign-in.
3. Testifiers on the House floor during a public hearing are restricted to the area in the rear of the chamber and may not sit at legislators’ desks or clerks’ desks.
4. Testimony will be received at microphones located in the rear of the House chamber.
5. Each legislator may bring no more than one

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I need to apologize that I have been unable, in recent weeks, to keep this blog current for you.  As most of you know, I have discontinued my radio show due to the time commitment, and hope to get more writing done as a result.  Your kind patience is appreciated.  And now…

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At 5:00 PM this afternoon a public forum is scheduled to hear comments on Democrats attempt to tear apart Iowa’s long history as a Right To Work state (House File 2420, formally HSB 702).  It will be held in the Iowa House Chamber (details provided by Shane Vander Hart last week).  I will be there and will provide updates via Twitter and an updated …

From Iowa House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen’s office:

(DES MOINES)—Today in the House Labor committee, Democrats assigned a bill which would gut Iowa’s right to work law. House Study Bill 702 is an attempt by House Democrats to take away Iowans’ choice to join a union.

Iowa’s right to work law guarantees that no person can be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join, not join or pay any fees to a labor union. Iowa’s right to work law has been in place since 1947. This bill is a direct attack on hard-working Iowans’ liberties.

“It is simply wrong to tell someone they must give their hard-earned dollars to an organization they have chosen not to be a member of,” said House Republican Leader

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Today Iowa’s Governor Culver walked up to the brink of his career, looked down, and jumped.  The lead up to this event were announcements that he would “set the record straight” on the budget, provide “big, bold” ideas for Iowa and a “surprise” for schools.  All of these sound like great sound bites to attract viewers, but Chet needed a compelling message and earnest delivery.  Instead, he brought the same “rah-rah” cheer that has kept Iowa spending itself into oblivion, with a severe lack of enthusiasm in his voice.  And the best word he could use to describe the condition of Iowa: resilient.

Chet’s speech was a big “cheer” for IJOBs, a contentious program at best, and he was heavily defensive of the …

(DES MOINES)—House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) commented on the governor’s condition of the state address today.

“The governor needs to be straight with Iowans, he has raised taxes to balance his budget and that is unacceptable.  Balancing the budget is not good enough if it’s on the backs of the taxpayer.

“Among others, the governor has signed utility tax increases, raised taxes on Iowa employers,  and a $250 million tax levied on property tax payers.  The governor has repeatedly proposed and signed over a half a billion dollars in tax increases.

“Iowa families have been tightening their belts but, they can no longer be asked to carry the weight of this governor’s mistakes and mismanagement.”…

After three years of job losses, unbalanced budgets and property tax increases, Governor’s record does not match his rhetoric.

DES MOINES, IA – Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) issued the following statement today regarding Governor Culver’s Condition of the State Address delivered to a joint session of the 83rd General Assembly:

“I reject the notion that Governor Culver has balanced the budget without raising taxes. Iowans are faced with the reality of higher property taxes and they know better than to believe the governor’s hollow rhetoric.

“Governor Culver cannot continue promoting legislation that creates barriers to job growth, encourages employers to leave our state, raises property taxes and expect Iowans to believe he is serious about creating long-term private sector jobs.

“The Governor and …

Tomorrow is Governor Culver’s big Condition of the State speech (or “State of the State” speach, which some have dubbed an “SOS”).  We will be at the Statehouse watching the speech, providing commentary here at The Conservative Reader: Iowa, at The Des Moines Register’s web site and on The Conservative Reader Report (www.desmoineslocallive.com) in the afternoon at 3:00 PM.

On the show I will have Iowa House Member Erik Helland from Polk County, and Senator Shawn Hamerlinck from Senate District 42 (parts of Scott and Clinton Counties), along with Kim Lehman, President of Iowa Right to Life and Iowa’s Committee Woman to the Republican National Committee (RNC).

During the first hour we’ll be talking about the Condition of the State speech, along with …

DES MOINES, IA – Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) today delivered his opening day speech of the second session of the 83rd Iowa General Assembly on the floor of the Iowa Senate. His remarks, as prepared for delivery, are as follows:

“Thank you Mr. President.

Friends and colleagues:

There is an ancient Chinese curse that says, “May you live in interesting times.” Is there any doubt that we live in interesting times?

As we start this new legislative session in this new decade, we are faced with a great number of challenges. Before the gavel falls for the final time this year, I know this body will be asked to act on many of these challenges. We are all going to be asked to …