E-mail from Gov. Vilsack

This information has also been posted on the Governor's web site

My fellow Iowans,

As Governor, I have the great pleasure of traveling across this state visiting with community members and local leaders. I have held countless forums in Iowa communities about education, health care, the economy and the state budget. I have learned a lot from Iowans and what makes me most proud to be Governor of this state is the values we all hold dear –responsibility, opportunity and security.

In my budget recommendations to legislators, I funded those values – I called on legislators to act now to uphold our responsibility to every Iowa child by investing in comprehensive early education and health care; to provide opportunities to every Iowa graduate by investing in more high-wage, high-skilled jobs; and to provide health care security for every Iowan, especially those most vulnerable.

This Friday (March 11) is funnel day in the General Assembly. That means any proposed measure or bill that hasn’t won committee approval will not reach the Senate or House floor for debate. This means measures to provide early childhood education for our children, efforts to protect kids from bullying and harassment in schools, measures to ensure long-term living options for Iowa’s seniors, and the Iowa Values Fund, the most successful economic development tool this state has ever created, are in jeopardy.

This is the time to make sure your legislator knows you want your values funded. Please phone your legislators 515-281-3221 (House) and 515-281-3371 (Senate), or email them by going to http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Legislators/LegislatorInfo.aspx. Please help make sure Iowa’s children have every chance to succeed, every family has the security they need and Iowa’s communities have every opportunity to grow, expand and create more jobs.

The time to act is now.

Sincerely,

Thomas J. Vilsack, Governor