Last week, I had the privilege of attending the 11th annual Iowa Christian Academy Celebration.  A very special thank you to Charles Croyle and his wife Lisa, who invited me to attend as their guest.  The evening featured several wonderful presentations by ICA students, a dramatic presentation by Mr. Michael Ernst as Charles Carroll (the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence), and capped off by a speech by Bryan English of the Iowa Family Policy Center.

Iowa Christian Academy an independent Christian school in West Des Moines.  Their mission statement reads:  “Founded in 1999, Iowa Christian Academy (ICA) is an independent, interdenominational school meeting the educational needs of preschool through 12th grade students. ICA is an accredited college-preparatory school that provides academic excellence in a nurturing Christian environment. ICA works in partnership with families to help students become all that God intended them to be.” It was clear from the evening’s celebration that they executing this mission well.

The central theme of the evening’s program was on American history, government and civic responsibility.  It was encouraging to see future leaders of our country who understand the proper role of government in society.  Three students stood together to recite the Gettysburg Address from memory, while others presented portions of the Declaration of Independence.   It was a challenge to me that I need to go back and re-read some of our founding documents again.

I particularly enjoyed Mr. Ernst’s dramatic interpretation of Charles Carroll.  Mr. Ernst’s organizaion called “His Men Revealed” .  From their website:

His Men Revealed is the drama ministry of Michael J. Ernst, which includes a series of presentations, programs and workshops. Mike makes characters come alive to present Christian messages and reveal men who have shaped our faith.  His Men Revealed offers personalized programs for churches, schools and community organizations.

Mr. Ernst treated us to a history of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding principles upon which our country was built.  Mr. Ernst’s work was very much appreciated, and I look forward to seeing him again in the near future.

The evening was capped off by Bryan English’s speech.  Through his work with IFPC, Bryan has become a leader in the movement to allow the people of Iowa the right to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage in Iowa.  Bryan understands very well that our state and our country are at a crossroads, and that our country needs great young people like the students at ICA.  The students at ICA are clearly going to be future leaders in our country, and that is a very good thing.

The last bill passed in the House was SF 478, the standing appropriations bill which appropriated over $450 million dollars from various state budget funds.  The standings bill also served as a catch-all bill for a wide range of policies that did not survive the regular committee process.  Last-minute items included a 5% city franchise fee on utility bills, an interim study committee on puppy mills, and increased fees for out-of-state deer hunting licenses.

A lot of high-profile legislation failed in the final days.  No labor bills were brought forward and there was no change to federal deductibility.  I will continue to oppose forced unionization, mandated wage rates and any attempt to take away most Iowans’ largest tax deduction.  Majority leadership also blocked all attempts to allow the people of Iowa a vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Despite falling tax revenues, economic trouble and massive overspending in previous years, this budget will be the largest in our state’s history.  To facilitate this extra spending, the receipt of federal stimulus money was used to “backfill” many of our ongoing spending obligations.  While this avoids making some painful cuts this year, we are facing a much larger budget gap once the stimulus money runs out.  We will soon be looking out over the cliff of a budget disaster.

We must do a better job of prioritizing our spending.  I will continue to offer suggestions of how we can fully fund the most essential functions of government while protecting Iowa taxpayers.

It continues to be a great honor to serve.  Over the interim, I look forward to spending time in the community, listening to your thoughts and ideas on how government can better reflect the will of the people.