Tuesday, February 8

I pledge allegiance... I pledge allegiance... it didn't help when the rep standing beside me in the well told me not to say oh say can you see...  fortunately it didn't mess me up.  I can now say I have addressed the Iowa House of Representatives.

A part of the job which has become more annoying is that the temperature in the chamber is about ten degrees warmer than everyplace else.  It wouldn't be so bad except after 25 minutes of nonstop, three-messages-at-a-time errand running, the blazer and slacks and everything in between get plenty... cozy.  I eventually ran ice cold water on my wrists in the restroom.  Boy did that feel good, although a couple of reps gave me a funny look (I'm used to it by now).

The rotunda was full (as in not walkable) of people wanting to see reps.  It was these reps, however, who seemed to disappear into the marble.  Busy busy busy.

In the afternoon, HF 185 was debated.  This set the "state percent for allowable growth" for education at 0%.  It's simply the raise that the state gives in funding compared to the previous year (or, in this case, it's going to be the same as before).  The Republicans said it was the best way to go because last year the Democrats made the across-the-board cuts (a.k.a. they didn't follow through on their promise of funding) and the Republicans also argued that the state needed to cut spending as much as possible.  The Democrats, who proposed an amendment (that failed) which raised funding 2% instead of 0%, argued that an increase (which accounts for inflation etc.) is necessary simply to keep schools alive.  Of course, the Republicans passed the bill.