Capitol Digest 3-22-10

NEW GOP ASSISTANTS

House Republicans elected Reps. Erik Helland of Johnston and Renee Schulte of Cedar Rapids as assistant minority leaders Monday. Republicans had an opening on thei9r leadership team after Rep. Rod Roberts, R-Carroll, resigned. He's seeking the party's nomination for governor. Schulte and Helland will work with House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, and the leadership team to set the agenda for the House Republican caucus. As assistant leaders, they will relay information to fellow members, while also serving as a point-person on key legislative issues. 

Both Helland and Schulte were elected to the Iowa House in 2008. 

BE PREPARED – FOR THE WORST As Flood Awareness Month continues throughout March, the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division reminds citizens they have an important role to play in their state's disaster preparedness.

“While it is the responsibility of government to ensure Iowa is prepared to respond to disasters, citizens play a vital role by making sure they know how they will take care of themselves and their families,” said Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Administrator David L. Miller.

He recommended three steps for citizens to take to be prepared for flooding or any emergency or disaster in their community: learn about and stay aware of the flood risk in their area; listen to radio and television stations for the latest warnings and watches and purchase a NOAA Weather Radio; and work with family members to put together a family emergency plan so they will know who to contact if they are separated in an emergency and where they will go if they are told to evacuate.

For more information on individual and family preparedness, visit www.bereadyiowa.org.

TXT BAN VOTE 2MORO The Iowa House plans to take up a proposed ban on texting while driving Tuesday, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said.

Based on a House-Senate conference committee report, Iowans would be prohibited from writing, sending or reading text messages while driving but law officers could not use that as a primary reason to make a traffic stop.

The compromise version of HF 2456 allows texting exemptions for drivers engaged in public safety duties, a health care professional in the course of an emergency situation and a driver receiving safety-related information such as emergency, traffic or weather alerts. The texting ban also does not apply global positioning or navigation systems.

QUOTE OF THE DAY “I can safely say that now we are a purple nation.” – Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, in touting the University of Northern Iowa basketball team's success in the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament.