Capitol Digest -- Monday, March 23

PUPPY'S BEST FRIEND: Rep. Jim Lykam, D-Davenport, has received the Humane Society of the United States' Human State Legislator Award winner for 2008. Lykam led an effort to pass anti-dog fighting legislation last year that increased the penalty for being a spectator at a dog fight.

FOREGIVEN SOONER: Forgivable loans made through the Iowa Jumpstart housing assistance program would be forgiven after just five years if the owner stays in the home that long under SF 289, which was unanimously approved by the House Rebuild Iowa Committee Monday. The bill, already approved 47-0 by the Senate, would reduce the loan principal by one-fifth each full year the eligible resident owns the home.

 CORE WEBSITE: The Iowa Department of Education announced a new Iowa Core Curriculum website at www.corecurriculum.iowa.gov to help parents and citizens learn more about statewide academic expectations for K-12 students. The website details skills and concepts all Iowa students must know in literacy, math, science, social studies, and 21st century learning skills. The latter category covers civic literacy, financial literacy, technology literacy, health literacy,

and employability skills. Superintendents, principals, and other education leaders in Iowa currently are receiving training on how to implement the core curriculum in high schools by 2012-2013 and in K-8 grades by 2014-2015.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The last thing we would want to do is to have to raise tuition dramatically at a time when we have more and more Iowans coming to us for job skill upgrading, and many, many more displaced workers." - Steve Ovel, a Kirkwood College executive who lobbies the Legislature on behalf of all 15 Iowa community colleges.