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Welcome

During the interim between legislative sessions, I find myself traveling to many meetings and dedications. I recently served on a legislative panel at an Indian Hills Community College Environmental Science Class. I was impressed by both the student’s knowledge and the broad range of student questions.

A new Career Academy was recently opened in Sigourney. In today’s world, many people will find it necessary to change careers and retrain. At a Career Academy, you may find a high school student in class beside a 40 year old adult who is learning a new occupation. As I talk with businessmen, industry and educators in Jefferson, Van Buren and Wapello Counties, I find an increased interest in opening additional Career Academies to serve the needs of the area.

The Legislature made good on another promise to Iowa’s middle class families – all four-year olds would have access to a quality preschool so they enter school ready to learn thanks to the state’s voluntary preschool program.

I attended the dedication of the new Cambridge expansion located northeast of Fairfield on the Pleasant Plain Road. Cambridge employs nearly 360 local people from five (5) surrounding counties. Businesses like Cambridge are becoming an increasingly important part of our Southern Iowa economy. Cambridge expects to increase its number of employees this year and is considering another expansion!

Main Street expansion in Iowa is very important. This year the Iowa Legislature appropriated $8.5 Million for the Main Street Program. I expect small business to be a very important part of the economic recovery.

New reports show Iowa’s economy is slowly gaining strength. Twenty percent (20%) of the energy Iowans use is now produced by renewable sources. Iowa now manufactures all three components (towers, generators and blades) needed to construct the wind farms with which Iowans are becoming more familiar. Sioux City will soon be the home of another company that will produce blades for the huge wind-powered generators.

John Deere reported their earnings were up and they had a 52% increase in sales of heavy construction equipment. In an effort to keep good paying jobs, John Deere received an assistance package to modernize its Waterloo foundry. Over 12,700 Iowans are employed by John Deere. The Des Moines Register reported that our Iowa economy is being boosted by higher retail sales, stronger factory output and a raise in company stockpiles.

Iowa has a AAA Bond Rating, a balanced budget, money in a reserve rainy day fund and a debt load that is near the bottom (best) of all of the states. The Iowa employment outlook was recently ranked third in the nation. Businesses will like a new report that ranked Iowa the 10th best in the nation for our tort liability climate. Des Moines was ranked a #1 place to raise a family according to a Forbes study. We have much to be proud of and we need to get our story out to families and businesses across the land! Iowa is in a much stronger position to take advantage of the recovery than many states.

I continue reaching out to those in District 90 so please feel free to contact me:

Representative Curt Hanson
801 N. Court St.
Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2235
641-472-3349 (H)
641-919-2314 (C)