Under the Golden Dome, Too

Upmeyer geared up for another term

     It is hard to believe but the holidays are almost here. I am looking forward to spending time with family over Thanksgiving and I hope you have the chance to do the same. With the early arrival of winter weather, we will have to throw an extra log on the fire.

     I wanted to take a moment to thank the good people of Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo county for their support. It is humbling to have been elected to another term in the Iowa House of Representatives. Serving in the House is an honor but it is made special because of the members of our community I get to work for.

     Your encouragement, ideas and energy are what I take with me to the Capitol. I am proud to represent you and I am thankful for your support on election day.

     Following the election, I was lucky enough to be re-elected by my peers as the Iowa House Majority Leader. This provides a unique chance to guide the discussion and the process in the legislature.

     As the Majority Leader, I will continue to focus on the priorities that Iowans have said are important. That starts with building on the progress we have made on the budget. It will be challenging, but if we stick with our common sense budgeting principles we will be successful.

     I will be focused on delivering a world-class education for our students. We need to improve access to programs and training in high demand and good-paying jobs like advanced manufacturing. We should promote policies that make Iowa a more competitive work environment in order to increase career opportunities.

     I also want to honor our veterans as they come home. One of the biggest struggles our nation’s heroes face is trying to find work. That is why I fully support the Home Base Iowa program and the Iowa companies who are participating. I was excited to see that Franklin County is working on becoming a Home Base Iowa Community. I am confident more counties will follow suit and roll the red carpet out for veterans.

     Iowa should be the best state in the nation to raise a family, get an education and grow a business. Like I have in the past, I am willing to work with anyone on solutions that help us accomplish that goal.

     Thank you for giving me the opportunity to continue this work. I look forward to the next few years and what we can accomplish.

     If you have any questions or have comments you would like to share, you can always reach me at Linda.Upmeyer@legis.iowa.gov or at 515-281-4618.