Congressman Leonard Boswell praised Randy and Ellen Omvig this afternoon for working to protect veterans like their son Joshua, who committed suicide after suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Randy Omvig told a crowd at the Iowa Statehouse when he and his family began working with the Democratic congressman it was their hope to save just one life.

It is now 300-plus lives and counting that have been affected, said Omvig. He said components of the federal bill have rescued more than 300 soldiers and thousands have called a veterans hotline.

"The Veterans Suicide Prevention Act is where it should be out and working for our veterans," said Omvig, whose son was 22 years old when he took his own life in 2005 after returning from Iraq.

Omvig said he wasn't sure if this law could have saved his son, but added Josh would have had a better chance to survive.

Boswell, who authored the bill, said this legislation not only honors veterans for their service to their country, but gets them the necessary mental health care they may need upon returning home from their tour of duty.

"I am positive, positive, this legislation will begin to save lives," Boswell said.

• Listen to audio of the presentation

Gov. Chet Culver challenged Iowans to learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King, and lives their lives by his example at a ceremony Jan. 21 at the State Historical Building.

• See a photo from the ceremony
• Listen to audio from the ceremony
• Read IowaPolitics.com coverage

House Minority Leader Christopher Rants said he was "extremely disappointed" that Gov. Chet Culver pushed "the most divisive issue this General Assembly has faced in a long time, and that's the gutting of Iowa's right-to-work law."

He also said the speech sent the message that "tax increases are on the horizon."

Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, said she was interested in Culver's rhetoric on cooperation and bipartisan unity.

"We as Democrats, if anything, do that better than anybody in terms of reaching across the aisle and working in a bipartisan fashion," she said.

She also called the proposed bottle deposit increase "an uphill battle" but "do-able."

Labels: 2008_session, Legislature, video

After Gov. Chet Culver's Condition of the State speech House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, said he wants to work with Republicans to find a solution to transportation budget shortfalls.

"Everybody wants to make it out as an election year, but we still have to govern," Murphy said. "We will look at (raising fees on) pick-up trucks and different proposals out there to see what we can do. We will look at what kind of funds we can raise for infrastructure issues."

• Listen to audio of Murphy

Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck, R-Sioux City, addressed Gov. Chet Culver's call for civility.

"We went through the entire session last year to the best of my memory and we were allowed to get one Republican-drafted bill out of the Senate. And I believe we got less than 10 amendments," Wieck said. "If we want to have civility and if we want to have bi-partisan cooperation, we need to listen to each other. Sen. Gronstal is not listening to the Republican voices in the senate unless he wants to raise taxes. And then, he wants us to help him do the heavy lifting. So if we continue to raise taxes on the backs of Iowa's families you will not hear civility from Ron Wieck."

• Listen to audio of Wieck

• Rep. Jodi Tymeson, R-Winterset
• Rep. Mike Reasoner, D-Creston

Labels: 2008_session, audio, Legislature

The 2008 session of the Iowa Legislature is under way and top House Dems addressed members of the media about the issues that could arise in the weeks ahead, shooting down discussion that this would be a "do-nothing" Legislature.

Minority leaders Rep. Christopher Rants and Sen. Ron Wieck also addressed the press. They challenged Dems on taxes and spending.

Click below for more video, plus audio and text from today's session.

• Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal
• Prepared text of Gronstal's remarks
• Senate President Jack Kibbie
• Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck
• Prepared text of Wieck's remarks
• House Speaker Pat Murphy
• Prepared text of Murphy's remarks
• Video of Murphy honoring state Rep. Ray Zirkelbach, D-Monticello, who had missed the past two legislative sessions while serving in Iraq.
• House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
• Prepared text of McCarthy's remarks
• House Minority Leader Christopher Rants
• Prepared text of Rants' remarks

Labels: 2008_session, audio, Legislature, video

Mike Huckabee's campaign today said it was launching an ad titled "Tax Cuts Matter" in Iowa, even though a Monday note to supporters said the ad would be playing exclusively in New Hampshire.

The ad discusses his record as governor of Arkansas, saying he cut taxes more than 90 times and left behind a budget surplus.

• See the ad script and press release

Labels: ad, Mike Huckabee, video

In concert with a full-page ad his campaign purchased in today's Des Moines Register, John Edwards' campaign is planning to air a 60-second ad featuring former Maytag employee Doug Bishop, who argues that Edwards is ready to fight for "saving the middle class and American jobs in the face of corporate greed.

• See the press release and ad script

Labels: ad, John Edwards, video