End of Session Remarks - 2008
Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. I will try to be brief because I know it is very late.
First, I just want to say a few thank you’s. First to you, Speaker Murphy. It has been good to be a part of your team. You are a good, loyal friend. You wear your heart on your sleeve. I think you’re an honest person. It has been a pleasure to serve with you.
Secondly, I want to thank my staff: Mark Langgin and Brian Meyer. And, I also want to thank Bonnie, you’ve been a great Page, I hope it has been a good experience for you.
I would like to thank all the staff in the Speakers office. They have been fantastic to work with and also Chief Clerk Mark Brandsgard and all of your staff, as well as Paulee Lipsman and the caucus staff. Thank you all very much for all your work.
It may surprise you to believe that I have a somewhat different take on this legislative session. Perhaps slightly more up beat. I think this has been an historic session. And I think these last two years will go down as one of the best general assemblies ever, in the history of Iowa. Let me tell you why I think that is the case.
When House Democrats first came into power, about a year and a half ago, we said that we were going to try to work in a bi-partisan way and we were going to be a party that would govern from the mainstream, not the extreme. I think we have done just that - and middle class families are better off now as a result.
