“Rep. Jacoby is a veteran of the Iowa House who understands the impact the state budget has on building a strong middle class,” said McCarthy. “With a background in worker training at Kirkwood Community College and a small business owner, he is extremely qualified to lead us in crafting a responsible state budget.”

As the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Jacoby will help guide the state’s budget through nine separate budget subcommittees.

“I’m excited to serve in this new position in the Iowa House,” said Jacoby. “Right now, the state’s strong budget and $1 billion surplus put us in a good position for next session. We’re going to keep focused on growing Iowa’s middle class with good-jobs, worker training, affordable health care, and a world class education from preschool through college.”

Jacoby is a former member of the Coralville City Council and is serving his 5th term in the Iowa Legislature. He is a member of the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce, Carpenter’s 1260, the Victory Riders Association, and St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church. He and his wife, Lynette, have two daughters Ellie and Anna along with two rescue golden retrievers.

Rep. Jacoby replaces State Representative Tyler Olson of Cedar Rapids, who stepped aside from the spot while exploring a run for higher office. The 2014 session of the Iowa Legislature starts on Monday, January 13.

The business property tax credit created in the bill will focus relief on small businesses first. Once fully implemented, the credit will provide property tax relief on the first $145,000 of value of any commercial property in the state.

That means almost two thirds of the commercial properties, which are mostly small businesses, will see their property taxes reduced by about 40%.

Commercial property taxes will also be rolled back across the board by 10% over the next two years.  The state will offset the cost of this rollback to schools, cities, and counties.

Working families will also receive an additional $30 million more money in their pockets through an expansion of the state’s earned income tax credit.

To read more detailed information on this legislation click here.

Here are the end of session remarks from House Democratic Leader Kevin McCarthy:

Thank you Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker and this great body, this may go down as one of the shortest speeches ever given, of course I have no idea if that is correct or not, but it may be.

Let me just say “thank you” to our caucus staff and my staff. I want to thank Dave Schrader and Brian Meyer for allowing me to look halfway competent on some days. I want to thank the caucus staff with Joe Romano and Mary Braun, Dean, Rachelle, Anna, Freeland, Epley, Zeke and Gilde.

I also want to thank the Republican Caucus Staff. More often than not I think we worked together this year sharing information, and helping make the trains run on time. I want to thank you, Mr. Speaker and Majority Leader Upmeyer, this session has been our best session working together and trying to do right by Iowans.

My comments will be very brief. Unlike the gridlock that has paralyzed Washington, DC — the unwillingness to compromise, the unwillingness to govern, staking out positions and holding them to the last breath — we had some choices to make this week. As an institution, and as a chamber, we chose to behave like adults, ; to find common ground, and to govern. All of us today should be very proud to be part of this great body, this great institution, and even more proud to be Iowans.

Thank you.

Here is the full list of bills still alive by committee. It includes bills alive in both the House and Senate.

“We can’t let partisanship get in the way of protecting kids in our schools.  The bullying legislation has strong bipartisan support and many of the ideas in the bill came from the Governor’s Bullying Prevention Summit last fall,” said Hall. “There is no registered opposition to the bill and school administrators are in favor of the bill as well.”

House File 593 was approved by the House Education Committee earlier this year on a 22-1 vote. The bill protects kids by expanding Iowa’s anti-bullying law to include social media and other school-related circumstances.  Rep. Hall has also been working with the Governor to add a parental notification provision if a child is involved in any bullying incident.

The state’s anti-bullying efforts sparked controversy last week when 16 Republican lawmakers joined a group led by Bob VanderPlaats and used offensive language to condemn an anti-bullying conference sponsored by Iowa Safe Schools.  The lawmakers also vowed to stop all community college funding if Des Moines Area Community College didn’t withdraw as a sponsor.

The 8th Annual Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth starts on Wednesday, April 3 and expects about 800 students and educators from across Iowa.  It’s sponsored by several Iowa businesses and education groups.

“Regardless of personal beliefs, no child deserves to be bullied.  We need to work out our differences and move this bill ahead this year,” added Hall.

Here is the full list of bills still alive by committee. It includes bills alive in both the House and Senate.

Republicans on Education:

• Abolishing the Iowa Department of Education (SF 336)
• Exempting home school students from all compulsory education and competent private instruction requirements (SF 277)

Divisive Social Issues:

• Abolishing marriage equality in Iowa (SJR 5 & HJR 11)
• Re-instating the death penalty in Iowa (SF 76)

War on Women:

• Turning back the clock on women’s health care by outlawing some common forms of birth control and sending doctors to jail for trying to save a woman’s life (HF 138 & HJR12)
• Requiring victims of rape or incest to list their abuser on birth certificate (HF 318)
• Making divorce even more difficult for children and victims of abuse (HF 338)

Out of Touch on Guns and Public Safety:

• Allowing anyone with a licensed gun to carry it on school grounds (SF 251 & HF 169)
• School employees can get a permit to carry guns in schools (HF 172)
• Iowa public safety officials can’t enforce any federal gun law (HF 383)
• Repealing all of Iowa’s gun laws, allow criminals to carry weapons (HJR 4)
• License to kill by giving violent criminals immunity (HF 57)

Other Stuff:

• Allowing special interests and lobbyists to write administrative rules (SF 166)
• Nullifying the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (SF 81)
• Repealing licensure requirements for electricians and electrical contractors (SF 94)
• Gold and silver coins can be used for all financial transactions (HF 346)
• Tin foil hat stuff: State and local government can’t participate in UN Agenda 21 (HF 66)

Improving Iowa schools by boosting teacher quality, increasing student achievement and supporting innovation
An increase in basic aid to local schools by 4% beginning on July 1, 2013, while avoiding any related property tax increase (SF 51 & SF 52) and an additional 4% beginning on July 1, 2014 (SF 161 & SF 162). And education reforms (SSB 1228) that will improve opportunities and accountability for students and educators.

Investing in Skilled Worker Training to Expand Iowa’s Middle Class
There is bipartisan support to invest a total of $25 million in new funding for community colleges to fill skilled job openings at local businesses, and to ensure our state remains a competitor in the global economy (SF 291).

Expand affordable health care
We can reduce the chance that a serious illness will bankrupt Iowa families and slow the rise in everyone’s health care costs through Medicaid expansion (SF 296 & HF 83).

Grow Iowa’s economy
Make more state purchases from Iowa companies (SF 15 & HF 93) and encourage taxpayer funded projects to use American companies (SF70). Use tax credits to encourage the growth and expansion of targeted businesses (SF 205). Help startup companies expand and grow and provide microloans to small businesses (SF 274). Provide a health care tax credit to small businesses (SSB 1024).

Cut taxes for working families and for small and Main Street businesses
Prevent education-related property tax hikes by using the Taxpayer Trust Fund (SF 53); Cut commercial property taxes for all Iowa businesses, a bigger tax cut for 9 out of 10 businesses when compared to the Governor’s plan while protecting homeowners from a tax increase (SF 295); Cut taxes for families, small businesses and farmers through federal income tax coupling (SF 106 & HF 110).

“My thanks to the breast cancer survivors who shared their stories with legislators today and are working to get this bill passed,” said Miller. “This bill will help detect breast cancer sooner and save lives.”

Called the Army in Pink, the women from across Iowa want legislators to pass a bill that adds breast density information to mammography services in Iowa. Patients would also receive a notice if they have dense breast tissue after a mammogram because research shows the dense tissue can hide cancer and other abnormalities.

House File 94 was introduced by Rep. Miller and is now in the House Human Resources Committee, where its fate is unclear.

For more information on mammograms and breast density, log on to www.areyoudense.org.