We need better leadership and new ideas in Iowa

When a government doesn’t fear change at the ballot box, it has no incentive to represent the interests of its people. This is where Iowa finds itself under Kim Reynolds and the Republican-run Legislature.

There is no better illustration of this than this year’s gutting of Area Education Agencies.

This was a bill that no Iowans asked for, no Republican politician campaigned on, and when the people of this state came out to oppose it — the assembly rammed it through anyway.

Same with reproductive freedom — a supermajority of Iowans do not believe government should be telling women what to do with their bodies — yet this government believes it has the right to dictate your reproductive health choices. Should it find itself in power again in 2025 — the Iowa GOP will undermine access to contraception, prevent IVF, and pass a fetal personhood bill that would see this government investigate miscarriages as a possible crime.

This government believes if you are a queer Iowan or a book you deserve all the regulation, but clean water? Stopping Iowa’s rising cancer rates? Combating the rising cost of living? Feeding kids?

They are so not interested.

This is why I am running for the Iowa House — because Iowa deserves better leadership than what we are getting.

Over the past nine years I have been proud to be an elected member of the Hiawatha City Council. Working together with two different mayors and successive councils, we have put the needs of our community first to make the city a great place to live, work, and play.

We invested in public safety — building a new fire station, giving police the tools they need to do the job safely. We invested in new homes for over 500 families, brought nearly 200 businesses to our city, and developed and expanded our public library and parks.

We did all this while lowering the property tax levy from $15.41 to $13.78.

That’s how government should work.

My philosophy has always been no matter who you are, whether you voted for me or not, I want your dreams to come true in Hiawatha. I want the same for the people of District 80 and all the people of Iowa.

If you hold these same values and want a better Iowa, one that puts people over politics and that lives the values on our flag “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain,” then I ask for your vote Nov. 5.

Aime Wichtendahl is the Democratic candidate in House District 80