Capitol Notebook: Iowa Sen. Catelin Drey announces cancer diagnosis

DES MOINES — Iowa Sen. Catelin Drey, D-Sioux City, announced Monday in a speech on the Iowa Senate floor that she has been diagnosed with Stage 1 uterine cancer.

Drey, who was elected to represent northwest Iowa’s Senate District 1 in an August special election, breaking the chamber’s Republican supermajority, said she learned of her diagnosis five days before the legislative session started Jan. 12, after having a cervical biopsy done in December.

Drey noted her diagnosis comes after her predecessor, former Iowa Sen. Rocky De Witt, R-Sioux City, died in June after battling pancreatic cancer.

“The diagnosis is not a resignation, it is not a retreat, it is a medical interruption, and I intend to move through it and get back to work. I do want to talk about why I'm being fully transparent about this, from diagnosis to treatment to side effects to cost,” Drey said on the Iowa Senate floor. “The irony of being elected because my predecessor passed away from this horrible disease is not lost on me. Ignoring the environment that Senator De Witt and I shared is a disservice to our constituents. Silence is what perpetuates bad systems.”

Drey said she hopes her transparency around her diagnosis and recovery will bring attention to Iowa’s high cancer rates and how lawmakers can address them. Her diagnosis comes as the state’s rates of cancer continue to be a key focus area in the Legislature.

Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers and ranks second-highest in cancer rates compared to other states, according to the Iowa Cancer Registry. The state’s cancer incidence rate has increased each of the three last rolling five-year reporting periods.

“Many Iowans do not have that full stack of support, which is why I refuse to be quiet about this. We live in Iowa, unfortunately, the cancer capital of the country, and yet we continue to tolerate policies that make early detection harder, treatment more expensive and recovery more precarious,” Drey said. “We moralize illness, we nickel and dime care and then act shocked when outcomes are worse.”

Drey said she will be hospitalized Tuesday to undergo a hysterectomy. During the surgery, doctors will evaluate her lymph nodes and do further pathology to determine whether additional surgery, chemotherapy or radiation will be necessary.

She added that results from her first CT scan showed that there is no indication the cancer has spread, emphasizing the importance of early detection.

“My first priority after beating this horrible disease will be taking care of my constituents in Senate District 1. I will be available as I am now. I want them to know what care and a treatment plan can look like, and what hopefully the other end of this diagnosis can look like,” Drey said.

In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner, of Iowa City, said Drey is “resilient, determined and unwilling to be slowed by this temporary setback.”

“All in this state are touched by cancer — I’m so grateful to Senator Drey for shining a light on it,” Weiner said. “My caucus and I look forward to welcoming her back at the Capitol soon, working in service of the people of Northwest Iowa and Iowans everywhere.”

Ken Rozenboom announces retirement from Iowa Senate

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Iowa Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella, will retire from the Iowa Senate at the end of the year, he announced Monday.

Rozenboom, 74, who is in the Republican leadership position of Senate president pro tempore, has served in the Senate since 2013. He represents Senate District 19, which includes Jasper County and portions of Mahaska and Marion counties.

“Serving for 14 years in the Iowa Senate has been the highlight of my life,” Rozenboom said in a press release.

“Since Republicans took the majority in 2016, I have had the opportunity to be a part of something special. Senate Republicans put the state budget back on track by passing responsible, sustainable budgets and moving Iowa from one of the highest income tax states in the country to one of the lowest,” Rozenboom said. “After supporting multiple property tax relief packages over the last 8 years, this year, I am eager to vote one more time to put taxpayers first and reduce the cost of government.”

Among other legislative highlights, Rozenboom listed water quality funding, private school scholarship funding and anti-abortion policies.

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