Iowa House Democrats offer middle-class help

DES MOINES - Democrats hope to take control of the Iowa House in November's election by offering an agenda aimed at improving economic security for middle-class families, revitalizing rural Iowa and growing the economy to expand opportunities for workers who are aided in upgrading their skills.

Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, whose 47-member caucus is the House minority party, said a strong candidate recruiting effort has made him optimistic heading into the Nov. 4 balloting that Democrats will be able to seize power in a chamber led by a 53-Republican majority the past two years.

'We think that all too often the House (under GOP control) is focused on special interests and on personal ideology agendas rather than what the needs are of regular Iowans,” said Smith, who was joined at a Statehouse news conference by Rep. Marti Anderson of Des Moines.

He said the choice for Iowa voters is between House Democrats with 'common-sense” mainstream ideas to move the state forward versus 'tea party” Republicans with 'fairly right-wing agendas” to do things like restrict birth control and restrict workers' rights.

Smith said Democrats want to freeze instate undergraduate tuition at state universities for another year, expand preschool opportunities to more children, raise the state's minimum wage, guarantee equal pay for women, improve the environment and protect the state's vulnerable populations.

Other ideas include expanding job-training opportunities for workers to upgrade their skills, targeting state incentives to small businesses and entrepreneurs, making child care more affordable and giving Iowa companies the first chance at state contracts to create jobs in Iowa.

House Democrats also will partner with rural communities to capitalize on their unique strengths to create good jobs and improve quality of life, Smith said. Plans call for boosting renewable energy, improving air and water quality, expanding broadband and Wi-Fi to more communities and small businesses and supporting first-time farmers.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, was unimpressed with the Democratic 'to-do” list.

'House Democrats have been remarkably consistent with their agenda,” Paulsen said in a statement.

'These tired ideas only lead to job losses, less take home pay for hardworking taxpayers and less stability for Iowa families,” he added.