Candidate Profiles

1) We must restore our personal freedoms. Government must get out of our bedrooms, patient rooms, libraries, and checking accounts. 2) There is an opportunity to tackle our water quality and skyrocketing cancer rates simultaneously. By creating measurable benchmarks cleaning our water ways we will also see a decline in cancer rates. Clean waterways would be an economic boom. 3) True tax reform. The last decade has been spent on political ploys that benefit the very rich. We must simplify the system of property taxes, reduce sales taxes, and develop a real flat tax that benefits the middle class. 4) Eliminate puppy mills. Iowa is racing to be No.1 in this despicable category. Our animal shelters are full. Inspection and enforcement are the key solutions.

PreK, K-12, community colleges, and our Board of Regent Schools (University of Iowa, ISU, UNI) need to have a different funding construct. The legislature must allocate at least 2 years in advance and for 2 years each funding cycle. The late annual appropriation results in considerably more administrative work (and costs) and the loss of top notch teachers and support staff. Public money should have the same stringent oversight wherever it is allocated. Funding needs to be predictable, steady, and reviewed annually. Property taxes for schools will be reduced if the state meets its obligations and eliminates the 141 unfunded mandates thrown at local government and school boards. The last decade has been a republican defunding of our public schools, test scores have dropped, and we are not longer 1st in education. BUT we can be with smart and steady funding. Thankfully our local school systems in the Coralville/Iowa City area continues to perform in the top tier in the United States! That's due to local commitment from our citizens and our teachers, support staff, maintenance workers, and the administration including our school boards. Its time for the state to also meet that commitment.

Yes. It's public safety.

We are at a crisis level in Eastern Iowa for treatment of our aging population. There are wait lists for different levels of care and the cost is out of reach for many Iowa families. First, we should provide more training and support for home health care, which is often family members. Second, setting benchmarks for staff ratios, staff pay, and training only will be effective if we have the available workforce to participate. Third, we need to enforce the safety measures we already have on the books. Penalties should be enforced and ACCURATE reports must be documented. Iowa must fully support "aging in place" and reduce the ridiculous restrictions on the "elderly waiver". The solution is streamline administrative red tape and increase the reimbursement rates. Iowas elderly worked hard for so many years and deserve reasonable care.

Actually I believe we are No.1 in the country in cancer rates. Our reporting sometimes lags, but there is considerable political pressure to dilute the true numbers. (Same suppression as is being done on true covid numbers and statewide deaths). Iowa should invest in research, as our 3 universities (and private colleges) can continue to play a critical role in cure discovery. Partnerships with health insurance carriers, medical provides, and the public health to encourage screenings is key to progress. Let science and professionals in the medical field lead with oversight but not interference. Short answer is heck yes! Iowans lives depend on it.

We already invest multimillions in piecemeal approaches that have no performance measures. Improving water quality is important for health and economic development reasons. While this issue has created a significant urban and rural split, we must take off the gloves and document the true causes of pollution. It also needs to be made clear who is paying for clean water. It may be unpopular, but without measurable benchmarks, we are wasting taxpayer dollars. I would form a commission from all concerned and give that commission power and responsibility to clean our waterways in 10 years. Want to help keep young people in Iowa? in my conversations with UI graduating seniors, water quality and activities in and around water sources are the second most offered concepts, close behind reproductive rights and IVF.

Many Iowans have mentioned to me that Iowa does not have a true mental health system. While it has been allocated to "regions" it is clear that there is a critical shortage of mental health professionals and that the funding is very lopsided as to who is actually paying for the services. Instead of a society of tolerance, the state needs to move toward acceptance, acceptance that mental health is at the same level of all health care. Measures should be developed by the mental health professionals and patients and families. Sadly, at the core of Iowa's health challenges is the debacle with our Medicaid system. Reimbursement for providers, and this is true with mental health, dental and medical, children, adults and the elderly, is substandard. Millions of taxpayer $ are going to a private managed care systems instead of direct services to Iowans. The $ left for services are at such low rates many professional providers cannot afford to accept patients. Older Iowans cannot afford to "age in place" with adequate services. I do have the solution-eliminate the expensive managing for profit outside of Iowa companies and set the reimbursement rates to compensate our mental health professionals, caretakers for our elderly, dentists, nurses and doctors, home caretakers, and counseling services. This compensation system should also be simplified to streamline payments without significant administrative overhead. Measures to determine effectiveness? 1) elimination of services waitlists and 2) patient and family reported outcomes.

I can't say it any better than one of my favorite country music stars, Tim McGraw: "I'm a Dad of 3 daughters and have a wife. I want to see a world where my daughters have control of every decision. Whether it be medically, personally, or the way they live their lives. I support a woman's right to choose. That's between a family, their doctor, and their God, and I don't think anybody else has any business being a part of that." Republicans are seeking to end contraception and have irreparably damaged the future of IVF. My solution? LET THE PEOPLE VOTE! Let Iowans vote on abortion, contraception, and IVF.

No. Get government out of the bedroom, out of the OB/GYN patient rooms, and out of running peoples private lives.

My first step in improving education in Iowa is making sure that all moms and families have top notch pre-natal care. This is where educating our youth begins. Then ensuring learning opportunities for all our preschool kids (whether in public or private settings) is so important in their growth. This means a bigger commitment supporting childcare owners and workers. Public Education in Iowa already has a great format. It's called local school boards and local government (city and county). The states role should be setting benchmarks for test scores, measures of quality education outside of testing, financial oversight coupled with at least 2 year funding cycles, and annual room for growth. Curriculum guidelines should be general with the goal of local school boards, families and teachers determining the best method of success. The "state" should not be in the business of rewriting history. Every student should have a STEAM component as part of their education/graduation plan. STEAM funding should be universal. Sadly, republicans have decimated out AEAs such as Grant Wood Area Education Agency who provide services for all students, families, and teachers. Reinstatement of the AEAs role is critical for our families. It is important to note that AEAs begin education support at birth ( 9/22 The Gazette article).

Iowa is a great place to live. Lynette and I have lived in Iowa our entire lives and our children were born and raised here in the Coralville/Iowa community. For our future I will fight to: Simplify Iowa's complicated tax system. Clean our waterways for health and economic growth. End the culture war on women and young people. Protect reproductive rights and restore IVF. Eliminate puppy mills. Help reduce skyrocketing home, auto, and health insurance costs. And as a group of young people mentioned to me-"HELP US GET OUR AGENCY BACK!" I will fight for you!