116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
I grew up on a farm outside of Garrison in Benton County. It was a typical small family farm with a few hundred acres that my Dad, Stuart Gulick, had bought before I was born. My mom, Margaret Gulick, worked as a legal secretary until the farm could support the family when she became the farm’s bookkeeper and traditional farm wife. My parents often worked side-by-side to complete farm chores and raise my sister and me. My parents instilled in my sister and me the need to volunteer in the community through their examples. They weren’t politically active and voted as independents, voting for the person rather than the party. The Garrison School that I attended through fifth grade had 18 students divided evenly between boys and girls. Due to the school consolidation trend, Garrison schools merged with Vinton schools, and I graduated in a class of 140. After high school, I planned to become a math teacher and coach. I enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa, but changed my career path. I switched my major to Recreation Administration with a minor in business. Jobs in this field were scarce in the early 1980s. I accepted a graduate assistant position with the Iowa Parks and Recreation Association. My job was to travel around the state, speaking to community leaders about the advantages of parks and recreation programs and running Amateur Softball Association softball tournaments. In my role with the association, I also put my business minor to use, handling all the financials, from paying bills to payroll and creating financial statements. During this time, I furthered my education by earning a master’s in Recreation Education from the University of Iowa. After moving to Cedar Rapids in 1980, I met and married my wife, Deb in 1983. There was little opportunity to advance in the parks and recreation field unless I moved out of Iowa, but my wife, a CPA, had a good job in Cedar Rapids. I decided to go into consulting, and for that, I needed an accounting degree. Soon after my first child was born, I quit my full-time job and enrolled at Coe College. With my minor in business, it only took a summer and two semesters before I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Coe College in 1986. I have been a Certified Public Accountant since 1988. I worked for several companies as an accountant, manager, and CFO for 16 years. In 1999, I was offered a job with a startup, which was eventually acquired by McCleodUSA. I began teaching at the college level, first teaching auditing at the University of Iowa in 2002 and then entrepreneurial finance at the University of Northern Iowa. I later taught financial reporting to non-finance majors in the master’s in Health Administration program. I truly loved teaching. My wife and I raised our son and daughter, grew our careers, and started Entrepreneurial Services Group LLC in 2002 to provide outsourced executive accounting solutions to small and medium-sized organizations. As we focused on serving clients and building the business, we always made time to get involved in our community. I volunteered on the board of Goodwill Industries as its treasurer for 10 years. We were active in the Chamber of Commerce on the membership and government relations committees. I felt compelled to do more to build a robust local economy. During my 10 months in the Leadership for Five Seasons program, I began to think seriously about running for public office. At the time, Cedar Rapids was the last city in Iowa with a commission form of government. Operating a business full-time meant running for a full-time office wasn’t doable. Then in 2005, Cedar Rapids citizens voted to adopt a home rule council-manager form of government. I ran for the District 1 seat and was elected. From 2006 to 2017, I was a member of a City Council that supported an “Open for Business” policy. I worked to grow the local economy through sound oversight, careful investment, and prioritizing community success. I served on the City Council before and after the disastrous floods of 2008. I was driven to lead the city and region not only to recover but to thrive post-flood. As a council member, I was active with the Iowa League of Cities. I am a Certified Elected Municipal Officer and served as president of the Iowa League of Cities and on the National League of Cities executive board. In those roles, I was exposed to leaders from around the state and country and discovered their ideas, successes, and failures so that I could replicate their successful achievements locally. I was also active with the Kaufman Foundation, which helps support programs that increase entrepreneurship. I sold my business in 2017. In 2018, as a part time CFO I joined EdgeData a startup company in Cedar Rapids that provides artificial intelligence software solutions for wind turbine blades. I serve on the Entrepreneurial Development Center board, the Greater Cedar Rapids Economic Alliance Innovation Council and am currently the Treasurer for The History Center. I continue to manage the family farm. My family has grown to include four grandchildren all living in Eastern Iowa. I am running for State Senate because I see a need for Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Robins to have representation in Des Moines in the majority party. I know the decisions I will make in Des Moines will affect not only area residents but also my grandchildren for years to come.
Art Staed, a dedicated public servant and community leader, was born in Joplin, Missouri, and raised among 10 siblings. His journey of service and leadership began with a solid educational foundation, starting with his graduation from McAuley Regional Catholic High School. He furthered his academic pursuits at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, earning a college degree, and later obtained a Master’s degree in Secondary Education at The University of Missouri at K.C. He continued his educational journey with a second Master’s degree in Secondary Administration from East Central University of Oklahoma. Art launched his career in education as a math, science and social studies teacher in private schools in Kansas City Missouri, and later, public school in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. He moved to Oklahoma where he held positions as high school teacher, administrator and principal of an alternative school for at-risk students. Art's passion for education led him to initiate a 'Communities in Schools' program, addressing the needs of at-risk students through mentoring, tutoring, mental health assistance, and counseling. This program gained national recognition at a White House ceremony, showcasing the success of innovative business-school partnerships. Troubled by the high rate of domestic violence in his community, Art co-founded The Family Shelter of Southern Oklahoma, providing a safe haven for victims and actively contributing as a board member. Temporarily leaving the field of education, Art entered the realm of cellular communications, where he quickly ascended to roles such as direct sales supervisor and manager of numerous retail stores. His responsibilities included market identification, store location scouting, lease arrangements, remodeling, and the recruitment and management of store personnel. Art's expertise brought him to Cedar Rapids as a national trainer, overseeing management, sales, and business development courses. Returning to public education after updating his credentials, Art taught Business Management and Time Management courses at Kirkwood and developed workforce training at the Iowa Workforce Development office in Cedar Rapids. He later joined the Cedar Rapids Community School District as the district's Social Studies Facilitator. Together with his wife Susan, Art owned and managed Coffee Talk Café, a successful small business that also served as a community gathering place. Art hosted "Coffee Talk: Corridor Conversations," a video series featuring discussions with local leaders on issues affecting the Cedar Rapids community. In 2007-2008, the citizens of Northeast Cedar Rapids elected Art Staed as their representative to the Iowa House. During his tenure, Art served as Vice Chairman of both the Education Committee and the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee, representing Iowans on the Economic Growth, Labor, and Veterans Affairs committees. Art's legislative achievements were diverse and impactful. On the Education Committee, he championed efforts for universal preschool, increased funding for K-12 education, and improvements to teacher salaries. He played a pivotal role in supporting STEM initiatives, community colleges, and universities. In Veterans Affairs, Art focused on assisting Iowa's veterans, advocating for financial assistance programs and overdue Vietnam Veteran Bonuses. As part of the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee, he contributed to the creation of the Iowa Power Fund, promoting renewable energy and job creation. At the conclusion of his first term, Art Staed left a legacy of fiscal responsibility, with a balanced budget, substantial reserves, and a solid financial foundation. Today, Art continues his dedication to the community, actively engaging with voters in Cedar Rapids, where he resides with his wife Susan. They are proud parents of four children and grandparents to five grandchildren. Art is currently in his 7th term as a Representative, now serving House District 80 which encompasses Northeast Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Robins. His committee roles include Ranking Member of Economic Growth and Technology, Education, Local Government, Natural Resources, and the Education Budget Subcommittee.
1. Workforce 2. Education 3. Economic Growth We have a major workforce shortage issue in the state that we need to continue to address. This issue alone impacts so many areas of our economy and is tied to the other important issues we need to address as a state. Access and affordability of childcare can help with the workforce issue. Working in collaboration with the private sector we need to take steps to provide incentives for childcare facilities so that they can adequately pay their staff yet make it affordable. While this is more a federal issue, the Dependent Care Flexible Spending account limits have not been changed in decades and this needs to be increased. Access and affordability of childcare alone does not resolve the workforce challenges. We need a strong education system to supply a workforce trained in the jobs of today and the future. Any changes Iowa makes to funding its schools must be based on programs that have a solid track record of success. We need to ensure that our educational system provides the best level of outcomes for all students so they can achieve their highest potential. We need to grow our population in the state. To attract people to work in Iowa, we must create communities where they want to live and work. Investing in public amenities, infrastructure, and housing initiatives can make this happen. We need to find ways to creatively finance housing for workers. This can and should be a public/private partnership to assist developers with housing so that it can be affordable. Lastly, none of the above can be accomplished without continuing to grow our economy by helping retain and attract businesses with good-paying jobs.
1. The state budget and poor future planning – putting the quality and availability of state services in jeopardy: elderly care to education to health care to mental health to environmental quality to law enforcement to the justice system. With the coming drop in state revenue, all of the services supported by the state’s general fund are at risk of being cut. Tax cuts passed in 2022 will force down revenues — by $1.4 billion in FY 2026, $1.8 billion in 2027 and $1.9 billion in 2028. These cuts are large. The immediate impacts are currently shrouded by a blanket of $2 billion surplus in reserves due to federal recovery money that is ending soon. This, along with a voucher program costing approximately $1 billion every four years, means the challenges will only intensify over the next few years. The budget/revenue issues should be addressed now. 2. Correct a decade of poor investments and recommit to supporting public education. Start by passing a State Supplemental Aid percentage that is above the rate of inflation and set the funding for 3 to 5 years into the future so that public school districts can plan for staffing, offerings and innovation. Offer universal preschool and full day kindergarten. 3. Failure to adequately address public health care issues, including access to maternal care, elderly care, and mental health services for Iowa children and families. Exacerbating the problems is a growing shortage of physicians, nurses, therapists and direct care workers. The legislature must adjust Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers, raise the minimum wage and invest in incentives to attract and retain the professionals needed for our health care system.
We need to work to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates in the state. The low rates lead to several issues of access and affordability of services in the state. We also need to increase our funding for mental health services especially for youth. If we don’t deal with youth mental health issues early on it will cost far more in the future. Costs for education continue to rise so we need to make sure that our educational system is adequately funded so that it can achieve the best outcomes for students. We need to continue to fund our infrastructure. Deferring maintenance will result in much higher costs in the future.
We are facing a severe workforce shortage that will force companies to move out of Iowa if we don’t act soon. One issue facing prospective employees is the childcare crisis. We can provide incentives for more businesses to offer childcare, increase childcare provider wages and allow more lower-income families to qualify for childcare tax credits. It’s also essential that every child graduates from high school with the skills necessary to continue their education or get additional skills training. We need to make public schools our top priority again. preparing all of Iowa’s children to meet the future demands of our economy and this begins with a strong educational system. Allocating resources to sustain and improve educational programs should be the first step in setting the state budget.
Yes. Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death in our country. Using a hand-held mobile device causes distracted driving, which in turn leads to crashes. Many states have already banned the use. With the technology now available, I believe it is time that the state strongly enforces a hands-free mobile device policy for drivers.
Yes. I’ve supported several versions of hands-free bills in recent legislative sessions. It’s both a safety and economic issue for Iowans. Distracted driving has caused injuries and fatalities on our roadways and increased car insurance premiums for everyone.
As mentioned earlier workforce is a challenge in all industries and nursing homes are experiencing the same issue. In the case of nursing homes working to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates could help to address staffing and wage rates for staff. More staff increases the safety as well.
Last session, Democrats introduced a package of nursing home bills, which would increase oversight over the lowest-performing facilities, invest in alternatives to facility-style care, and increase staffing. One of those initiatives establishes a $15/hour minimum wage for direct-care workers that will rise to $20/hour over a period of years and then match inflation. Increasing the wage offered to direct care workers and nurses will help attract them to Iowa and encourage younger Iowans to consider entering these professions. Direct-care worker and nurse shortages are a critical part of the problem.
Yes, resources need to be directed towards screening and prevention as well as into causes. Cancer research is being done throughout the country so I think focusing resources toward prevention and screening is the best use of state funding.
Yes. It’s an Iowa-specific issue and we are responsible to Iowans and should openly and meaningfully address cancer research and treatment. Democrats offered an amendment to the HHS budget last Session that would have funded a variety of cancer research initiatives through our Regent Universities. This would include funding for the Dept. of Health and Human Services to award projects that perform research focused on identifying the reason for Iowa’s high cancer rate, and ways to reduce cancer incidents. We need to expand access to cancer treatments as well.
Provide resources for incentives, cost share, etc. for proven water quality programs. Specific to the agriculture industry, farmers do not want their nutrients nor soil running off from their land. I can not only talk the talk but walk the walk as well. On my family farm I have taken numerous steps to reduce runoff including establishing riparian buffer strips, cover crops and additional tree plantings.
Implement new measures to address two of the most significant water quality problems – stream nitrate pollution and e coli. This would include establishing a water quality base, stream monitoring, and identification of sources. Encourage largest contributors of nitrate pollution to partner with the state in reducing the flow of nitrates from their fields. The state could assist with funding projects that can demonstrate actual improvements in water quality. The legislature should give the DNR and Iowa counties more authority to enforce manure management practices and the siting of new and expanded CAFOs that threaten our public waterways and the environment. The new measures need to be taken as everyone should realize that the voluntary Nutrient Reduction Strategy is not sufficient.
Increases to Medicaid reimbursement rates need to be improved. This will help improve access and affordability. Consideration should also be given to providing a tuition credit for professionals who stay in the state after graduation. Effectiveness is difficult to measure without ongoing discussions with family members of those being treated. Some mental illnesses are not ever cured but need to be continuously treated. Through my discussions with mental health care professionals, they believe the most objective ways to measure effectiveness are access and affordability. Additionally, kids mental health needs to be a focus of services in Iowa. It will cause many more issues in the future if we don’t address this issue early.
Democrats offered a bill which would expand the ability of schools to provide professional mental health services in-house. This would ensure that students have stable and clear access to support for their individual needs. The legislature passed legislation that reorganized the state’s mental health and disability regions into new behavioral health districts. The change is intended to bring additional state oversight and structure to what was a fragmented system of delivery across the state. These changes become effective July 1st of next year. Time will tell. The addition of Access Centers has been an effective approach and should continue to be supported. We need to address mental health services for Veterans, lack of psychiatrists and therapists and the shortage of beds. Iowa must continue to invest in mental health to match the growing needs of services, short and long-term. To determine whether measures are effective, Iowa should gather data from those with mental health needs and those who provide services, identifying where timely mental health care is successful across the state, whether licensed providers are available, and whether they accept Medicaid.
First and foremost, we should provide education, family planning, and readily available access to contraception so we can help Iowans avoid unwanted pregnancies. IVF should be easily accessible, affordable and should be something that is covered by health insurance. I do not support our current abortion law which I find too restrictive and unreasonable. I was on the record as supporting our previous longstanding laws and the reproductive rights they provided. I respect those that believe further restrictions should be made as well as those that feel our laws are too restrictive. Regardless of my personal beliefs, any further restrictions or loosening of restrictions should be determined by the vote of the people of the state of Iowa rather than any legislative or judicial governmental action.
Iowa women deserve the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions with their medical team and family. They should have access to pre- and post-natal care. The legislature should repeal the 6-week abortion ban.
I absolutely would not support a bill defining life at conception. My belief is that some form of life begins at conception, but my personal beliefs should not be forced upon others by me or through legislation.
No. This is not based on scientific evidence and these bills are a threat to invitro fertilization and some forms of contraception. IVF is a valuable tool to help individuals start a family. The legislature should not have a role in these personal and medical procedures
I have talked to numerous teachers, school board members and administrators. Teachers, time and time again, say that they need more time teaching students in the classroom. I believe we need to increase the number of teaching days. This does not necessarily mean the need to increase teacher contract days. We also need to provide more flexibility to the local school boards and administrations in how schools can use their funding. Not every school is the same nor has the same needs so there needs to be flexibility to meet those needs. I don’t believe it is the legislature’s role to set curriculum standards as they are not educational professionals. Parents in collaboration with teachers and school boards at the local level should be the ones making these determinations. There should be an appeals process established that allows parents to appeal decisions by a school board up through the channels of the state school board of education and department of education.
Improving Iowa’s public education system requires adequate funding so that our public schools have the necessary resources to help every child reach their potential. Curriculum decisions require a focus on empowering educators and supporting their curriculum decisions. Vetting curriculum standards and guiding what students are taught should be left in the hands of local communities where students’ needs can best be served. Educators are the backbone of the education system, not the state legislature. Iowa needs to shield education policies from national, political agendas and cultural wars. Education should be about fostering critical thinking and intellectual growth, not partisan ideologies.
We need to provide communities with the resources and assistance in building out quality of life amenities that will help attract people to live in their community. We need to invest in our infrastructure. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure improvements are needed both by residents as well as our businesses. We need to continue working to retain existing businesses and attract new businesses, both of which are needed to create good paying jobs for our residents. Lastly but most importantly we need to make sure that our education system provides the best opportunity to set our youth up for successful lives in our state.
Invest in a world class public education system. Businesses want an educated workforce. Provide assistance, partnerships, apprenticeships for local businesses, provide family-sustaining wages and invest in quality of life in Iowa communities with cultural and recreational opportunities. Ensure that we have clean water and safe communities.
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