Gazette endorsements for Iowa House

Editor’s note: Traditionally, The Gazette editorial board has met face-to-face, or by Zoom, with candidates running in local legislative elections. In recent election cycles, many candidates, mostly Republicans, have declined our invitation. This year, with hopes of improving participation, we sent candidates a series of questions on major issues, carbon pipelines, how to best use the state’s budget surplus, how to improve public schools, if they support publicly-funded private school scholarships, abortion rights and other issues. Unfortunately, most Republicans again declined to answer questions. But we’re pressing ahead with our traditional endorsements. Candidates who did not participate cannot earn our endorsement.

House District 73

The race in House District 73, which includes a portion of Cedar Rapids and much of the north and northeast and southeast side of Marion, pits Republican Susie Weinacht, a former Cedar Rapids City Council member against Democrats Elizabeth Wilson, a former Linn-Mar school board member.

Our endorsement goes to Wilson.

Wilson’s top three issues she believes lawmakers must address fit with editorial positions we’ve taken. She believes in protecting Iowans’ reproductive rights and wants the state to find solutions for helping provide affordable health care, mental health care and child care. She also wants the Legislature to focus on improving public schools and providing adequate education funding.

Wilson does not support the use of eminent domain to provide land for carbon capture pipelines in Iowa and opposes using public dollars to fund private school scholarships.

We appreciate Weinacht’s call for creating strategies to develop a workforce in Iowa, certainly an important issue. But the nod goes to Wilson.

House District 78

The race in House District 78, which includes much of the southeast side of Cedar Rapids, pits Democrat Sami Scheetz against Republican Anne Fairchild. Our endorsement goes to Scheetz.

Scheetz would like to see the states record $2 billion budget surplus used to rebuild Iowa’s public education system after years of underfunding, address infrastructure needs and expand health care access. Scheetz would like to see Iowa pursue the goal of providing free community college.

He opposes using eminent domain for carbon pipelines. Scheetz says tax relief should first help working and middle-class families instead of largely benefiting wealthy taxpayers. He opposes Republican proposals for restricting access to abortion and opposes funding private school scholarships.

House District 80

The race in House District 80, which includes Robins, Hiawatha and much of the northeast side of Cedar Rapids, pits state Rep. Art Staed vs. Republican Barrett Hubbard. Hubbard declined to respond to our questionnaire, so our endorsement goes to Staed.

On taxes, after a series of across-the-board personal and corporate income tax cuts approved in recent years, Staed would like to see tax relief for lower and middle-income Iowans. He would double the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income workers, increase the child and dependent tax credit and exempt retirement income from state income tax. Staed would also increase the child care assistance subsidy and bring back a tax credit for solar energy.

Staed favors protecting reproductive rights, providing state investments that would allow a reduction in tuition at state universities and community colleges and fighting back against attacks on public schools to justify spending public dollars on private school scholarships.

House District 82

In House District 82, which includes all of Cedar County along with parts of Muscatine and Scott Counties, Republican state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann is challenged by Libertarian Clyde Gibson with no Democrat in the race. Kaufmann declined to respond to our questionnaire, but our disagreement with Gibson on several issues means he does not receive our endorsement.

We give Gibson considerable credit for making the potential abuse of eminent domain in his rural district the primary focus of his campaign. Gibson said he would make limiting the ability of private companies to use eminent domain, such as for carbon capture pipelines, a priority. He wants to limit the scope of “public use, with regard to eminent domain and does not see carbon pipelines as a public necessity.

But Gibson advocates for the elimination of the individual income tax in Iowa, which brings in roughly half of general fund revenues for state operations, without saying how Iowa would pay for priorities such as public education, state universities, mental health care and other areas. He would end state participation in public education without explaining how that might work while favoring private and home-school alternatives.

House District 83

The race in House District 83, which includes Palo, Central City, Springville and Mount Vernon in Linn County, is a contest between Republican Cindy Golding and Democrat Kris Nall. Golding declined to answer our questionnaire, so our endorsement goes to Nall.

Nall would seek to protect abortion access, address affordable child care, the minimum wage and restore collective bargaining rights for public employees. Nall opposes the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipeline projects, arguing questions remain about the pipeline projects’ viability, safety and long-term effects.

Nall would invest surplus dollars in public schools, supports keeping abortion legal in Iowa and opposes using public dollars to fund private school scholarships.

House District 84

In House District 84, which includes much of Benton County and parts of southwest and northwest Linn County, Democrat Sara Yedlick faces Republican Thomas Gerhold. Gerhold declined to answer our questionnaire, so our endorsement goes to Yedlick.

Yedlick wants to serve in the House to address the well-being of children and families, pursue policies to help rural communities and address the loss of local control over numerous issues in the past several years. She opposes the use of eminent domain to take land for carbon capture pipelines and believes abortion decisions should be made by patients and doctors, not politicians.

Yedlick would support efforts to recruit and retain public school teachers and establish a comprehensive set of mental health services for students. She opposes using public dollars to pay private school tuition.

House District 85

The race in House District 85, which includes North Liberty and much of eastern Johnson County, pits Democratic state Rep. Amy Nielsen against Republican Wayne Grell and Libertarian Jacob Wenck. Grell did not respond to our questionnaire and our endorsement goes to Nielsen.

Nielsen’s legislative priorities include addressing low wages, the need for affordable child care, lowering taxes for working families and supporting Iowa’s public schools. She would like to see budget surplus dollars used to invest in natural resources and human services as well as nursing home inspections and increases in funding for state parks.

Nielsen supports reproductive rights and opposes the use of eminent domain to provide land for carbon capture pipeline projects. Nielsen also opposes the use of public education dollars to fund private school scholarships.

House District 89

The race in House District 89, which includes the south side of Iowa City and University Heights, is a contest between Democrat Elinor Levin and Republican Jacob Onken. Our endorsement goes to Levin.

Levin contends many of the major issues in Iowa boil down to the fact that too many Iowans are leaving the state. Access to health care, affordable housing and supporting an educational preparing Iowans for 21st century careers are among her priorities. Improving water quality, encouraging entrepreneurship and protecting the land are other priorities.

Levin would like to see surplus dollars invested in education, children’s mental health and underfunded environmental protection efforts. Abortion should remain safe and legal, Levin contends and public dollars should not be used to fund private school scholarships.

House District 85

In House District 85, which includes North Liberty and parts of eastern Johnson County, Democratic state Rep. Amy Nielson is challenged by Republican Wayne Grell and Libertarian Jacob Wenck. Nielson receives our endorsement.

Nielson contends low wages are not keeping up with the cost of health care, food and education. She wants to make investments in public education while raising pay for educators rather than threatening them with penalties, including jail time for educating students.

She wants the Legislature to consider the common good while increasing civility in legislative debates, both worthy goals. She opposes restrictions on abortions and wants to increase funding for public schools and opposes public funding for private school scholarships.

House District 91

In House District 91, which includes all of Iowa County and parts of western and northern Johnson County, Democrat Elle Wyant is up against Republican Brad Sherman. Sherman declined to respond to our questionnaire, so our endorsement goes to Wyant.

We’re struck by Wyant’s command of local issues in the largely rural district. She would like to see surplus dollars used to address deficiencies in rural infrastructure, including bridges and roads. Her family has to drive farm equipment five to 10 miles out of the way to find adequate bridges.

Wyant would like to see liquor taxes addressed, to help two wineries, a brewery and a distillery located in her district. Public schools, she contends, should put more of an emphasis on teaching students the importance of agriculture.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com