Solving the case of the missing senator

Consider the curious case of state Sen. Hubert Houser.

The Republican from Carson, representing southwest Iowa's district 11, left the Statehouse on March 4, and didn't come back for weeks. According to several media reports, Houser decided that there really wasn't much reason to return.

He's in the minority in the Senate, so his vote really isn't needed to pass or stop anything. His committees have completed work for the session. Houser is retiring after 22 years in the Legislature, so he doesn't face re-election, and his family's chicken farming operation back home is expanding. He figured he's needed more there than in Des Moines.

Houser continued to collect his daily $144 expense payment, the bucks lawmakers get to help cover the cost of living away from home during the 100 day legislative session. But, of course, Houser was at home.

After all the media attention, Houser returned to the Capitol on Wednesday. He's paying back those expense checks, and plans to stick around. Good idea.

There are obvious points to be made. If you get elected and take an oath to serve, you really need to see the session through. It's one thing to be called away for military duty or some other unavoidable issue. It's another to just quit showing up because it's inconvenient.

Lots of lawmakers have important stuff back home they're missing, and yet, most stick around. Houser should too. That's what Iowans expect.

Still, I couldn't help but have just a tiny bit of sympathy for Houser. I spent several years covering the Legislature before escaping the golden bio-dome nearly seven years ago. So I can understand the desire to run away, especially after 22 years.

Outside, the air is fresher, the sun shines brighter, the coffee's drinkable and there are no lurking lobbyists representing the Iowa Association of United Organized Associations, or whatever. In the real world, you can change the subject without being ruled non-germane. You can rise a second time without apologizing to anyone. You're welcome to let fly a salty exclamation without fear that someone will shout 'point of order!” Your great ideas don't have to die in some sort of funnel. They can live.

Sure, special interests no longer will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. But that free grub always tastes just a little odd. A pinch of mendacity, perhaps.

Houser's saga is also oddly refreshing in this even-numbered year.

We'll be hearing from a lot of candidates who will be bragging about how they'll go to our capitols in Des Moines or Washington D.C. and shake things up, return them to various forms of sanity, bridge divides, return common sense, lead charges, drain swamps, break gridlock and summon our founders. They must have capes under those suits.

And yet, here's one politician who is willing to freely admit there's just not a whole heck of a lot he can do. No superpowered promises. Just an honest shrug. Instead of waiting for top Statehouse leaders to cut all the deals needed to end a session, and sitting through so-called 'debates” over bills certain to pass anyway, Houser would rather be back on the farm. You can question his commitment, but not his sanity.

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com