Posted on

House, senate candidates discuss bipartisan challenges

Press photo by Chris Baldus
Press photo by Chris Baldus

By Kate Hayden | khayden@charlescitypress.com

Both state incumbents and challengers had a lot to unpack during Tuesday evening’s public forum, organized by the local American Association of University Women chapter and the Charles City Chamber of Commerce.

Rep. Todd Prichard, challenger Stacie Stokes, Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm and challenger Waylon Brown took the podium in front of a crowded hall at Trinity United Methodist Church, jumping from public questions on water quality funding, education costs and party politics in Iowa.

Higher education costs

Senate candidates opened discussion on costs of two-year and four-year associate and bachelor’s degrees, each saying they would support high school programs cutting later costs for juniors and seniors by offering college credit courses.

“We always look for ways keeping our young kids in Iowa, and one of the ways we do that is making sure they don’t leave a four-year or two year with high college debt,” Wilhelm said.

The Senate worked with the Iowa Board of Regents from 2013-15 to freeze college tuition for students, Wilhelm said. Between 80-85 percent of Iowans who attend community college stay in the state, she added.

Community college classes open to high school students has “saved a tremendous amount of money,” Brown said, and should be expanded to encompass more subjects.

Stokes said her background as an educational consultant gave her insight on who to turn to when trying to make policies to address those issues.

“You don’t have to have all the answers, but you need to know the people that you need to go to,” Stokes said.

Student debt makes it hard for Prichard’s law office to compete with bigger cities when hiring new attorneys, Prichard said.

“They incur this student debt when going to law school, and trying to bring them to a small town where I can’t pay big-city wages is an obstacle,” Prichard said.

Integrating high schools and community colleges are likely the best investment for juniors and seniors who earn two-year degrees through college credit, Prichard said.

Water quality funding

Candidates addressed a public question asking about lagging action on the National Resources and Recreation trust fund, which supports conservation and water quality funding by raising sales tax by 3/8ths of one cent.

“It’s still there, but it has not been acted upon,” Brown said.

The 3/8ths of a cent concept included making the tax cost-neutral, Wilhelm said, which meant lowering taxes, and ultimately funding, in another area of state funding.

“We want to have good water. But then you take away the revenues that goes to funding schools and prisons,” Wilhelm said. “Shifting the costs to make it neutral doesn’t help water quality at all. It actually hurts and pits a program against another good program.”

Prichard said he was hesitant to raise a sales tax, which he said hurts middle-class families the most. Iowa’s governor has not committed to taking action on the sales tax, he added.

Partisan politics

Candidates were also asked if they would endorse a presidential candidate for the general election.

Both Wilhelm and Prichard, Democrats, said they would be voting for Hillary Clinton in the election.

“I never endorse anybody to be honest with you,” Wilhelm said, but “my support will be going to Hillary Clinton.”

Both Republican candidates Stokes and Brown said they were unhappy with their current choices in the election.

“If we could do a redo, I would love it,” Stokes said, adding she’s “more towards the Republican platform.”

“We deserve better,” Brown said. “That hangs really heavy over my heart, but at the same time I need to look at the policy and where they stand.”

All candidates were also asked how party politics affect their daily operations. Success comes down to how willing representatives are to work together, candidates said.

“We’re not like Washington, D.C., I really don’t feel that,” Wilhelm said. “We work well together.”

“The best plans are played when you work together,” Stokes said. “What are some of the same things that you have in common?”

Bipartisan work will come in as key to issues like addressing water quality, Prichard said. Brown said that Iowans were fortunate to be able to work across party lines.

“I want to be a part of that,” Brown added.

-20161019-

Social Share

LATEST NEWS