Jones Co. legislators share insight into new session

     Jones County Farm Bureau hosted the first area legislative forum on Jan. 25. Despite the blowing snow, all four area legislators graced the small group with their presence: Sen. Dan Zumbach, Sen. Carrie Koelker, Rep. Lee Hein and Rep. Andy McKean.

     The forum was held at Kirkwood’s Jones Regional Education Center, a place that sparked praise by attendee Guy Petersen. He said JREC has become a model for the rest of the community colleges in the State of Iowa.

     “When you talk about education, high school education, and community college education, in my opinion, it should become more and more combined,” he said.

     Hein shared that 56 percent of the state’s budget is reserved for education funding, not just K-12.

     Darrick Hall asked why education funding has become “such a political football.”

     Hein said part of that is because the Legislature is asked to set their education allocation right away at the start of every session.

     McKean agreed. “The school districts beg us to make a decision as early as possible in the legislative session so they can do their budgets.”

     McKean shared that three of his now-adult children took advantage of the great offerings through Kirkwood Community College as well. “It strongly increases the possibility of getting your college done in four years, if not sooner,” he said.

     McKean is also glad to see the negative stigma (stereotype) attached to attending a community college has vanished.

     “As time has developed, more and more people are realizing that it’s a changing world, and in many ways, it’s a much better route to take than a four-year school,” he said. “We need to have options for young people. It’s great to see how community colleges have been providing that.”

     Koelker, a community college graduate, is a champion for this secondary education option. She said one of her missions as a freshman state senator is to start introducing the idea of college education to students before high school.

     “It’s about getting into the K-12 system while they’re young and teach them that there are so many opportunities out there, not just that four-year degree,” she said.

     While focusing on increased education funding, the legislators also put a rumor to rest. Jones County Supervisor Jon Zirkelbach asked if the legislature planned to touch IPERS this session.

     “Rumor. Rumor. Rumor,” said Koelker. “It’s utilized as a mechanic during an election. I don’t foresee that on the table this year at all.”

     The remaining legislators all agreed.

     However, Zumbach said it is their job to look at the IPERS system every now and then.

     “It is our responsibility to look at it every year to ensure it’s viable,” he said. “To make sure that it doesn’t run into the ground. But the minute the committee that’s in charge of that opens the door, everybody thinks it’s a hacking process.”

     McKean added, “But it is important that we continue to carefully monitor it keep it sustainable for the future.”

     The Iowa Legislature has only been in business for two weeks now. Koelker said she’s getting her feet wet as a “newbie” in Des Moines. Zumbach said he’s seeing things move faster than he has in past sessions.

     “Those are moving quickly. Things are happening,” he said. “My individual and personal workload has gone down because we’ve added about 10 percent more Republicans in the Iowa Senate. So we’ve had to spread that over more folks.”

     He said the state is starting out this year with a positive budget, something to be proud of.

     “People are working. People are earning more money. When you get people working and earning more money, they pay more taxes,” shared Zumbach. “So starting out, we don’t have to de-appropriate anything. It’s a good deal we don’t have to go backwards before we go forwards.”

     McKean said the people of Jones County should be proud of the fact that we are represented by strong leaders in Des Moines. Hein is chair of the House Ways & Means Committee and Zumbach is chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

     “You have two legislators in very key places for ag concerns,” said McKean. “Our Republican Caucus in both the House and the Senate are very strongly rural oriented.”

     Rural revitalization is a goal of McKean’s. And he alluded to Governor Kim Reynolds’ support of rural Iowa as well. “She’s very interested in doing more for the non-metropolitan parts of the state.”