Preparing for a new legislative session

     The new legislative session convened on Jan 9 and it promises to be a challenging one. Lower than expected state revenues, due in part to declining farm income, will make putting together a state budget a more difficult task than ever. There are many important needs to consider and prioritizing them will be a painful process. I am hopeful that 2017 will be the year that the legislature will begin to simplify Iowa’s complicated tax code, establish a sensible strategy to improve water quality, bring greater predictability and flexibility to educational funding, and address Iowa’s mental health crisis. I want to see a greater emphasis on rural economic development and hope that I can push for this as a member of the Economic Growth Committee and the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee. I will also be serving on the Judiciary Committee, Local Government Committee, and Environmental Protection Committee, of which I am the Vice Chair.

     As I prepare for the upcoming legislative session, I would like to thank the voters of Jackson, Jones, and Dubuque Counties for their support in the recent election. I am honored to have the opportunity to represent you and will do my best to help make the 2017 session successful and productive.

     One of the motivating factors in my decision to seek office was my dismay at excessive partisanship. I am interested in good results and think it’s high time for both parties to work together to achieve them. Although Republicans now control the Governorship and both houses of the legislature, we need to include the Democrats in developing good policy for the State. No party has a monopoly on good ideas.

     Although I ran for office as a Republican, as your State Representative, I represent all the people in the district. It is my intention to vote for what is in the best interests of the people of Jackson, Jones and Dubuque Counties and if that conflicts at times with Republican priorities, so be it. Therefore, it is very important to me to determine, to the best of my ability, what the people I represent want me to work for on their behalf. In order to try to accomplish that, I will be at events around the district as much as possible to listen and learn.

     In addition, I want you to always feel free to contact me with your concerns, suggestions, and requests. My home phone number is 319-462-5432, my cell phone number is 319-975-0006, and the switchboard number at the Iowa House of Representatives is 515-281-3221. My e-mail address is andy.mckean@legis.iowa.gov and we will be shortly establishing a new Facebook page entitled State Representative Andy McKean (we are in the process of deactivating the old campaign Facebook page). Or, you can always contact me the old-fashioned way by sending me a letter to either my home address (509 S. Oak St., Anamosa, IA 52205) or in Des Moines (State Rep. Andy McKean, State House, Des Moines, IA 50319). I really hope that you’ll let me hear from you as the more I hear from you the better job I’ll be able to do.