January 2024, in my editorial in the Globe Gazette and the Clear Lake Mirror, I laid out my wishes for the legislative session. Putting politics aside and working on issues important to Iowans; fully fund public schools, address childcare, the housing shortage, the nursing home crisis, puppy mills, ensure eminent domain is not used for personal gain, fully fund important services for Iowans, and many more.
Instead of addressing these and other issues, culture wars and sensationalism politics overruled common sense. Consequently, Iowa does not look like the same Iowa we have all known.
The power of the majority party in Iowa is absolute, and there has been no willingness to compromise. A saying comes to my mind, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
Here is our Iowa after super majority control;
- 2/3 of Iowa Counties are losing population
- 2nd highest cancer rate…only state with rising cancer numbers
- 750 polluted waterways
- Our AEAs lost 429 employees, and hampered their ability to help our children
- Refusing $29 Million to feed our children in poverty
- 49th in mental health beds
- 49th in number of nursing home inspectors
- OB-GYNs leaving the state with the lowest per capita of any state; 3.3 per 10,000 women of childbearing age
- Childcare and OB-GYN deserts
- In 2022 infant mortality rate in Iowa increased by 30%, largest increase in 20 years
- Continuing to strip power from local government….56 such laws since 2017
- Underfunding our public schools, while telling teachers what (and what not) to teach, banning books … shortchanging our 489,000 kids
- Breaking the budget paying for private school vouchers… $400 Million, plus almost $1Million going to a NY firm to manage those tax dollars. Next year the income restriction is gone, and millionaires will be letting your tax dollars pay for their children’s private education.
This election Iowans can vote for people; that show up for forums, that tell you what they stand for, that believe public education in Iowa should be number one again, and that strive to improve this beautiful state for ALL its residents.
NOTE: The recent revenue estimating conference report that just came out…. in 2025, Iowa has a −5.1% growth, 2026 projected, − 6.4% growth.
Please vote this November with the future of Iowa in mind ….the Iowa you would like to see.
Sharon Steckman
Representative, House District 59
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those shared by NIT. To submit an opinion, email to NORTHIOWATODAY@GMAIL.COM
Iowa doesn’t look like the Iowa we know? Funny, neither does America these last 4 years.
This dried up old lady needs to go out to pasture (which I thought she had already done) and get with the times. Send the beaners and “no habla” crowd back to where they belong and leave IOWA to IOWANS
Wish you would go back to where you belong.
Iowa used to be a good state to live in. Now families are leaving including mine and I would as well if I was younger. What a sad state we have become.
The majority has gained absolute power by being elected by the majority and represent the majority and the minority has no power to implement their wishes? What has the state become, some kind of democracy?
In a democracy, the government is elected to represent the people living under that democracy. When the ruling party shuts out the minority party and refuses to work with them, then it isn’t a democracy.
We don’t have a Democracy, when will people ever understand that? We live in a representative republic. (Big difference, mob doesn’t rule.) We elected these Republicans to shake things up in the state and they did exactly what we elected them to do. Next up, eliminate property taxes in the state.
If we eliminate property taxes and reduce the income tax to 0%, then there will be no money to pay for government services such as police and fire protection, public schools, highway maintenance and building, and on and on. Do you think those things are unnecessary? I don’t.