Meet the candidates 2018: House District 50

By: 
Robert Maharry

(Editor’s note: This is the first installment in a two-part series about the local state legislature candidates and their political positions. Next week’s edition will feature Republican State Senator Annette Sweeney and Democratic challenger Tracy Freese.)
AREA- Well-known Republican State Representative Pat Grassley, a six-term incumbent who farms near New Hartford, has received at least 60 percent of the votes cast in his last five re-election campaigns, but Democratic challenger Dennis Evans—a retired banker from Reinbeck—is hoping to change that as his party attempts to take back the House and the governor’s office this November.
           
House District 50, which covers southern Butler County, all of Grundy County and northern Hardin County, has traditionally leaned strongly toward Republicans, and due to both the demographics and his strong name recognition as the grandson of longtime U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Grassley comes into the race as a strong favorite.
           
With Election Day just a few weeks away, Grassley and Evans took time to answer a host of questions submitted by The Grundy Register on several of the topics the legislature is expected to either address or revisit in the upcoming session. Their responses are printed below.
 
The Grundy Register: The state budget has been a major topic of discussion during the most recent session, including taxes, spending and health care for lower income Iowans. In general, do you feel that the state is on the right or wrong path, and what, if any, changes would you suggest should you win election?
 
Dennis Evans: I am very thankful that my family and I have had health insurance through my employer for my entire adult life. That means that for any health issue, it has been dealt with at the time and has not become a bigger health issue. Being dealt with at the time has saved myself and my insurance company money because the issue is dealt with before it became a bigger issue. For those people who were not as fortunate as we were don’t not have the good outcomes that we had as they put off getting care.
 
Families living on minimum wage do not have options. They must figure out how to make very limited funds cover living costs. Typically these workers work for employers that do not provide coverage. When you look far into the future, these folks don’t have the funds to ever get ahead and preparing for educating their children and preparing for retirement.
 
One suggestion I have is raising the minimum wage. It has not been raised in years and cost have gone up with inflation. Just keeping up with inflation, the minimum wage should at least be $10.50.
 
Pat Grassley: The state’s balanced budget is on the right path.  It is focusing resources on the programs that Iowans feel are most important like our public schools, health care, and public safety.  I will continue to make sure that the tax dollars Iowans send to Des Moines are wisely spent and that the state does not make financial commitments it cannot keep.
 
Register: The farm economy and tariffs have been another inescapable topic recently. Is there anything the state legislature can do to help increase overall farm profits and improve the situation for agricultural producers, and how do conservation and water quality efforts fit into that larger picture? Also, do you believe the Master Matrix scoring system for animal confinements should be revisited or reformed?
 
Evans: What do we want our world to look like in the future for our children and grandchildren? Our legislature is looking short term in dealing with environmental issues.
 
The legislature has passed I-Will, which would give substantial funds to deal with some of the environmental issues, but they have not funded it. I have had conversations with people who will not consider moving to Iowa because of our water quality and possible health effects to their children. The tariffs are having a huge negative effect on the Iowa economy.
 
We have not yet seen the effect on our tax revenues and for some farmers, being able to survive when they meet with their bankers this winter. The tariffs will also affect markets and trading partners that we have worked years to create, so the effect will be long term.
 
The hog industry has changed a great deal over the last 15 years. The Master Matrix should be reviewed and updated taking into consideration new science and learning from the weaknesses it has.
 
Grassley: I have some concerns with tariffs that could hurt Iowa farmers, but I do support getting tough with countries whose trade practices are hurting American workers and stealing their work. 
           
With regards to the Matrix, if there are issues that need to be addressed I am open to that, as long as all groups are willing to work towards a solution.  Right now, we have some who are taking a position that looks to shut down animal agriculture here in Iowa.  We do not need to start from scratch.
 
Read their full responses in this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here. 

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