Iowa House of Representatives District 85 includes the city of North Liberty, Penn, Newport, Graham, and Cedar townships, and the city of Solon. Portions of the new district encompass what was District 77, currently represented by Democrat Amy Nielsen, who is running for the District 85 seat. Also running are Republican Wayne Grell and Libertarian Jacob Wenck.
A list of profile questions were sent to each candidate and the Solon Economist will print their responses as received.
Amy Nielsen’s response follows below and we hope to have Grell and Wenck’s responses for the Nov. 3 edition.
Amy Nielsen is the current House District 77 (North Liberty and western Johnson County from Swisher to Lone Tree) Representative and a resident of North Liberty. She was born and raised in southeast Iowa before moving to North Liberty 16 years ago with her family.
“After becoming involved with my three children’s school activities and creating programs like Walking School Bus, I ran to serve as the North Liberty Mayor in 2014, becoming the first female ever to serve in the role. In 2016, I was elected to the Iowa House and hope to return again after this election.”
Why are you running for the District 91 seat in the Iowa House of Representatives?
“Since first elected to the House in 2016, I’ve worked on a variety of issues such as expanding Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for rural Iowans, protecting health care access and services, and giving local government municipalities the ability to best serve their residents. I’m running for re-election to continue to fight for issues that my constituents care about. I’m dedicated to helping everyday Iowans in District 85 experience a better quality of life, helping small businesses grow within our communities, and protecting Iowa’s public education.
What do you see as the highest priority issue facing the citizens of Iowa? And closer to home, impacting District 91? Also, as one vote in the House, how would you seek to address it?
“One of the biggest issues facing Iowans is low wages. Wages are not keeping up with the rising costs of healthcare, food, childcare, and utility bills. Since each representative in the House only has one vote, I’ve made it a priority to work with Democrats and Republicans to create good legislation that works for all Iowans. That’s why I’ve been recognized as one of the most bipartisan legislators and have worked across the aisle to get Emergency Medical Services to rural Iowa, promote agricultural tourism for Iowa’s economy, and create opportunities for new, young farmers.”
What are other high-priority issues for you, and why?
“K-12 education is one of the reasons I got into politics. For generations, Iowans have counted on great public schools to educate our kids and be the heart of our communities–but we’ve lost ground. Our kids are losing out and teachers are leaving the classroom because of underfunding in public education. This has resulted in fewer opportunities for Iowa children. I believe we must fully fund our public schools in every ZIP code, while continuing to provide resources for students who utilize the private or home-school options we have in the state.”
District 91 encompasses a large area with Big Grove Twp. being one small part. As you are an Iowa County resident, how would you ensure Big Grove’s residents are heard and represented?
“In my current district, I represent small towns such as Swisher, Oxford, and Lone Tree. I have attended events, held town hall meetings, and knocked on doors when not in session to give constituents a chance to voice their concerns and ask questions. I am also available via email and phone because I believe my constituents should be able to voice their opinion(s) on legislation going through the House chamber.”
Anything else you would like our readers to know about you?
“I have a record of showing up for my constituents, and not just the ones that share my political affiliation. I believe in putting people over politics and have done that in my work. I have been recognized as an effective leader who is able to work across the aisle and get results for my constituents. While I know that we can’t all agree on everything all the time, I will always be honest and transparent in what I believe and how I vote on legislation. If you’d like to read more about me, you can visit amyforiowa.com or find me on Facebook.”