Iowa House District 70, redistricted in 2023, covers parts of Clinton, Jackson, and Scott counties in eastern Iowa, including cities like DeWitt, Maquoketa, and Princeton.
WVIK interviewed Republican incumbent statehouse Representative Norlin Mommsen and his opponent, Democrat George Pickup. Listen to their interviews or read their answers transcribed below.
Introductions:
Rep. Norlin Mommsen: Well, first off, I'm a farmer by trade. I still farm. I raise corn and beans, and then I feed cattle that we— I mean, for [inaudible]. And kind of the reason I'm running again is there's some issues I've been working on in the Capitol while I've been there that I kind of are still unfinished that I want to keep working on. Kind of why I originally ran was I - I just think it's important people are involved and this opportunity came up and this is kind of one way I can try and help my community.
George Pickup: Yes, I'd be glad to. So my name is George Pickup. I am a retired educator of 39 years at Central DeWitt, the last 17 as an administrator, principal as well. And, you know, I've always been intrigued by the process of the political system. I was a government teacher, took a lot of students out to the Capitol and got to see a lot of things that were happening and kind of liked the process. I know right now the process is a little bit crazier than it was then, but I was Mike Zimmer's campaign chairperson and I got a little more interested, and the Democrats recruited me in this area to run as their candidate. My wife was a teacher, my son's going to be a teacher, and my daughter is a teacher at Central DeWitt, and a bunch of my family members are teachers. So education is near and dear to me, and obviously that's my wheelhouse, and I don't like that Iowa's gone from 1 to 27 in education ratings and thought I'd throw my hat in the ring and try to do that, amongst other things.
Why should voters select you over your opponent?
Rep. Mommsen: Well, one of the areas I've been very extremely busy in, or during my time there, has been water quality. I have chaired the Ag and Natural Resources Appropriations Committee. So I have been kind of able to direct some programs with funding. So water quality has always been a big issue for me. Plus, our local foods. While in the legislature, I helped put together the Choose Iowa program, where it's a program where we support locally grown foods and handmade products in the state. And basically it's kind of a brand, the Choose Iowa brand, that you can get through the Department of Agriculture. That's been a big deal for me. And plus lately, I have been, we have been working to connect our locally grown foods with our schools and also our food banks, and that's probably been the most rewarding is the program we have connecting our, our locally grown foods with our food banks in the area. So those are several of the areas, you know, plus, you know, when you're in the legislature you have to, you're involved with everything, but I have kind of emphasized my agriculture background and whether it be for, for locally grown food, supporting our food supply by, you know, helping. We had, you know, the avian influenza here a few years ago, or the bird flu, helping to get put together a program to try and keep that in check because we all know what happened to the price of eggs in, I believe, turkey the year we had that devastating outbreak of avian influenza. So those are— I mean, it's all kind of quality of life. For right now, the big buzzword is affordability. And the best way to address affordability is to keep our food costs down.
Pickup: Well, one thing, I'm on a committee, National Committee for Term Limits, and Representative Mommsen has been in for 12 years and he's done a fine job. I think that I bring some common sense to, to the state house. I'm going to listen. I've knocked on a lot of doors, and a lot of people are worried about affordability. They're worried about the education system. They're worried about water quality, all things I think we can all agree on, on we need to improve upon. But how we do that and what policies go in, I think, is the key. So I think I'm a relationship builder. That's what I've been all my life in education. I'll build relationships, I'll go across the aisle, I'll work with the Senate. I think we need to just do things that will improve Iowa. And right now Iowa is not doing great economic growth-wise. And, you know, cancer rates being as high as they are, education where it's at. One other thing that I'm really looking at trying to improve is the mental health system and, and the services that are lacking. As a high school principal, I saw that on a regular basis, some of our kids struggling with mental health, and we couldn't get them the help they needed. I think there needs to be more beds. I think there needs to be more counselors, and how we fund that is something that's important to me as well. So overall, I bring a lot of experience in the public sector, and being a public servant would be something I would very much like to do again.
What specific policies are you wanting to introduce in the state legislature?
Rep. Mommsen: Well, one of the areas when you talk water quality, we have, if you want to get strict in the code, our code when it comes to, we talk about basically erosion and, and water quality. And but I think we need to go the next step and go talk about soil health, because I think there, there's the key to helping us with a lot of the— want to say our nitrate issues and stuff. We need to improve our soil health. And I've had bills in the past to include soil health as part of our Soil and Water Conservation Code section. I haven't quite gotten it across the finish line. I've got it through the House, haven't been able to get through the Senate. My goal is to get that in there because I think that's the next step in regard. And then going back to the work I've done basically with the Choose Iowa, I've just seen what a positive experience people have had, especially with the food banks, with the Choose Iowa, and I'd like to see that expanded because that is a really, really neat program when you get, you know, when you've seen what it's done for basically the food banks and the connection that makes for people.
Pickup: Well, a couple things. I think schools should be funded more than inflation, or at least, excuse me, not more than inflation. You can edit that if you want. I think that inflation's going up and we need to fund schools at 5% each year. Right now it's lucky if we get 2%. So one thing that's happening is schools are getting cuts and then they're having to cut teachers. Class sizes are getting larger, less people in the schools to do that. And so, really, education is one of the biggest things policy-wise. As far as water quality, I think we need to do more. We already know there's a cancer problem in Iowa. Now, we need to find out how to help with that, whether it's saturated buffers, whether it's giving incentives to farmers to— because it's not the farmer's fault. They're trying to make their money too. But we've done the research, and we know water quality is an issue. A few other things, affordability, whatever we can do to kind of help put more money in, in people's hands, such as property taxes and income taxes. Obviously, we want people to be able to spend in their community. And then probably the biggest thing, I think, Brady, is local decision-making. I'm for home rule. I think DeWitt, Makoketa, all of Scott County that I represent, the small communities of Donahue, McCausland, Princeton, Long Grove, and Parkview, they know the demographics, they know what they need. So putting, putting local decisions in local people's hands to better their community is something that we really need to focus on in Des Moines.
The cost of living is rising faster than wages, causing economic hardship for many Iowan families. What type of legislation would you support that could alleviate this strife?
Rep. Mommsen: Well, one of them would be anything to help with the housing, basically to help our young people be able to afford their first house, because that's kind of where wealth starts, or people— most people are able to, you know, generate wealth is the equity they build in their house. So we need to do what we can to get people there. The other affordability, like I said, it's how do we support. How do we keep the price of food down? I mean, that's like I said, we've created programs to combat our potential. It hasn't happened in America, but there is a disease out in the Caribbean right now, African swine fever, that if that would ever come to the mainland, that would be devastating to our pork industry, which would force, you know, the price of meat skyrocket. So basically programs to basically always be ready and assist and keep issues like that at bay.
Pickup: Well, I think, you know, the property tax reform, I know that right now there's a 2% cap and some cities are worried about that. I think we, we have to look at income levels and make sure that people that are making, you know, less are not hit as hard in taxes. The other thing that, that I think is with the affordability right now, Washington, D.C. is not helping that very much. Some of that's out of our control and we can only help so much. But until gas prices go down and groceries go down, I think buying local, really focusing and putting our money where we want to, buy local, help our small communities thrive, whether it be a, you know, someone who raises their own cattle and those types of things, is to support them the best we can. I think there's a major affordability issue in the whole country. Inflation is going up higher than people have money in their pockets. So it's a very difficult situation. So we'll just have to get together and try to do it Republican and Democrat alike, because Representative Mommsen thinks that that's an issue too. So if we talk together, good things happen when you work together. I know that from my years as principal.
And this past week, the legislature came back for a special session to pass financial incentives for a proposed steel plant in southeast Iowa. Explain your reasoning behind your vote / explain why you would or wouldn't vote for the financial package.
Rep. Mommsen: I voted for it. I think it's a great way to help keep— I mean, when you talk about bringing potentially 1,750 long-term jobs to the state, and I believe the wage they were talking about was like $48 an hour. I think that's nothing but a positive for the state. Plus, you got to look at all the, the businesses that will spring up around it. I mean, when you have 1,700 people at one plant, the convenience stores, maybe hotels, when you have that much steel, is trucking firms going to set up in the vicinity? I mean, it's just going to snowball. And that's what I think that would be great for Iowa. So, yes, I was in favor of it.
Pickup: Well, I don't believe I would have supported it at this time. I'm definitely for economic development. And, you know, they haven't— Senator Weiner said that they haven't even really vetted the company. I believe the company is from India. You know, Donald Trump said that the groundbreaking had already happened, which was not true. It's a major, major money issue with taxes. I'd like to see more information on it. I know that there were some Republicans and Democrats alike that voted on either side of that, but I would have voted no at this point. But I do like— I do believe the stipulation is, and this I would agree with, that no money will go to the company until they're fully up and running, if I'm not mistaken. And if that's the case, it's a better— it's better policy then. But right now, I don't know if we'd see it till 2030, '31. So there's, there were a lot of questions that I would have at this point to get me to vote yes. And I'm certainly, like I said, if, if it's going to be something that happens, that's great. They said $48 an hour for people up to $76. I mean, that's pretty good financial situation down for Lee County, which probably could use a boost along with the surrounding area there. So once again, I'm definitely for economic growth, but at this point I would have voted no.
What is your main message to voters ahead of the November 3rd election?
Rep. Mommsen: Well, over the years, I've always been— tried to be very honest with people, and I believe what would summarize my time in the Capitol, no matter what the issue, would be kind of a, kind of a little catchphrase: promises made, promises kept. I think what I said I was going to do or support, or sometimes when I've said I wouldn't support something, I have stood by that. So I think the easiest way to sum up my campaign is basically promises made, promises kept.
Pickup: I would say my main thing is I will listen. I won't know it all. I won't know all the answers right away. But when I don't know something, I will call. I was just before this, I was on with the local city administrator for 45 minutes talking about property tax reform. I have a lot of people I know from my principal days. I will listen before making decisions. And I really would like to think that I will vote with what I think— not think I will, I will vote with what's best for my constituents. I'm going to be representing Eastern Iowa, a very rural area. I'm not representing Des Moines, the Waukees and the Ankenys of the world. I'm representing a smaller rural area. And so I like to get to know the people and always be willing to answer or find out the answer for them. And then listen to their concerns and what they need to make their lives better and make their families' lives better.
Early voting begins in Iowa on October 14. Election Day is November 3. Links to the Auditor's website for more election information: Clinton, Jackson, and Scott.
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