Meet the candidates for Iowa House

Iowans will vote in new legislative districts for their state representatives and senators this November, following the 2020 U.S. Census.

The local Iowa House district remains largely unchanged. Winnebago County, northern Kossuth County, and Emmet County are now in Iowa House District 9, rather than District 7. Republican Rep. Henry Stone is the incumbent representing this district in the November 8 election, and he is being challenged for the seat by Democrat Joe Tillman.

Henry Stone of Forest City currently serves as Representative in Iowa House District 7, with one full term under his belt after being elected in 2020. He is a retired veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Pennie, have four children: Melissa, Chris, Daniel (deceased), and Andrew, as well as four grandsons and one brand new granddaughter.
Stone says he’s seeking reelection so he can continue to serve North Central Iowa and be a voice in Des Moines for the issues that affect people here.
He served in the Air Force for 22 years, and he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a Master’s degree in Education and Administration.
“After serving these last two years, I’ve learned a great deal about how to be effective in serving my constituents. I was proud to be the point-man on multiple COVID related bills that have protected the rights of lowans,” said Stone.

The Tribune asked the candidates about their goals and priorities for the 2023 legislative session pertaining to a number of issues. Here are Rep. Stone’s responses.
 

Agriculture and the environment
“With agriculture being our greatest resource, agriculture and the environment go hand-in-hand. Iowa should maintain a balanced electrical energy generation portfolio to ensure energy reliability and resiliency at an affordable cost.”

CO2 pipelines and the use of eminent domain
“The main priority should be to protect landowners’ rights. After personally filing legislation last session to protect those rights, I, along with other legislators, will be reviewing current code to see where changes can be made on concerns expressed by landowners.”

Education
“This is one of the highest priorities going into next session! One thing the pandemic highlighted was that education is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ for students. Giving students and parents the ability to choose where and how they receive an education is of the utmost importance. Along with school choice, we need to affirm and retain the highest quality educators in our schools.”

Health care and mental health
“With the passage of over 15 healthcare and mental health related bills last session, Republicans understand the necessity for access to proper healthcare and mental health services. We are committed to continuing to address these areas of concern and where improvements can be made.”

Access to abortion
“I am pro-life and will continue to fight for the preservation of life from conception to natural death. The Heartbeat Bill that was signed by Governor Reynolds in 2018 is currently being litigated. I fully support this bill and await the court’s decision here shortly.”

Workforce shortages
“Even though Iowa’s unemployment rate is at historic lows, there are workforce shortages affecting every business in the state. Following the recommendations given by the Governor’s Workforce Task Force, Republicans moved several key pieces of legislation to ease financial burdens for healthcare workers and teachers and provide expedited licensing processes. As we move into this next session, addressing other areas of workforce shortages will play a key part in ongoing discussions.”

Inflation
“While inflation due to overspending by the federal government continues to impact lowans, Republicans are committed to easing financial burdens by reducing and eliminating taxes and keeping more money in the pockets of lowans. This was evidenced by the historic tax cut bill passed earlier this year.”

Taxes
“As stated above, the historic tax cut bill, passed by Republicans, lowered and eliminated state income taxes. Moving forward, addressing property tax concerns will be a priority.”
What other priorities would you like to pursue if elected?
“ESG policies and their stifling of free enterprise along with property tax relief for disabled veterans are a couple key priorities for me this next session.”
During his first term in office, Stone says he’s established a track record of being an effective legislator and voice for Winnebago, Kossuth and Emmet Counties.
“From writing and passing legislation which effectively saved healthcare workers’ jobs to giving our schools the freedom and flexibility to appropriate funds where needed post-pandemic to bringing attention to much needed infrastructure repairs on local highways, I have fought hard for our district,” said Stone. “When re-elected, I will continue to be your voice and represent the needs of this district in Des Moines. Thank you for allowing me to represent you, and I ask for your support on November 8.”

Joe Tillman of Forest City is running for the Iowa House District 9 seat as a first-time candidate for public office.
“I am a retired teacher, and for four decades I worked with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other school staff. I learned to listen and respect the views of others as we worked together to educate and resolve issues,” said Tillman. “I am running for the Iowa House of Representatives because I feel that public education in Iowa has been under attack for nearly a decade. I want to make a difference for rural Iowa.” He and his wife, Claudia, have three grown daughters and six grandchildren – all of whom live in Iowa.
Here is what Tillman had to say when asked about his goals and priorities for a number of issues the Iowa Legislature will consider next year.

Agriculture and the environment
“In 2010, the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund was established. The trust fund has never been funded. Recent polls show that 69% of Iowa voters support funding the trust. It’s time to make this happen.”

CO2 pipelines and the use of eminent domain
“I am opposed to the CO2 pipelines crossing Iowa. I’m against the use of eminent domain for this project. There are cheaper and safer ways to capture CO2. For example, CO2 can be injected into cement, as is being done in Canada.”

Education
“I am opposed to the use of private vouchers. The $55 million that would be taken away from public schools would have a huge impact on our rural schools. The allowable growth rate needs to increase.”

Health care and mental health
“I believe there needs to be greater funding for mental health care in Iowa. I think Iowa needs to do away with privatized Medicaid.”

Access to abortion
“I am not a proponent of abortions. However, I trust Iowans to make their own health care decisions. There are too many gray areas when it comes to reproductive health. A rigid set of laws would fail to adequately address each situation.”

Workforce shortages
“Iowa’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. This has been in place since 2009. We are only one of 18 states which has such a low wage. Increasing the minimum wage and helping provide affordable child care for parents could help ease the workforce shortages.”

Inflation
“Currently, big corporations are making record profits. This is where the problem with inflation begins and where it needs to be addressed.”

Taxes
“We all complain about taxes, but we often forget about the services which are funded through taxes (police, roads, schools, bridges, etc.). It is time for large corporations and special interest groups to pay their fair share of taxes.”

What other priorities would you like to pursue if elected?

“Affordable and reliable child care services is a concern for many Iowans. This is especially true in our rural area. Child care providers also need a livable wage. “A college professor once told me that you can complain about problems or you can choose to be part of the solution. I want to be part of the solution,” said Tillman.