Jennifer Konfrst: State Representative Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights serves the 32nd District in the Iowa House and is the Iowa House Democratic Leader.

It’s been a busy first month of session and we’ve gotten a lot of feedback from Iowans.

While vouchers have dominated the communications we’ve received from constituents so far, we’ve gotten a lot of feedback on other issues like property taxes, medical malpractice, and book bans.

If there is one common thread to all the feedback we’re getting, it’s that Iowans are sick of politics. They are tired of the division and bickering. They see the same political agenda being pushed in Iowa this year happening in other states. And just today they watched the Governor fly to Washington, DC to thank a national special interest group.

A survey we sent out to Iowans when session began confirmed that as well. Of the Iowans who responded, there was overwhelming support for the plan we are working on this session to put people over politics. There are four key pieces of the plan, including: lowering costs for Iowans, investing in public schools, protecting reproductive freedom, and legalizing marijuana.

Of the Iowans who participated in the survey, 89% disagreed with the Governor’s plan for vouchers and supported public schools instead. A strong majority of Iowans (86%) indicated they want their reproductive rights protected. That includes an Iowans’ legal right to contraception, abortions, fertility treatment, and overall reproductive health.

A majority of those filling out the survey would also like to see the legalization of marijuana for adult use in Iowa. While this issue has been more controversial in the past, it’s shifted dramatically with growing support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents as neighboring states have legalized it over the last several years.

The Iowans I’ve talked to and heard from so far this session expect differences between lawmakers at the State Capitol. But they still have an expectation that we can put aside politics and have open, honest conversations at the Statehouse about what’s important to them.

I couldn’t agree more.

Too much of what we’ve seen so far this session has been driven by out of state special interest groups and politics.

I think it’s time for the Iowa Legislature to shift its focus and get back to the issues important to Iowans.

State Representative Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights serves the 32nd District in the Iowa House and is the Iowa House Democratic Leader.

Email: Jennifer.konfrst@legis.iowa.gov

Facebook: facebook.com/jenniferkonfrstforIowa

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KonfrstForHouse

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