Sen. Sweeney pictured in Toledo Heights Park during her visit to the area on Thursday, Sept. 22. Photo by Vanessa Roudabush.

Sen. Annette Sweeney (R-Alden) of District 25 visited the Tama-Toledo area on Thursday, Sept. 22, to canvass for reelection in the newly-formed State Senate District 27 which, following redistricting, now includes most of Tama County (excluding Buckingham, Dysart, and Traer) and all of Grundy County.

During an interview with Tama-Grundy Publishing, Sweeney – first elected to her current seat in a 2018 special election – explained why she’s running for reelection.

“I believe in our rural areas. I believe that what we do, farmers, food, there shouldn’t be political boundaries within that. Everybody eats,” she said. [This] has always been my home. I believe in those homes, the people that make their community work, and that’s why I keep running.”

Sweeney, who resides in Hardin County, was raised on her family’s farm near Radcliffe, where she, her husband, and two sons currently maintain a cattle operation. She received a B.S. in education at Concordia College in Seward, Neb. She has served on multiple agricultural boards and received several ag-related rewards throughout her career prior to becoming a Senator.

One of Sweeney’s successfully passed pieces of legislation is the Fertility Fraud Bill. The first of its kind, this bill makes it a Class C felony to falsify information on assisted reproductive treatment and the misuse of reproductive materials by physicians.

The current legislature has been working hard, using federal funding to advance broadband internet in rural Iowa. Sweeney explained the benefits of these services for rural towns and agriculture in Iowa.

“We’ve got people moving out to our rural towns, and I’ve got to applaud our state and the feds [for] what they’re doing for rural broadband. We’ve been talking about this for 15 years. It needed to happen,” she said. “Hopefully, with [their] help, the investment in broadband will help keep people [in] their homes. Our people in agriculture right now are crazy good in their technology. I don’t think there’s an industry like it where the owners know what their software’s doing.”

Sweeney has already set her focus on what she wants to accomplish if she’s re-elected.

“I want to focus on maternal health. We need to really focus on the quality of health that we can provide,” she said. “It’s instrumental in keeping people in our rural communities and to give our babies a great start. We need to expand-the education system and mental health.”

She went on to talk about the switch to telehealth here in Iowa.

“I’m so proud of what we’ve done [for] telehealth. I was one of those that was weary. Is this going to work? [And] it’s been a success,” she said.

As a member of the Republican party, Sweeney is also proud they’ve implemented water quality nutrient reduction strategies, transportation equity for rural communities, increased the funding for education by over $100 million, and eliminated the practice tests.

“I’m excited about the funding we’ve given to education. There’s a mantra out there, ‘We don’t fully fund education,'” she said. “Will someone tell me what fully funded education is?”

Sweeney weighed in on the debate on minimum wage, worrying that it could have a negative ripple effect and instead suggesting businesses should incentivize great workers.

“Let’s raise it, then what happens? Everything else gets raised. I think raising the minimum wage isn’t the answer. We need to empower our workers more,” she said. “Ok, you don’t miss a month of work, [companies] give you an extra paid day off to show appreciation for how hard you work for the company. But we’re having trouble with the workforce and whether people stick around at a job. There has to be a realization of what work is and appreciation of workers. I think [this] is a big bundle, and there isn’t a definitive answer.”

She also noted the changes that she feels should be made within corporations and what the Iowa Legislature has done to help them.

“We need to make sure that our workers are being treated fairly. We need to make sure that people in charge are valuing their workers and taking notes on retaining their people, and making a good work quality place,” she said. “As a legislature, how do I make that happen? We’ve lowered corporate taxes. That should help, I think, with [corporations] being able to pay [workers] better. Let’s see with the cuts and the corporation taxes if that happens.”

Despite concerns about a decline in population — or, at the very least, slower growth compared to other states — Sweeney has high hopes for Iowa’s future.

“We’ve got taxes down to 3.9%. We’re eliminating the inheritance tax. That was one of the big things I wanted to get done because when my dad died, it was horrible,” she said. “That will help family farms stay family farms. That, to me, keeps Iowans in Iowa. A lot of them are going [out of state] to avoid the taxes. When we aren’t taxing them here, that’s going to keep individuals in our small towns buying groceries, to volunteer at schools, churches, and communities.”

With wind energy serving as a continuous source of controversy in Tama County, Sweeney weighed in on the matter and how she believes ordinances should be handled in the future.

“Where is that energy going? Is it helping Iowans? Are we sending it somewhere else? I’m concerned about the contracts, [and] land ownership rights. I think this has come upon us so quickly that there isn’t anything on the books [and] they’re not going away,” she said. “We need to be proactive in how we are going to handle [wind energy ordinances] at a supervisor and state level. People need to sit down with their supervisors, legislators, and the Iowa Utility Board to [ask] how do we handle [wind turbines] today and in the future.”

With 14 bills waiting in the Iowa legislature regarding LGBTQ+ rights, Sweeney had this to say on the matter.

“We all have rights. It doesn’t matter what silo you want to be put in. Everybody should be treated equally,” she said.

Sweeney wants constituents that are on the edge about voting for her, “I believe we can collaborate for answers. We need to have conversations, and I’m willing to have those conversations. [We] need to build Iowa’s future together.”