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Meet the Candidates for Iowa House District 53: Tommy Hexter

Tommy Hexter (D-Grinnell).

Ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election, Tama-Grundy Publishing reporter Ruby McAllister sent questionnaires to all the local candidates in contested statehouse elections. This week we feature responses from those running for Iowa House District 53: Republican incumbent Dean Fisher of Montour and Democratic challenger Tommy Hexter of Grinnell. House District 53 includes all of Poweshiek County and most of Tama County excluding the northeast corner.

Tommy Hexter, 25, is the Democratic nominee for House District 53. He lives in Grinnell where he works as the Executive Director of Grinnell Farm to Table. He is also a policy specialist for the Iowa Farmers Union. His family includes his parents, Carolyn and Jon, who also live in Grinnell, and his two older sisters – Linda, 28, of Tampa, Fla., and Elizabeth, 33, of Alexandria, Va. Mr. Hexter earned his BA in Anthropology from Grinnell College in 2021.

1) Why are you the best candidate for this office – what differentiates you from your opponent?

I am running as a Democrat. If it were a viable option, I would have run as an independent. In order to truly represent the people of House District 53, we need a representative who is not concerned about party politics and instead listens to the needs and opinions of all constituents when making decisions. If elected, I will not serve the interests of just one party or vote along party lines, I will refer to all constituents to make sure I am advocating for and bringing home needed policies for the people of House District 53, not just those that the governor says are important for one particular party’s agenda.

2) What particular issues would you like to see addressed by the Iowa Legislature in the session?

Iowans statewide have spoken about their dissatisfaction with two particular policies passed by the Iowa Legislature in the past few years. First, I would like to see the six-week abortion ban, which 60% of Iowans disapprove, repealed and replaced with a policy that grants women and their medical providers the freedom to make informed decisions about women reproductive healthcare without fear of criminal punishment. Second, I would like to see the Students First Act repealed so that no public taxpayer dollars are being spent on private schools.

The major issues that I personally prioritize are those related to making Iowa a more viable place to live for the next generation. Among these include: creating a tax credit for the sale or lease of farmland to beginning farmers (under the age of 35), investing in state parks and staff to revitalize our natural lands for tourism and recreation, increasing the funds available for farm-to-school and farm-to-food-bank initiatives through the Choose Iowa program, and providing tax incentives to small businesses so that they can out-compete corporate challengers like Dollar General and McDonalds.

3) Please explain your position(s) on private property rights and eminent domain in Iowa.

Rep. Fisher and I agree that proposed projects that require the use of eminent domain for private corporate gain represent a serious violation of landowner rights. It’s important to recognize that oftentimes, as in the case of the current proposed carbon pipeline, these projects are meant to offer support to a struggling industry. In the case of the pipeline project, the project is proposed to help capitalize on federal tax credits to help the ethanol industry (which is quickly becoming unprofitable) increase revenue. Where I differ from Rep. Fisher on this issue is that I see the dire need to start diversifying Iowa’s farm markets to look beyond corn and ethanol production. When in office, I will support programs (including the Choose Iowa local food program, alternative crop research, and state conservation programs) that incentivize farmers and related businesses to diversify their farms and create new avenues for profit outside of corn ethanol. My opponent is a sitting member of the agriculture committee, but I have not seen him comment on the future of Iowa corn beyond ethanol.

4) Where do you stand on funding for public schools, particularly rural public schools? What is your position on the Students First Act (signed into law in January of 2023) and its recent rollout?

Public school districts have been facing what school board members refer to as “chronic underfunding.” This year, the Grinnell-Newburg School District cut nearly $1 million from its budget, including 17 staff positions. A solid education system is the backbone of a healthy democracy and of strong families. Instead of recognizing that school districts are having a hard time and investing to improve them, Republicans have been continuing to kick them while they are down. The recent attacks on public education in Iowa, including the changes to Area Education Agencies and the Education Savings Account private school voucher program, harm rural school districts more than urban areas. The Students First Act takes funding from public schools and pays a student’s private school tuition, regardless of income. This doesn’t take into account that there are 42 counties in the State that do not have private schools at all, and that private schools can reject students. We must adequately fund public schools and ensure that all funding for education is accessible to all Iowans, not just those who can get into private schools.

5) Where do you stand on access to abortion in Iowa? As of today, abortion is prohibited in Iowa after cardiac activity can be detected (roughly 6 weeks of pregnancy); there are also limited exceptions for cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality, or when the life of the mother is in danger.

The six week abortion ban which my opponent voted for is incredibly unpopular among Iowans. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Poll released on September 22, 2024, finds nearly 60% of Iowans disapprove of the new restrictions on abortions in Iowa. Moreover, 64% of Iowans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a new high since the Iowa poll began in 2008. This job is about being a representative of Iowans – and the Iowans have spoken very clearly on this issue.

There is no Iowan who would like to see the life taken from an unborn child. These medical procedures are incredibly painful for medical professionals and women who must undergo them. Rather than criminalize reproductive healthcare, we must support it to ensure it is done safely so that young people and doctors feel safe living here and starting families in our State. I stand firmly against restrictions on abortion.

6) ‘Cancer capital,’ ‘cancer hotspot,’ ‘cancer crisis,’ – these are just some of the phrases being used to describe Iowa following a report earlier this year from the Iowa Cancer Registry – a research group at the University of Iowa – indicating Iowa has the second-highest and fastest-growing rates of new cancers among all the states. What should the Iowa Legislature do in the upcoming session to tackle this issue, an issue that is concerning to many Iowans?

I believe that the frighteningly large increases we are seeing in cancer rates across the State of Iowa are directly related to some major environmental concerns that have gone unaddressed in our State. Most of these environmental concerns are related to agriculture. First, we have the highest use of glyphosate (aka RoundUp), which is a known carcinogen, of any state in the United States. Second, we use many chemicals and apply lots of nutrients to our soil and fields, many of which runoff into our waterways. In 2024, the DNR determined that 52% of Iowa’s rivers and 63% of Iowa’s lakes are impaired (too polluted for intended use).

To address the human health concerns and cancer rates, we must be looking to adopt new environmental practices in farming. The Iowa Legislature should start initiatives to pay farmers to build mandatory riparian buffers along waterways, as well as paying farmers to plant cover crops to prevent runoff. We should also task our land grant institutions to do research on new farming methods that involve chemical-free agriculture production to lower human health risks.

7) Housing is incredibly tight currently in many rural counties including in Tama County. If elected, what legislation will you support to ensure Iowa’s rural counties are places young families can afford to live?

Making Iowa a liveable place for young families is my top priority in running for office. I would like to expand upon new homeowner tax credits for families and individuals under the age of 35. Another large issue is unfair rent increases, particularly in mobile home parks. I support legislation that would prevent price gouging from landlords to ensure that rent is fair and affordable.

8) Iowa is predicted to end Fiscal Year 2024 with a nearly $2 billion budget surplus. How do you think the surplus should be managed?

Just as overspending is fiscally irresponsible, underspending is also fiscally irresponsible. The current Iowa government is sitting on over $2 billion of hard-earned taxpayer money, seemingly waiting for a rainy day. However, the rainy day is already here, and there are leaks in our roof. We must not be so frugal that we do not spend the necessary money to patch the leaks. The current budget uses roughly 75% of revenue. I think that we should be spending between 92-97% of our budget on an annual basis to fund public schools, conservation to clean up our environment and enhance state parks, and providing adequate physical and mental healthcare in communities around our state. Collecting taxpayer dollars is a gift that should be spent to enhance the livelihood of Iowans. As such, our budget should be used to provide positive services to the people of Iowa.

9) In one sentence, why should people vote for you on November 5, 2024?

I truly aim to represent all of the people of House District 53 and bring a fresh, non-partisan perspective to the Iowa legislature to address crucial issues for the future of our State.