Around Des Moines

This has been the type of week when it would be grand to have a full-scale news staff. Somebody needs to be covering the statehouse since bills are now moving fast and furiously. Another person needs to be analyzing state elections since Friday, March 14th, was the last day to file candidate papers for federal and state level primary elections. Two people need to be covering news events since the Iowa Republican County conventions were on Saturday, March 8th, and the Democratic County conventions were on Saturday, March 15th. The second person is needed because the Libertarian Party of Iowa held its state convention on the 15th. In addition, it would be nice to have a pool of reporters to cover the city council, the school board, the county council, and public transit issues.

Tuesday was kolache day at the Capitol. For more than 15 years these Czech pastries, filled with fruit or poppy seeds, have been a tradition compliments of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. Trays full of the yeast-risen treat were seen being carried through the corridors of the Capitol. The kolaches are baked by St. Ludmila Catholic Church, which has an annual kolache festival the second weekend in June, and are bought from Dostel’s Catering.

Cedar Rapids is home to descendants of Czech immigrants and to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. It is in the process of revitalizing its riverfront, including making improvements to an island in the Cedar River, and considering what to do with the old Sinclair meat packing plant. The Sinclair site has been declared a brownfield so its future use is limited.

Sara Mentzer is the chamber’s vice president of public affairs and its registered lobbyist. With the bustle of kolache day keeping Mentzer busy, I called her a couple days later to talk about the chamber’s activities at the Capitol. She said the kolaches are provided as a thank you to everyone who works at the Capitol “and to promote our community.” There were no particular bills she identified as being of importance to the chamber this session. Instead, she said the chamber was focusing on global issues, such as property taxes, the road use tax formula, changes in health care, and funding to clean up brownfields. She added that the chamber also spends time on individual member’s business issues. She talked about partnerships with other community groups in Cedar Rapids, such as the one seeking money to redevelop the riverfront. Mentzer expressed the opinion that the “city shouldn’t divide us; it should help to unite us.”

About 50 members of AARP gathered for a lobby day at the Capitol on March 11th. They brought cake and received a resolution for AARP’s 50th anniversary. Frank Enders of Urbandale told me he supported HF2142, which would let Iowans sue for fraud directly and to receive damages and attorney fees. He said if he were to relocate a business to Iowa, he would want the consumer protection for his family.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.