Heddens Candidate for Iowa House District 46

Iowa House District 46 includes the northern tip of Ames as well as Gilbert and rural areas to the west of town.

Name: Lisa Heddens

Age: 48

Address: 4115 Wembley Ave -Ames

Education: B.S. Elementary Education. (ISU)

Occupation: Early Childhood Service Coordinator, LSI's People Place

Previous Elected Experience: Served in Iowa legislature since 2003

What do you think the state should do with its budget surplus?

Iowa can only spend up to 99 percent of the budget. I do agree with that as we want to have money saved.  We do need to make sure we are funding our MH/DD system so that Iowans with disabilities have access to basic services.  These are our most vulnerable individuals.   We also need to make sure we are funding our education system adequately so schools, preschool through post-secondary have the adequate tools to teach our students and compete on a global level. 

How do you feel about education reforms ?

There were pieces within the education reform bill that I both agreed and disagreed with.  While I agree with the implementing of the core curriculum and believe we need to provide teachers with the tools that allow them to teach and prepare children, we have to be watchful that we are not just having them teach to a test.  That does little for retention of lessons learned.   The goal of having all children reading by third grade is laudable, but we also need to look beyond the classroom as to what impedes a child's educational growth. Homelessness, hunger, healthcare, etc. all play a role in a child's well being and their educational growth.  With any type of legislation or reforms as large as education (and mh/dd) you need to make sure you're allocating the funds to support the initiatives, otherwise you're setting the policy and individuals up for failure. 

What issues matter to you most ?

Mental health and developmental disability issues, education (preschool through post-secondary), child welfare and economic growth. 

What sets you apart from your opponent?

My experience.  My ability to work across party-lines on wide range of legislative issues and bring people together and pass legislation. 

If you could change one law or approve a new one immediately what would it be?

An immediate need would be approving the $20 million transitional funding for MH/DD services.  Without that funding, you'll see programs not only cut, but eliminated.