Iowa Governor candidate John Norris makes stops in Lansing and Waterville during weekend visit


Candidate for Iowa Governor visits Waterville and Lansing ... John Norris, candidate for Iowa Governor, speaks to a group of individuals at Milty's in Lansing Sunday, March 11. Norris also made a stop at the Waterville Firemen's Pancake Breakfast that morning. Submitted photo.

Sunday, March 11, John Norris, Democratic candidate for the Iowa Governor's office, stopped by the Waterville Fire Station, where volunteers were serving up pancakes and sausage. Dennis Nebendahl of rural Waterville welcomed Norris to the firehouse and exclaimed, “This is the first time we’ve ever had a candidate for governor visit Waterville!”

Norris’s next stop was Milty’s in Lansing, where he met with a group of area residents. This is the candidate's second visit to Allamakee County.

During his visit, Norris talked about rebuilding the economies of rural Iowa as key to helping the state prosper, noting a goal of an agricultural economy made up of diverse family farm operations. He’d like to see farm programs which help beginning farmers succeed, which in turn helps rural communities succeed.

Childcare and early childhood education, rural schools, small businesses and rural hospitals were also discussed by Norris, noting that childcare and early childhood education are critical components to giving children the life skills they need. He would like to see students in their junior year get job training skills and start earning paychecks, noting that when workers are trained and skilled, Iowa will see good jobs paying higher wages.

Norris talked about the financially stressed rural hospitals due to the privatization of Medicaid, pointing out that the for-profit insurance companies who took over the management of the Medicaid Program are denying claims submitted by hospitals or claiming hospitals are not credentialed so do not pay them for services. He also noted that rural hospitals not only provide needed health care services but are often one of the largest employers in rural communities.

Norris said as he travels across rural Iowa, the lack of mental health services is the number-one concern for people. Norris would like to see a comprehensive, community-based mental health system which would address the wide range of needs from acute care to the lowest risk care and have it run as efficiently as possible, noting that mental health services should not be tied to property tax levies.

Norris worked for Senator Tom Harkin and was Governor Tom Vilsack’s Chief of Staff, where he gained experience in working with Democratic and Republican legislators on policy. When Vilsack was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Norris continued to serve as Secretary Vilsack’s Chief of Staff. From 2014-2016 Norris was U.S. Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. He lives in Des Moines with his three sons and his wife, Jackie.