Senator Becky Schmitz (Iowa Senate District 45) has provided a form on her website for her constituents to offer feedback on important budget decisions in the coming months.

Here is one of the sections from the survey to give you an idea of the areas our legislators are examining:

Difficult choices will have to be made by lawmakers in order to balance the state budget. Which areas of the budget do you feel can least afford to be cut?

• Iowa Power Fund (Development of Alternative/Clean Energy Sources)
• Education (K-12, Community Colleges, State Universities, Early childhood)
• Agriculture (Farm to School, Farmers Market Program, DNR)
• Human Services (Child Abuse Prevention, Mental Health Facilities, HAWK-I, Veterans)
• Public Safety (State Patrol, Drug Enforcement, Fire Marshall)
• Unemployment Services (Unemployment Insurance, Regional Workforce Development Centers)
• Tax Credits (Including Individuals, Non-profits and Businesses of all sizes)
• Transportation (Roads & Bridges/Infrastructure Spending)
• Economic Development (Grow Iowa Values Fund, Workforce Development, State Parks)
• Small Business Incentives
• Other (please specify)

The survey also provides space for you to add your own feedback and opinions and the opportunity to leave your email if you would like to be contacted with a summary of the results.

Iowa State Senators

I hope that other Legislators around the state are providing such accessible ways for their constituents to offer input on important issues!  But even if they don’t have a web form, the questions Senator Schmitz is asking may help you figure out what input and questions you want to communicate to your legislators by phone or email.  This page provides links to contact info for all members of the Iowa House and Senate.

One thing to keep in mind is the Iowa Senate and Iowa House Districts cover slightly different territories and have different district numbers.  For example, while Fairfield residents are served by Senator Schmitz and Representative Curt Hanson who both live in Fairfield, Senator Schmitz serves Iowa Senate District 45, which covers Jefferson, Van Buren, Washington and parts of Wapello and Johnson Counties.  Representative Hanson serves House District 90, which covers Van Buren and parts of Jefferson and Wapello Counties.

If you aren’t sure who your legislators are, this page on the Iowa Legislature website will allow you to look them up quickly.  The results page will also provide you with all the contact information you need to get in touch with your Senator and Representative (both State and Federal).

There are some tough decisions coming up, make sure your voice is heard!