2016 Iowa Senate race: debates and news coverage


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OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Patty Judge: Supports public funding for Planned Parenthood.     Patty Judge: Strong advocate for protecting access to women's health care.     Rob Hogg: Restricting abortion for "women's safety" won't win approval.

Budget & Economy     Tom Fiegen: Why did nobody from Wall Street went to jail?     Chet Culver: 2009: across-the-board cuts of 10%, to balance budget.

Civil Rights     Patty Judge: Strong advocate for LGBTQ rights.     Patty Judge: Take action to end gender discrimination in pay.

Corporations     Patty Judge: Our corporate tax code is broken; MNCs don't pay fair share.     Tom Fiegen: Banks that are too big to fail are too big to exist.     Tom Fiegen: Disallow corporate tax havens; tax income when earned.

Crime     Patty Judge: Reform mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders.     Chuck Grassley: Expand mandatory minimum s for firearm & terrorism offenses.

Drugs     Patty Judge: Legalize medical marijuana, but not recreational use.     Chuck Grassley: Ardent and vocal opponent of marijuana legalization.     Patty Judge: Not vocal about legalizing, but opponent vocally against it.     Jay Williams: Yes, I did use illegal drugs, like other angry young men.     Chuck Grassley: End mandatory life sentence for three drug convictions.

Education     Patty Judge: Increased access to Pell Grants & student loan refinancing.     Patty Judge: Commitment to a quality public education.     Rob Hogg: Excellent schools are of utmost importance.     Jay Williams Iowa: My youngest son and I got our GED's on the same day.     Tom Fiegen: We are forcing a lifetime of slavery to student loans.

Energy & Oil     Rob Hogg: Wind & solar power work; Keystone pipeline unneeded.     Rob Hogg: It is time to act on climate change.     Patty Judge: Global warming is real and we need to take immediate action.     Patty Judge: Move away from fossil fuels & toward a clean energy economy.     Rob Hogg: Expand solar power, wind energy, ethanol.     Tom Fiegen: Transform away from fossil fuels, and towards sustainability.     Rob Hogg: Address climate change with solutions that work for economy.     Bob Krause: 1978: Supported bipartisan gas tax increase.

Environment     Patty Judge: Address serious water quality problem in Iowa & nationally.     Tom Fiegen: Democratize and decentralize our food production.     Rob Hogg: Urgently address challenges of environmental sustainability.

Foreign Policy     Patty Judge: Use our diplomatic power to help create peace and stability.

Free Trade     Patty Judge: Oppose TPP: I don't know that free trade is good for Iowa.     Tom Fiegen: I am concerned about lopsided trade agreements.     Bob Krause: Emergency legislation emphasizing fair trade.

Government Reform     Patty Judge: Address unlimited amounts of undisclosed campaign money.     Patty Judge: Special interests get too much help from Congress.     Jay Williams Iowa: Campaigning without financing, to fight toxic system.     Jay Williams Iowa: Fight nominating process of secretly pre-selected candidates.     Tom Fiegen: Whoever underwrites your campaign, owns you.     Rob Hogg: Focus on campaign-finance reform and voting rights.     Rob Hogg: Repeal the Citizens United Supreme Court decision.

Gun Control     Patty Judge: Supports banning assault rifles.     Chuck Grassley: No-fly lists are imperfect; allow gun sales to those on them.     Patty Judge: Block gun sales to those on terrorist watch-lists.

Health Care     Patty Judge: Look again at affordable health care.     Tom Fiegen: Stop the scam of paying generic drug makers to NOT sell.     Rob Hogg: Supports the Affordable Care Act.

Homeland Security     Patty Judge: Military is last resort, when diplomacy is exhausted.     Tom Fiegen: Take care of veterans and their families.

Immigration     Patty Judge: DACA and DAPA are first steps toward reforming broken system.

Jobs     Patty Judge: Increase the federal minimum wage & all working wages.     Patty Judge: Take action to increase the minimum wage.     Patty Judge: Raise minimum wage to $15 an hour, instead of tax breaks.

Principles & Values     Jay Williams Iowa: Truth, Life and Love--my values & American values.     Jay Williams Iowa: Ordained ULC minister and United Methodist Lay Servant.     Tom Fiegen: Progressive battling for the soul of the Democratic party.

Social Security     Patty Judge: Adjust benefits for caregivers who take time off work.     Patty Judge: Vital to protect program; increase cap but don't privatize.     Tom Fiegen: Expand it rather than cut it.

Tax Reform     Tom Fiegen: Since 1980s, we've transferred wealth to the very rich.

Technology     Rob Hogg: Invest in flood protection & soil conservation.

War & Peace     Chuck Grassley: Signed letter opposing Iranian nuclear deal.     Patty Judge: Supports Iranian nuclear deal.     Patty Judge: Deploy military only after diplomacy, dialogue, & sanctions.     Patty Judge: Containment of ISIS and terrorists, by targeted air strikes.

Welfare & Poverty     Tom Fiegen: Address childhood hunger & childhood poverty.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Bob Krause Democratic Senate candidate Iowa Chet Culver Iowa Democratic Gubernatorial Challenger Chuck Grassley Republican Sr Senator Iowa Jay Williams Democratic Senate candidate South Dakota Jay Williams Iowa Patty Judge Democratic candidate for Senate Iowa Rob Hogg Democratic Senate challenger Iowa Tom Fiegen Democratic Senate challenger Iowa