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Rep. Ann Meyer deserves another term in office

Lawmaker has proven track record for her district

In her first term, state Rep. Ann Meyer has proven to be a hardworking, thoughtful and independent lawmaker. That’s why the Republican from Fort Dodge should be re-elected to serve House District 9 in the Iowa Legislature.

With health care, and especially mental health care, a pressing concern for the state, Meyer is uniquely qualified to play a key role in writing laws to address such issues thanks to her more than 30 years as a nurse and nursing instructor.

To improve mental health care close to home, Meyer wrote a measure than enabled Webster County to join a new regional organization while holding onto $1.6 million in reserve funds.

During her first term in office, she did not limit herself to health care issues. She authored legislation to make child care more available. Motivated by a constituent’s story of being run off the road by a driver using a cell phone, she wrote a bill that would require all electronic devices to be in hands-free mode while being used by someone behind the wheel. Because COVID-19 cut the 2020 legislative session short, these bills did not become law. But if Meyer is re-elected, she’ll be bringing these common sense measures that would benefit all Iowans back to the Iowa House of Representatives. We’re certain she will introduce even more good bills during a second term in office.

Meyer has a track record of going to bat for her constituents. When someone contacts her to seek help with a problem they’ve encountered dealing with state agencies, Meyer generally replies to them within a couple of hours to say she received their message and is looking into the matter. Sometimes, she’ll have an answer or a resolution a few hours later.

She isn’t afraid to go against her party’s leadership when she believes it is necessary to do so. Her independent nature was demonstrated in 2019, when the Republican leadership was pushing a plan to change the way Iowa’s judges and Supreme Court justices are chosen. Meyer didn’t think the plan was a good idea and declined to go along with it. Her stand helped lead the way to a compromise which became law.

To win another term, Meyer must defeat Democrat Charles Clayton, a man with a long record of helping youth in the community. We respect Clayton, but remain convinced that Meyer is the better choice.

The Messenger endorses state Rep. Ann Meyer for a second term and urges voters to send her back to the state Capitol.

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