T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM - Rep. David Blom (R-Marshalltown) introduces himself during the Albion Municipal Library public forum meeting on Saturday morning. After answering constituent questions, Blom and Barker stayed behind for one-on-ones.

ALBION – Library funding, restricting which books children can check out from libraries, state politician pay, ensuring prescriptions are affordable and more were addressed by Iowa Reps. David Blom (R-Marshalltown) and Brett Barker (R-Nevada) during a public forum at the Albion Municipal Library on Saturday morning.

Sen. Kara Warme (R-Ames) was also invited, but was unable to attend as she was on spring break.

During an event that lasted more than two hours with roughly 50 people in attendance, the legislators answered questions and then stayed behind so constituents would have a chance to speak with them one-on-one. Opening the forum were a pair of brief introductions from both representatives. Barker started and told attendees this was his seventh forum and the most well-attended.

Concerns about library legislation were the most common subject shared by attendees. Mary Dooley was the first to address these concerns, specifically about what she felt was state overreach in denying cities the ability to create library levies and removing obscenity exemptions on libraries, the latter of which other attendees also brought up.

“Citizens had already approved a tax levy in Albion and Marshalltown,” she said. “You weren’t part of that legislature that arrogantly told us that even though we had voted for a small tax to go directly to our libraries, the state legislature wasn’t going to allow it.”

According to Blom, some levies were grandfathered in, but will not last long. Barker said when the public votes for levies, they have voiced it is something they value.

“I certainly don’t think the legislature should countermand that,” he said.

The obscenity exemption creates mistrust in the facilities and librarians, Dooley told them.

Rep. Brett Barker (R-Nevada) answers questions during a public forum at the Albion Municipal Library on Saturday morning. The event lasted more than two hours.

According to Barker, he has not heard of any libraries in his district supplying children with inappropriate material. Other legislators with concerns over certain libraries in the state are driving the bills relating to obscene materials. For example, some libraries were working around current law by sending an objectionable book to the school or making it available on a smartphone.

Blom said a reasonable balance needs to be reached so kids can continue to have access to educational materials and adults can enjoy the novels they read. He added they started the session thinking the obscene material matter was mostly addressed, but then parents began bringing objectionable books to representatives.

“That was the heartburn and why it became part of the conversation again,” Blom said before adding that he will continue to talk to colleagues.

Barker is concerned about the way some of the obscenity bills have been drafted.

“For example, the one about obscenity, when they removed that, that puts the individual checking the material at risk,” he said. “If it’s a 16-year-old high schooler working part-time [at a library,] if it’s a senior volunteering, I don’t want those people to be the ones to face the brunt of the library not having a system to prevent check-outs by minors.”

Marshalltown Public Library Director Sarah Rosenblum asked about Enrich Iowa funding and added that memberships to the Iowa Library Association or American Library Association do not dictate what libraries do.

Roberto Gonzalez of Marshalltown asks Iowa Representatives David Blom and Brett Barker how they will vote pertaining to immigration, which was one of many issues addressed by the public forum attendees, along with politician pay, library funding, book banning and affordable prescriptions.

Immigration, healthcare, Endow Iowa funds

Going off of the topic of libraries, Rosenblum also had concerns about vaccine bills, such as House File 712, which would have made vaccine manufacturers liable.

“I work with the public and I want to have the ability to have the vaccine to keep myself safe,” she said.

Blom assured Rosenblum the vaccine legislation did not make it through the first funnel.

The legislators were also asked if they ran for the state positions in order to make money. The reason for the question is Senate File 464, which would give legislators a $20,000 per year raise and increase the annual salary of Gov. Kim Reynolds by $100,000. Blom and Barker said they did not run for the legislature in order to make money. Barker said he believed the bill was introduced as the current $25,000 annual pay for legislators was outdated, and does not think it has broad consensus.

Landon Stanley asked Blom and Barker where they stand regarding transgender Iowans, considering that Blom voted in favor of removing civil rights protections for them in the Iowa Code. Barker told him gender identity was one of the toughest conversations he ever had as an elected official, as there are valid opinions on both sides.

He said they drafted a rejected amendment which would have mirrored federal language, and received heat from Republican Party leaders as a result. Barker added he wants to know about any discrimination Iowans are encountering. Blom said he also wants to know about discrimination so he can be ready to go to “war” for their rights.

Community Foundation of Marshall County Director Julie Hitchins told Blom and Barker she would like to talk about House File 305, which would eliminate the Endow Iowa tax credit. That money is donor incentivized and goes to nonprofits through grants. According to Blom, if there are problems with the tax credit, he would like to tweak it and make it more accessible.

Roberto Gonzalez asked the Republican representatives they are willing to vote according to their or their party’s principles when it comes to immigration issues. Blom and Barker said the immigration system is broken, but the legal immigration pipeline is valuable.

“I will always vote my conscience,” Barker said. “We haven’t had anything come before us yet to make a decision on, but largely the federal government needs to get their act together and put resources behind fixing the system. We need to have tough conversations about what the goals of the system needs to be so legal immigrants are vetted.”

The last concerns brought forward were drug costs, specifically President Donald Trump’s executive order rescinding President Joe Biden’s order to lower prescription drug costs; and local responses to tariffs. Barker said the healthcare system is broken and is without transparency, and he is the manager of a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform, House File 852.

“This bill adds transparency to the system,” Barker said. “. . . It eliminates drug pricing where the PBMs charge the employer something different than they pay the pharmacy, and they keep the difference. They can’t steer to their own pharmacies any longer, so it gives patients choice in the system.”

If the legislature refuses to act, he said community pharmacies will be wiped out in Iowa.

“They’re holding on to this last hope,” Barker said. “The House has consistently asked for PBM-reform legislation. The Senate leadership has not made it a priority. . . Where you all can help is make sure your senators, whether it is Sen. Warme or whoever else, knows how important it is to you, so they can voice it to their leadership and get this bill on the floor.”

Unfortunately, he said the insurance industry has a large lobby in Iowa, and patients, taxpayers and pharmacies are paying the price.

“The insurers have gone to employers and given them really bad information about what the bill does, and sowed fear and confusion about the issue,” Barker said. “That is what PBMs will do. They try to sow confusion and fear. They will tell you it increases healthcare costs and premiums. If you ask them to prove it, they will not. They cannot prove their numbers. If you ask them to show their work, they cannot do it. In the states that have passed these provisions, their premiums have not gone up. In fact, in some cases, they have gone down and are doing better than ours.”

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.