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����vlog EIGHT, NEWS AT SIX. BEFORE STATE LAWMAKERS RETURNED TO THE IOWA STATE HOUSE NEXT MONTH FOR THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE’RE ASKING THEM WHAT THEY PLAN TO FOCUS ON ALL WEEK LONG. WE ARE ASKING POLITICIANS ABOUT THEIR TOP PRIORITIES, AND WE’RE TALKING WITH THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT. TONIGHT, WE TALKED WITH REPUBLICAN CARTER NORDMAN, WHO REPRESENTS IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 47. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER TALKED WITH NORDMAN AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN HIS DISTRICT. AMANDA. WELL, STACY AND BEN, HOUSE DISTRICT 47 COVERS PARTS OF DALLAS. GUTHRIE AND GREENE COUNTIES. IT INCLUDES DALLAS, CENTER, PERRY AND JEFFERSON. I TALKED WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE ABOUT THE CHANGES THEY WANT TO SEE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. SHELLY FLOCKHART HAS SPENT THE LAST DECADE STYLING CLIENTS AT HER DALLAS CENTER HAIR SALON. BUT SINCE THE PANDEMIC, SHE SAYS, IT’S GOTTEN HARDER TO KEEP PRODUCTS ON THE SHELVES. WHEN WE WENT THROUGH COVID, THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF PRODUCT LINES THAT WERE MADE OVERSEAS. EVERYTHING KIND OF DWINDLED DOWN. NOW, PRODUCTS ARE A LITTLE BIT HARDER. THERE’S ALL KINDS OF SHIPPING COSTS. SHE WANTS MORE PRODUCTS MADE CLOSER TO HOME, AND SHE’S HOPING STATE LAWMAKERS CAN HELP ENCOURAGING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, TAX BENEFIT OF SOME MANUFACTURING PLANTS TO BE ABLE TO COME TO IOWA. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SHE ALSO HOPES THEY LOWER PROPERTY TAXES, MAKING TAXES LOWER ON PROPERTIES. YOU KNOW, HELPS A BUSINESS NOT ONLY LEASE THE BUILDING, BUT BE ABLE TO PURCHASE ONE ON TOP OF THEIR OWN HOME. SO ANYTIME THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE POSSIBILITY OF THAT, IT HELPS ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. HER STATE REPRESENTATIVE, CARTER NORDMAN. IF WE NEED TO RIP THE WHOLE CODE SECTION OUT OF THE CODE BOOK AND LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DO IT DIFFERENTLY, I’M ALL FOR THAT. I THINK ANY DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT IS GOOD, SAYS HIS TOP PRIORITY IS PROPERTY TAX REFORM. THE REPUBLICAN WAS REELECTED TO THE IOWA HOUSE IN NOVEMBER. IOWA RANKS ONE OF THE HIGHEST STATES IN THE NATION WHEN IT COMES TO PROPERTY TAXES. AND I THINK THAT’S WRONG. WE’VE DONE A GREAT JOB ON SOME OF THE OTHER TAXES. I THINK IT’S TIME WE FOCUS ON PROPERTY TAXES. NEXT, WHILE STILL ENSURING THAT WE ARE FUNDING AND THE OBLIGATIONS THAT WE HAVE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THAT INCLUDES PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING. A TOP CONCERN FOR COFFEE SHOP OWNER MEG DICKINSON VOTERS HAVE HAD A REALLY BIG IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THEM REASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE ALSO WANTS LAWMAKERS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. THERE’S A WAY THAT THE STATE COULD BE MORE INVOLVED IN ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A PROPER DISTRIBUTION OR A MORE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF HEALTH CARE. SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO DRIVE UPWARDS OF HALF AN HOUR JUST TO GO TO A DOCTOR, TO HAVE A COLD CHECKED OUT. NORDMAN’S, THE NEW CHAIR OF THE IOWA HOUSE COMMITTEE, FOCUSED ON HEALTH CARE. WHAT WE’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON IN THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE IS AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE, TO MATERNITY, HEALTH CARE, TO CHILD CARE. AND SO WE’RE GOING TO EVERY BILL THAT WE LOOK AT, WE ARE GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION, HOW DOES THIS HELP WITH ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY TO HEALTH CARE. AND ALL WEEK LONG WE’RE TALKING WITH LAWMAKERS ACROSS THE STATE AND THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT. AND WE’LL BRING YOU WHAT YOUR LEADERS PROMISE TO WORK ON THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION EVERY NIGHT THIS WEEK ON ����vlog EIGHT NEWS AT SIX. YOU CAN ALSO FIND THESE STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE AND OUR MOBILE APP.