AUSTIN LORENZEN for Iowa House District 18
October 9, 2008 6 Comments
We have a bigger problem here in Iowa than I ever dreamed we had before I read through a bunch of bills sponsored, voted for, and in many cases actually passed by various legislators in the last couple of years. I was particularly interested in the sponsorship and voting record of Andrew Wenthe, a Democrat and former John Edwards supporter who currently represents District 18 (i.e. Bremer, Black Hawk, and Fayette Counties.)
I was checking into Wenthe because he is up for reelection and is being challenged by Austin Lorenzen, a young (“thirtysomething”) man who was born in LeMars, raised in Hawarden and Oelwein, and now resides in Denver with his wife and two-year-old daughter. It seems Lorenzen does not have any experience as a public official but NO record in this area can certainly be considered a plus when compared to the legislative record of Wenthe. And for starters, the nine years of experience in sales operations Lorenzen has had in his professional life at Short’s Travel Management no doubt have taught him some finance skills and economic savvy. These I think ought to be a prerequisite to being a legislator, but unfortunately this does not seem to be the case in Iowa any more than it is in any other state or in Washington, D.C.
Like many of his colleagues in Iowa and around our country, Wenthe seems to have had at least two major goals in his role in the Iowa House, that is: to control citizens in ways we do not need to be controlled and to spend money. And since jumping with both feet into the middle of our lives usually requires spending money, the two goals are quite naturally intertwined. Among many bills he has been involved with in his Standing Committee Assignments (Agriculture, Appropriations, Economic Growth, Natural Resources) and as a member of the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Wenthe has sponsored the following unnecessary, invasive, or downright nonsensical pieces of legislation:
unnecessary:
A bill for an act making an appropriation to the department of education for purposes of the academic incentives for minorities program.
A bill for an act establishing a minority teacher loan forgiveness program to be administered by the college student aid commission, and making an appropriation.
A bill for an act making an appropriation for distribution to community colleges for the development of adult English language learner instruction programs to be offered in employee workplaces.
invasive:
A bill for an act providing for a school attendance task force pilot program, and providing an appropriation
A bill for an act requiring children enrolling in elementary or high school to have a dental screening and providing an effective date.
A bill for an act relating to human papillomavirus infection by providing appropriations for a public awareness program and for vaccinations of low-income persons who are uninsured
nonsensical:
A bill for an act relating to the sale of wild turkey bones and providing penalties.
A bill for an act appropriating moneys to the department of natural resources for purposes of conducting an autumn olive cooperative management project.
A resolution honoring the National Bar Association for over eight decades of service to the cause of civil rights and equal justice for all.
A bill for an act relating to the incorporation of character education into the curricula of students in grades one through nine, and providing effective and applicability dates.
A bill for an act establishing a sensitivity training program for heads of state agencies.
A bill for an act relating to the recruitment and retention of psychiatrists in the state, and providing an appropriation.
(APPROPRIATION of course, means the bill if passed would mean YOUR money is being thrown at what YOUR legislators perceive to be a problem. And I have to laugh at the last entry because the way things are going on the political scene these days, we are surely all going to need those shrinks and PRONTO!)
The examples above are just a handful of what I gleaned from Wenthe’s page on the Iowa General Assembly website. And sadly there are bigger issues at stake here: these were just the teasers! For a real shiver-me-timbers feeling, it is in the area of life and family where Wenthe holds the most harmful legislative positions—in fact to such a degree that Iowa Family Policy Center has designated him “Unreliable for the Family.”
1) Wenthe opposed Rule 42, which did NOT pass, and so the Iowa Marriage Amendment was forced out of committee and the issue of traditional marriage will not be available again for a vote by Iowans until 2012.
2) Wenthe voted for SF 2216, which passed and gives the state the authority to dictate that certain subjects be part of private school curricula.
3) Wenthe voted for SF427, which passed and basically guarantees that homosexuals, transgenders, and crossdressers have Civil Rights, even though the Iowa Civil Rights Code already protects them.
4) Wenthe voted for HF611, which passed and removed abstinence programs from the public schools.
5) Wenthe voted for HF2645, which passed and gave control of public schools to the teachers’ unions.
6) Wenthe voted for SG162, which passed and repealed the human cloning ban.
So in my estimation, when Representative Wenthe isn’t wasting his time and our time AND money, he is doing irreparable harm to the traditional family and to the cause of life. I cannot help but think that Austin Lorenzen would be better in place of Wenthe for District 18.
I would certainly much rather see Lorenzen than Wenthe on the Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Lorenzen is pro-life, pro-family, has been a youth leader in his church, and supports a wide variety of educational options for Iowans. He believes parents should be allowed to decide how their children are educated and opposes additional regulations for homeschooling. He thinks it is important that the nationwide movement to restrict homeschooling does not make headway in Iowa.
In addition, Lorenzen was adamantly opposed to Bill HF2645 which gave teachers’ unions control over the public schools. He strongly criticized Wenthe for allegedly pushing the bill through so fast that nobody was adequately informed as to what they were voting for. Lorenzen speaks out for his convictions and is willing to take a stand. Vote Lorenzen if you live in District 18!
Austin Lorenzen’s website http://www.austinlorenzen.com
Andrew Wenthe’s voting record http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=56853
Andrew Wenthe’s Iowa General Assembly website http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/member.do?id=6478&ga=82
Lorenzen sounds like my kind of guy. Please keep me updated on this race. I will be pulling for Austin L.
LORENZEN ON SECOND AMENDMENT:
http://www.iowacarry.org/forums1/index.php?showtopic=14141&hl=Austin+Lorenzen
Following is a letter I received from Austin Lorenzen following a query on his position on Shall Issue
I am familiar with IowaCarry.org – I have heard representatives from the group on WHO and WMT and I followed that bill through the last session. One of my good friends and strong supporters is Dr Richard Featherstone, a professor of criminology at UNI who was a leading advocate of arming the campus police. He is a permit holder and he helped educate me on some of the finer points of current law.
I believe that the Second Amendment is a personal right and that is the basis of my support for a uniform shall-issue policy. It would preserve equal protection of our rights under the law for responsible Iowans that choose to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights. It would also provide a uniform standard to ensure that all permit holders are properly qualified and trained. As you mention, the permit justification line can be gamed, a real flaw in the current policy.
Your members may have additional questions about my stances on gunowner rights, and I would be glad to talk to them. I did complete the NRA candidate questionnaire, which was quite comprehensive, and I imagine will be accessible to many of your members as well.
Thanks
Austin Lorenzen
Thank you for sharing the letter! Lorenzen listens to what voters are saying and works to be enlightened! A good way to impress a voter like me.
I have had a professional working relationship with Austin for many years. He is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. He is also extremely honest and upfront with his opinions. Regardless of party affiliation, I would like to see him in the House because he has strong principles that won’t be influenced by other politicians. Good luck, Austin!
independent, thank you for your personal endorsement of Austin Lorenzen.
I have heard nothing but good reports from others who know or have met him.
We need more people like Lorenzen in the higher echelons of government.