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GCP277 - Meet Iowa State Representative Norlin Mommsen · Grow Clinton Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: My pitch is I basically tell people I'm the same person standing behind them in the convenience store as I'm out in Des Moines.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_03: You're listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_02: Grow Clinton is a 501c6 nonprofit economic community development and tourism organization based in Clinton, Iowa.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_02: For more information, visit growclinton.com.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_02: Again, that's growclinton.com.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Now, back to the show.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: Hello, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of the Greatest Podcast, the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_02: You know it, you love it, you know where to find it, folks.
• 0:31
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• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to subscribe, never miss an episode.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: As always, I'm your host for today's episode, Andy Sokolovich, president and CEO of Grow Clinton.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_02: Joined in the Stew Stew studio by none other than Jenny Home, our director of member and community relations.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: Jenny, what's happening?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I've been meaning to mention this, but I haven't yet.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to do it right now.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_02: Do it.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: First Gateway Credit Union.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: I have had the pleasure of going to their uh credit union kicks shoe drops.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: They're so cool.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: And uh MediaCom's in on shoe sensations, and they bought shoes for every elementary student, kindergarten through fifth grade student in the area.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: They go in May All districts.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: All districts.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And uh they go in May and they measure feet, and then they come now and they give the shoes.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: The kids get to pick out.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: Do you know what that tool is they use to measure the feet?
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: I can't remember.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: I used to work in a shoe department.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: I have no idea.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I was asking you.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I can't remember.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sure it's got a fancy name.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: I say slidey thing.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_02: So, Jenny, we got sponsors.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's right, Citizens First Bank.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_02: This my check, courtesy of Citizens First Bank, making your finances and our audio on the pod crystal clear.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_02: These new microphones in the Grill Clinton Studio are proudly sponsored by the bank that's always in tune with our community.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: Find them at gocfb.bank, banking as it should be with Citizens First Bank.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_02: Member F D I C.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_02: Adcraft Printware is Sully Sports.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_02: We want to thank them for their sponsorship.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_02: Agcraft's been around since 1974.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_02: Started out as a small local business, now a cutting edge operation, providing top-notch customized printware to teams and companies all across the United States.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_02: For all of your custom printware needs, AgcraftUSA.com.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: Again, AgcraftUSA.com.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to check out Sully Sports.com.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: Visit their physical location at 19th Avenue Northwest for all your sporting good needs.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to join the Sully Shirts Club and receive an exclusive members-only t-shirt every single month, plus 10% off everything in the store.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: I pay$24.99 per month, Jenny.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Cool.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_02: And my shirts have been awesome.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: Miles Communication, the original gangster.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_02: They started out kind of sponsoring the podcast with Wicked Fast High Speed Internet, also offering residential and commercial high-speed internet services as well as television and telephone options to meet your needs.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: Remember, folks, if they're not in your neck of the woods, trust me.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Scott Bodie and his team, they're on their way.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: For more information, Milestelephone.com, Lion Del Basel, Clinton Complex.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: Well, if you're not familiar, they produce high-density, low density polyethylene plastic resins used to create a variety of products, including household industrial bottles, pressure pipe, food packaging, outdoor durable goods, construction and roof materials, and toys.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_02: LYB is committed to being a responsible, engaged neighbor in the communities where they operate, just like here in good old Sea Town, Clinton, Iowa.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: Lionel Basel, solutions for a better tomorrow.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: Good show today, Jenny.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, we have somebody here who's busier.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna say it, maybe busier than you or as busy as you.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_02: Don't give them that kind of credit.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_02: I'm pulled up in his two-tone pickup truck.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_02: Farmer from DeWitt looking to serve a seventh term as your Iowa House of Representatives, District 70.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: Ladies and gentlemen, incumbent Norland Mumpson.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_02: Norland, thanks for joining us on the podcast.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you for inviting me.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: Norland, you've been doing this for a while there out at the State House.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I have.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_03: And uh you you mentioned it's um I'll be going, I've been in 12 years, and it seems like almost just yesterday I was on my first campaign.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_03: It's really gone quick.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_03: And I think a lot of that is due to the people um basically back home, plus the people at the Capitol.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_03: Uh it's uh it's really good to be around people that have Iowa in uh first in their minds to do better.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we you know, we we have different viewpoints, but at the end of the day, everybody wants Iowa to be a better place.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_03: And they're just good people, whether it be the elected officials or the staff at the Capitol.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, now Norland, you live and farm in DeWitt, correct?
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I live in DeWitt, but I farm by Miles.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_03: All right.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_03: So every morning I get a surviving metropolis of Miles, Iowa, home to Miles Communications.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_03: So I I take a 20-mile uh drive every morning and back home.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: So So what when you started out seven terms ago, uh what was it that made you say, Okay, this is what I want to do?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_02: Because who was the gentleman that served in that seat but prior to that?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_03: Well, uh Steve Olson.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_02: Steve Olson.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_03: Steve was retiring, and um I I didn't think I ever had any intention of running for office.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um and just in a conversation with a person uh that uh at the time and the Republicans were weren't finding somebody to run in Steve's place.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I made the comment that uh what an insult to Steve that he had uh I think he'd been in 12 years, that he had dedicated 12 years of his life to represent the people of Clinton County and part of Scott County, and and nobody was willing to step forward.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_03: And I thought that was such an insult to him.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_03: And the next question out of the other person's mouth was, what about you?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_03: What about you?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_03: Been there, Norland, been there.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um That's how we created Grill Clinton.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_03: So it was like, uh, well, if you can't find somebody, contact me later.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_03: Well, on a real cold day in the winter, Governor Branstadt called me and invited me.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_03: Now you gotta answer.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_03: Invited me to the Capitol, which I went, and um I I was there when they were having uh subcommittees on uh bills, and I fell in love with the process.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_03: It just uh it intrigued me so much.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, like I said, it was uh that that visit and watching the process that you know basically um excited me that day, and it excites me every day when I walk in the Capitol.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_02: Now, Norlin, over your tenure, you've sat on what committees?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I've always been on the agriculture and the natural resources committee.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_03: I I've been on and off transportation, on and off education, uh, but I'm also on the appropriations uh because uh which is a very important committee for those that are not aware.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: But then I'm also chair of the ag and natural resources sub-appropriations committee in the House.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_03: So I uh basically control the Department of Agriculture and the Department of DNR's budgets, and then that's kind of where I put most of my effort is working with those budgets and digging into stuff.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so we have a gentleman at the DNR Department of Natural Resources by the name of Mel Pins, and I absolutely love that guy.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the day he decides to retire, we're gonna lose a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I had the opportunity to speak on a panel in Burlington with him not too long ago, and uh the department's doing very cool things, but working with Mel has been an extreme pleasure, and I'm very excited to see him continue to excel within the DNR.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: So kudos to you for sitting on that committee.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of important work there, Department of Natural Resources.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: Now, New Orleans, now as a representative, people don't often realize you are up for re-election every two years.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: That's correct.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: So, what is your focus moving into this election?
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_03: Well, my focus has been all the time.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I've dealt due to my position on the you know that appropriations committee, I deal a lot with water quality uh with the Department of Agg and the DNR.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_03: And plus I work with the parks a lot, uh the upkeep and I different ideas with the parks.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_03: So I'd like to continue that.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_03: There's some legislation uh concerning water testing.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: And two years ago we started a a project with the University of Iowa, the state hygienics lab.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_03: Well, not state uh the state geological survey.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, I better get the right people.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um we started testing water quantity across the state of Iowa.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_03: You know, everybody talks about water quality, but now does that include the the the aquifers?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes, it's a study of the aquifers.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um and trying to make sure that you know we get different projects going around the state that we don't put people's wells at risk or and um it's just it's been an interesting project.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I think that it it it was it's been interesting that uh and I I'm gonna bring up a hot topic here, but uh like with the the data centers wanting water and stuff, um all of a sudden people got talking about well this water quantity stuff, and I got to be able to say, ah, excuse me, but we're already working on that.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_03: You need to I mean, I'd love to expand that because at the present rate it's gonna t take a little while to get the whole state mapped.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, but um it was it was like and that was the idea when we started the project that someday people are gonna be glad someone started this had the foresight and uh and it's turned out that way.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: And that's one of the things I think is hard to wrap your brain around if you're a constituent, is just how much work is going on there and how much you do in all these different committees.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, it's not your it's a full-time job, but it's not your full-time job.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you still have your home to run and your farm to run.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's gotta be kind of hard.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_03: No, it is, and that's um, and that's kind of one of the conflicts that's like it especially the people around Des Moines.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_03: Uh there's times, especially when towards the end of session, they'll they'll let you out early.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, what am I gonna do in Des Moines?
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, some people get to go home and maybe, you know, uh see the kids or go to and I gotta drive almost three hours back.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, not everybody's from West Des Moines, Altoona.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_03: And it that gets it gets lost in some people, and and I hate to say it, but most of the time when you it it costs money when you let me out early.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_02: So for those that are uh watching the broadcast, uh, we did have a little bit of a hiccup there.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: The ten the camera went off for a little bit, but on the top left-hand corner, there is a QR code that'll take you to the ballotpedia website where you can see Norland's list of qualifications and what he's been able to accomplish over his 12 years serving as District 70.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: Now, District 70 House of Representatives, what does that all encompass?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: Well, from a geographic standpoint.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_03: Basically, it's parts of three counties.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_03: Uh in Clinton County, it's pretty well the majority of the county except for the city of Clinton and Comanche.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: And then in Jackson County, there's uh three townships uh that would include the city of Makoda and then Baldwin, city of Baldwin, and the city of Monmouth.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_03: So there's those three.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_03: Did not know that.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_03: And then you got basically uh everything uh uh the rural area in Scott County, basically north of LaClare uh and north of Eldridge.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um the idea is it's the amount of people that live in that district have to add up to roughly 30,250 people.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_03: And that's why um, you know, every 10 years after a census, they do redistricting.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I did not realize the district is on population, not it's on population, yeah.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_03: And so you take the the population of Iowa, divide it by 100, because there's a hundred representatives, and uh, and then you basically juggle it to make everybody represents an equal amount of people.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_03: I represent the same amount of people as the person in downtown Des Moines in their district.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: That's very interesting.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: You got schools in the yeah, puts it into kind of a purview where I didn't realize it was a population base.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: I always just assumed that just like counties are defined, like you know, the western edge of our county is the is the WAPSE, and I just always assumed that's kind of what it was like.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: But Norland, now when you're knocking on doors and you're speaking to constituents, as you have to do pretty much all the time, because with a two-year term, you're always out campaigning.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: What are the top things you're hearing?
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, right now the the the buzzword is affordability.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's um uh with gas and food and things like that.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_03: That's you know, what are you gonna do to help with the affordability?
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I I look back and I try and tell people, you know, there's we've been working on those types of things.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um I point back, let's go back a couple years ago when eggs were what five or six dollars uh and um that was you know that the reason for that was uh the bird flu or avian influenza, if you want to get technical.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um and that's one of the places in my budget we have over the years uh created a foreign animal disease division to try and offset that and uh develop vaccines because um you know it was when they had to put down so many birds, whether it be turkeys or laying hens or or broilers, uh the food costs shot up.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um and we have the same concerns concerning pork because uh right now in uh the Caribbean there's uh African swine fever.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I just read an article about that.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, if that would ever hop over into the United States, um that would be devastating to our pork industry.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_03: And so your bacon and your ham would uh become quite expensive.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and then you've got uh hoof and mouth disease if you want to talk about the beef industry.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so I always point out, well, that's something that's always been a concern we've been working on.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_03: It's not just something new.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and not everything that is related to affordability is controlled state level.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of federal things too that you as a state representative don't necessarily have influence on.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: That's correct.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So in your point, in your um viewpoint, what is going to be in the next session is gonna be one of the biggest challenges we have in Iowa.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you have a new governor.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_03: That'll be the biggest thing.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, they talk about water quality.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, that with the cancer rates and stuff, and um that that we've been dealing with that, working with that, and uh that'll continue to be a bigger highlighted issue.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_03: I know recently I was in Des Moines at a round table on water quality, and um I I think at the end of the day I wasn't very well liked because they were uh bringing up you know, you we're gonna take the uh Central Isle.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I'm gonna say Des Moines Waterworks, but it's been renamed.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: Uh it's a Central Iowa Waterworks and because it covers more people, but that water system uh supplies water to uh one out of five people in Iowa.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_03: And so and the this last year in the in my budget, we created did some switching with some uh funding that uh basically was gambling money that was being used uh and it wasn't being utilized well, some of it, so we redirected it to and put some money towards the uh n denitrification plant in Des Moines and then put a little more emphasis on cover crops on things in the on the Des Moines and Raccoon River above Des Moines to help out with their water there.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_03: But they were hammering on you know the nitrates, which I understand that's an issue that but I asked them all while we're sitting there, I said, So when was the last time anybody in this room took a glass of water out of the Des Moines River?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_03: Because you're saying, well the nitrates in the Des Moines River are too high, okay?
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_03: Or or can be.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_03: Right now, if you check, they're below the 10 the federal minimum.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_03: But uh at times they go above that.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_03: And well, nobody had.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, Well, that's because and at the same round table there were people from the the waterworks.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_03: I said because their job is to remove that.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: And so my concern reason I brought that up to people was I felt we were s they were scaring people because there was a a part of the round table was a a a mother with kids, and she's talking about she's concerned about the water coming out of her faucet.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm going, the water coming out of your faucet is safe.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_03: Because if it isn't, it's their fault.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_03: And not that because nobody here, I said, if anybody, and I said because it's a farm, I just have a whale.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, if anybody's probably drinking excess nitrates, I haven't checked, but it's probably me.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_03: Because I haven't checked.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_03: But everybody in this room who's drinking out of their faucet, whether it be, I'm gonna say the little town of Miles or Des Moines, that water has got to be below the the federal limit.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_03: Right, yeah.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, and and that's where um I think sometimes gets lost in the conversation.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_02: Water quality is a very complex issue.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: And there's contributors at all levels.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_02: It's not just ag, it's not just industry.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we have to look at what everybody's doing.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I hopefully, you know, I know that I'm a board member of the Iowa Chamber Alliance.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: Our lobbyist Dustin Miller has made that kind of a priority moving into this next legislative session, is to talk about water quality.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_02: But it's gonna be a complex issue.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's gonna take both Republicans and Democrats alike uh to sit down and have really uh sometimes contentious conversations that can get heated about what we're gonna do to ensure the water quality remains uh top priority in the state of Iowa.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_02: So keep working on that, sir.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: Now, lastly, as we get towards the end of this podcast, Norlin, when you're walking up to a constituent and they're kind of confused as to who they're gonna vote for, what's your pitch?
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_03: Well, um, my pitch is I basically tell people I I'm the same person standing behind them at the convenience store as I'm out in Des Moines.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_03: And that's kind of a pet peeve of mine.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you didn't pull up in a brand new escalator.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, right.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_03: You had your two-tone pickup truck.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: No security.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_03: That's how I saw you coming.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_03: I try to be the same person.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_03: It no matter what.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_03: And I try always to be um, and and and I've been accused of being a little bit abrupt or um once in a while.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_03: I I try to be honest as I can with people.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes I don't sugarcoat it and I need to be careful with that.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_03: But uh I I I just try to be honest with people, and like I said, I don't want to be, like I said, a personal goal of mine is that someone doesn't say, well, he's he's different.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_03: And I um, like I said, I want to be the same person.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, we've known you throughout the entire duration of your tenure at the state, and I don't think that at least my personal opinion is I don't see any difference in you from the day that you ran for your first term versus now.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you, sir.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_03: Appreciate it.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't mean that negatively either.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that's just trillions and uh keep doing what you're doing.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_02: Best of luck to you in the election.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_02: And we want to see the state of Iowa continue to flourish at with state, you know, 3.2 million people.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_02: At the end of the day, we talk a lot about workforce, uh, but we don't necessarily have a workforce problem.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_02: I think we have just a population problem.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_02: And we got to be able to retain those young individuals that uh choose to go off to post-secondary after high school.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: How do we bring them back?
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_02: How do we keep them here?
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_02: How do we get them ingrained in our communities?
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_02: How do we get them involved in leadership positions within our communities?
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_02: And in my line of work, economic development, that's my number one goal because at the end of the day, uh, we do have an aging population as well.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_02: And when you look around the boardroom table and you see a lot of those people that have been sitting there for 20, 30 years, and then they bow out to become snowbirds and go down to Oakondo in Florida for half the year.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: Who's gonna take their spots?
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: Who's gonna be the next group of people that are really philanthropic with their time and want to invest in the growth and development, not only of the community, but of the state?
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm very excited about that.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: Norlin, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: Again, election day, November 3rd.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_02: It is your right as an American citizen, as an Iowan, protected by the Constitution of the United States and that of Iowa, to go out on November 3rd and cast a vote.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_02: So please listen to this podcast, put it on repeat, and we will continue to interview the candidates uh in as many positions as we can.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: We have candidates obviously for state house, uh, state senate.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I'd love to get Rob Sand and Zach Lane on the podcast too.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see if they'd be interested.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: Also, but this coming legislative session is gonna be very interesting.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: It really is.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_02: Because we're gonna have a new governor.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and that really changes things in the dynamic of the state.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_02: So sit back, watch, and vote November 3rd.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, thank you.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, sir.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, thank you so for inviting me.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_02: Jenny, yes, you and I are off today.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_03: I know.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we came in for the podcast, but now we're gonna take a little PTO, a little pay time off.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_02: Relax.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_02: I got to travel out to Mason City tomorrow.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: I'm speaking at the Iowa Rural Development Conference.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that's gonna be a Northern Iowa community college.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'm very excited about that.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: And we're gonna be talking about uh, you know, what to do when your decision as an economic development professional may not be the most popular decision in the world.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_02: Have you ever had that happen?
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, every once in a while.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_02: But you got to do what's right, and I I stand behind my decisions and my beliefs, and that's what I'm gonna be talking about to a group of other economic development professionals, my peers in the career.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: So that is something that you in Norland and a lot of people in that you know economic development have in common because you can't make everybody happy.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: You can't, and if you are, then you're not really doing your job.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yep, that's right.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: That's a little sign that hangs above my my office that says uh basically just a paraphrase uh if you want to be liked all the time, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing because that's the only way.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_02: If you just keep your mouth shut, people will like it.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_02: But every once in a while you buck, you share your opinion, and maybe your opinion's not the most popular, and then people tend to want to lock horns.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: Standby.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: Also, I want to say one thing.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: What's that?
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's this.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_00: We have invited all of the candidates into the podcast.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't, send me an email, jhom at growclinton.com.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, happy to get you on.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: I'm very excited.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: November third will be here before you know it.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Ooh.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, we got uh Halloween falling on a Saturday.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_02: On a Saturday, you're gonna be dressing up.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm gonna be going out with the trick-or-treaters.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: Nice.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you're gonna do the typical parent thing where you gotta go through the candy first before they consume any.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm gonna take the grandma tax out for sure because I'm going out with them.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm lucky because my kids want to come to Clinton to uh trick or treat because they love it here.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_02: Very cool.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: Well, there's probably some houses out there, full-size candy bars.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: They know them all.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: Check them out.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: All right, everybody.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks again.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: If you haven't subscribed to the podcast, please do so wherever you get your podcast.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: Just search Grow a Clinton Podcast.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: My name, as always, is Annie Sikolovich.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for listening.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: And we'll be back soon until we speak again.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_02: Stay classy, folks.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: See ya.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to subscribe and follow us on all your socials.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: See ya.