10,000.
That’s the number of doors Senator Eric Giddens and his team knocked on over the course of 18 months. After six legislative sessions, Giddens wants to return to the Iowa Senate floor to represent District 33 for four more sessions. From working in the Cedar Falls school district as a math teacher, to working in the Center for Environmental and Energy Education, Giddens wants to return to the senate to advocate for education and non-partisan politics that work for Iowans.
“The [Cedar Falls] district is a microcosm of the whole of Iowa, with the mix of metro and rural areas. I’ve knocked on doors in every corner of the district, and what I’ve learned is that people are fed up with partisan politics,” said Giddens.
On the Iowa Senate commerce committee, Giddens has worked to stand by his ideal of collaboration for Iowan constituents. “By nature, I’m a collaborator,” said Giddens. “I don’t care what someone’s party is, when I go to work on issues at the capitol, I look for partners who want to work with me.”
Giddens serves as a ranking member of the commerce committee in the Iowa Senate, which is a leadership role within committees for senators in the minority party. The commerce committee handles legislation that deals with banks, insurance and industries regulated by the state. Alongside other members of the commerce committee, Giddens has worked to provide Iowans with lower cost prescription drugs. “We’re working to protect Iowans from the rising cost of prescription drugs, which is good for everyone,” said Giddens. “A lot of big companies and special interests make a lot of money off of these [prescription drugs], and it’s our job to look out for Iowans.”
On top of looking out for Iowans through bipartisan legislation, Giddens also believes that UNI is a very important part of his district, providing the state of Iowa with future nurses, educators and engineers. “UNI is in the heart of my district, it’s a major, if not the most significant institutional presence in the district,” Giddens said. “I’m going to do all I can to fight for the resources UNI needs.”
With multiple job sectors in Iowa in need of qualified employees, Giddens believes that UNI can help fill those industrial needs, especially with the addition of the nursing program and the fortification of the applied engineering program. “We have a strong economy, but lack of people to fill important jobs, and UNI is one of the best answers to that issue,” said Giddens. “UNI attracts students from all across the state, and students from out of state. 50% of students from out of state will stay in Iowa. UNI punches above its weight to support Iowa.”
Giddens is a former UNI employee, who worked as a program manager for the Center of Environmental and Energy Education (CEEE). As program manager for the CEEE, Giddens worked with student interns to help local governments come up with strategies to reduce their carbon footprints on a local level. Now the father of a UNI student studying computer science, public education will always be important to Giddens. “I’ll always work for adequate support for K-12 schools, preschool programs and secondary education,” said Giddens. “We need strong schools for people to attract people to live in our community. Strong schools make strong communities…UNI is very important to me, not just because of its institutional presence, but because I’m a former employee and a UNI parent.”
As Giddens eyes a second term in the Iowa Senate, he hopes to continue the work he’s done in his six legislative sessions as senator for District 33. “Sometimes things don’t just happen in one year,” said Giddens. “I want to return to the commerce committee and keep working on what I’ve been working on for the people of Iowa.”
