Important elections happen more often than just every four years. In November of 2018, Iowans will have the opportunity to elect a new governor in the gubernatorial election.

John Norris, a fifth generation Iowan and Democratic candidate, is putting his hat in the race.

The focus of Norris’s campaign lies with mental health, environmental justice and education needs in the state.

One of the largest issues Norris sees with the current administration, led by Kim Reynolds, is funding for Regent institutions.

“My first order of business is to fund the regents at a level that the tuitions aren’t going up at the rate they’re going up,” Norris said. “Making college affordable is critical.”

According to Norris, the state budget will not immediately allow for a tuition drop, so he plans to build a bridge for the time in between.

“I’d like to see a seven-year tax credit for individuals who stay and work in Iowa after graduating college,” Norris said.

According to Norris, this bridge will help graduates who want to work in rural areas as much-needed healthcare providers or as teachers. Norris sees this bridge as one that will help students and also help the state of Iowa rebuild a workforce in decline.

“It’s a wise investment of state tax credit dollars,” Norris said. “We are short [on] work force in this state, and we are going to see our economy contract unless we can help our business and industry attract workers. What better way to attract workers than to have a tax credit to pay off student loans?”

To Norris, giving tax benefits to students who want to stay in Iowa is beneficial for the economy long term, as he thinks it will encourage students to settle down in Iowa for more of their lives. He also sees this as a much-needed redirection of current funds that go to wealthy corporations like fertilizer plants or Apple.

Norris’s plans to improve lives for students in Iowa does not stop at funding universities and lowering tuition costs.

“As critical or more critical to our economy and our future are getting those students who aren’t going onto a four-year college or community college work,” Norris said.

Norris wants high school students to master a craft before they graduate, like manufacturing, so they can secure a higher skilled industry job upon graduation. He has a plan to do just that, and it would fill jobs across the state, especially in places with many openings, like Northwest Iowa, where, according to Norris, Mt. Pleasant has 300 open positions.

This plan would also connect students with local opportunities.

“[This would be] a combination of internships and apprenticeships [during] junior and senior year of high school where [students] can begin to take core courses in the morning or afternoon at the school and spend the other part of the day working at a local manufacturing plant,” Norris said.

Norris added that the plan is not just beneficial to the students involved, or the state economy, but to the community, as well.

“It gets them [students] on a better path and keeps them in the local community,” he said. “We should be investing in internships and apprenticeships programs through the community colleges, with the high schools, with the local business communities to bridge folks from high school to meaningful employment.”

When addressing funding the program, Norris cites what he views as misuse of state dollars under the Reynolds administration, which he said isn’t the only misstep the current administration has made. He also sees danger in the recent stripping of collective bargaining rights for teachers and public employees.

“When you lower the public employee standard of living, you set the bar lower for everyone else,” Norris said. “This is a dangerous economic policy.”

In fact, Norris thinks Iowa will see the impact of this economic policy soon.

“The reality is we’re going to start losing teachers to states like Minnesota, who value public employees, understand the importance of healthcare benefits, maternity leave, decent pay and things that attract teachers,” Norris said. “And it’s going to be particularly hard for our rural schools.”

For Norris, the policy he would enact is clear.

“You’ve got to restore [collective bargaining],” Norris said.

Finally, Norris has a few other key issues to bring to his campaign, including water quality and reforming farming practices in response.

“I’m very passionate about the environment and conservation and cleaning up our water crisis,” Norris said. “Denial of climate change is only going to make this more expensive and harder to fix. We’ve got to change the culture of farming.”

In addition, mental health is as pertinent an issue to Norris as it is to UNI’s campus community.

“Our denial of dealing with our mental health issues in Iowa is just a shirking of the responsibility of government to look out for our most vulnerable citizens,” Norris said. “That’s why I’m running — to try and get our state priorities back in order and provide essential government functions that help move our state forward.”

Norris has been working on such issues for decades. He has marched in California for environmental justice and helped set up the Rainbow Coalition.

“My roots are in activism and progressive politics,” Norris said.

Norris has a lengthy rap sheet of government experience, and some critics have suggested this makes him an establishment Democrat. According to Norris, his motivation is more intrinsic than establishment-based.

“My whole motivation in life has been about making positive progressive change,” Norris said. “Sometimes when you get the chance to make that, you do that within government. I’ve never worked in government for the job; I’ve always worked in government for causes I believe in.”

Danielle Templeton, recruitment director for the Northern Iowa Democrats, says the organization is committed to making voting accessible for students on campus come next year’s gubernatorial election.

“We can guarantee we will be advocating for a satellite location on UNI’s campus for voting in the gubernatorial election,” Templeton said.