Two GOP governor candidates appear at Mason City event

MASON CITY — Two of the five candidates running for the Republican nomination for governor spoke at an event last night in Mason City.

Pastor Brad Sherman of Williamsburg has been campaigning for governor for several months, while former Iowa Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen resigned from that position in August to jump into the governor’s race. 

Both candidates agree that more needs to be done to address the state’s education system, but their ideas are completely different. Sherman says he’d like to see the Ten Commandments posted in Iowa’s public schools. “We have to get the constitution, the Declaration of Independence, patriotism, and putting the Ten Commandments back on the wall. What can it hurt for a student to come in, and that gets to the mental health issue, students that actually sometimes act out and do terrible things. What can it hurt for a student to come to school every day and see on the wall ‘Thou Shall Not Kill’, or you should not commit adultery. That doesn’t hurt a thing.”

Steen says more needs to be addressed on how curriculum is handled in the classroom.  “I would work on the Department of Education to make sure that experts are at the table who have classroom experience that allows teachers to teach the way they know how to teach, rather than being forced to teach from some DC ideologue who is forcing curriculum down our throats.”

Sherman says life is one of the issues that should be dealt with if he’s elected as governor.   “Just maintaining life and a respect to the culture of life, all the way from the beginning of life to the end is absolutely important. Like it says right here, life, liberty and property, those are the key ones.”

Steen says the issue of eminent domain would be immediately addressed by him if the legislature does not pass a law in the upcoming session.  “To provide perspective, the first thing I would do, if the legislature doesn’t solve this problem this session, is that I would protect your property rights. Senate File 92 makes it very simple, very clear that carbon sequestration, you cannot use eminent domain for carbon sequestration. If they don’t solve it this legislative session, I would expect that bill to hit my desk, and I would sign it on day one.”

The two made their comments at an event sponsored by the Northern Iowa Republican Women.  Zach Lahn (lane) who farms near Belle Plaine was not able to attend the event but did send a representative on his behalf. Congressman Randy Feenstra and State Representative Eddie Andrews of Johnston were invited but did not attend the event.