Senior citizens grilled Iowa’s two major party candidates for governor, pressing them on issues ranging from nursing home inspections to taxes on pensions.    

Grey hair prevailed at the capitol as each candidate made his case before this  year’s meeting of the Older Iowans legislature. Volunteer lobbyist Shawn Zierke reminds the governor that  by 2030 more than half of the state’s population will be 40 and above.

“So, your constituents  are older,” Zierke advises.

“ I recognize that,” Branstad replies.

The governor took the heat for bills he rejected this year, while his Democratic challenger State  Senator Hatch  touted his work on behalf of the elderly.   One sore spot is how many long-term care advocates known as ombudsmen the state should have.   The governor vetoed  a bill to expand that from  eight to ten.   Betty Kelly, an 87-year-old retired professor from Iowa City, asks why.

“ We desperately need them so why did you cancel our proposal?” asks eighty-seven year old Betty Kelly, a retired college professor from Iowa city.

“I'm not one that thinks we should be expanding  the number  of state employees.    I know that’s what happened in the previous administration,” Branstad replies. 

The governor defended that veto and others on budget grounds, repeating  his complaint that the  legislature overspent this year.   Seniors worry  about  getting home-based services instead of institutional care, and there’s a waiting list for that.   The governor rejected a bill to put more money there.

"I'm not going to give a blank check to everybody  who says we have a waiting list,” Branstad says.

Seniors say  that  the governor should do more to improve training for the direct care workers who care for the elderly.      And they complain that the  governor approved higher reimbursement rates for nursing homes, without insisting on higher standards. Senator Hatch came prepared to woo seniors on the issue of nursing home inspections.

“We’re going  to make sure we have the state staff to inspect.  I'm going to support  the expansion of the long-term care ombudsmen,” Hatch says.

Betty Kelly was back at the microphone, asking about taxes on her pension.

“Considering all the white hair you see you know that most of us are receiving some type of pension.  Iowa taxes most pensions. That is not true about the states around us,” Kelly says. 

Hatch says he backs cutting taxes for lower income pensioners.    He criticizes the governor for vetoing more money for retired police and firefighters.    And he calls for lower property taxes for elderly Iowans to help them stay in their homes.

Eighty-seven  year old  Bob Welsh tells Hatch there hasn’t been enough discussion of senior issues in this campaign.

“Thus far I haven’t seen you make a real contrast between you and the governor on issues that affect older Iowans.    You made a very strong case today about that,” Welsh says.  

 And Welsh advises the Hatch campaign to talk about elderly issues more.    Hatch says he realizes that seniors are paying attention.

“ We can't fool you,” Hatch says.

Governor Branstad adds that his signature legislation to reduce commercial property taxes should benefit senior citizens.    He says as care facilities pay lower taxes, those profits should go back into higher wages for the direct care workers on the front lines of caring for seniors.