Candidate Q & A: House Candidate Stacey Rogers Says Supreme Court Justices Should Be Ousted

Ankeny voters will head to the polls June 5 to decide which Republican candidates will appear on the November ballot this year in a bid to serve in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Ankeny is represented by two districts, House District 37 and 38.

Today, we're introducing you to Stacey Rogers, an Ankeny resident and lawyer at . She is one of six candidates running for the District 37 GOP nomination.

Whoever wins the primary will face unopposed Democrat candidate Neal Tracy in November.

STACEY ROGERS

Age: 26

Address: 120 N.E. 41st St. #101, Ankeny

Employer: Block, Lamberti & Gocke, P.C.

Number of years lived in the district: I chose to make Ankeny my home when I became an associate attorney with Block, Lamberti & Gocke. So I've been living here for a little over a year, and no end in sight!

Summary of education: J.D., with distinction, University of Iowa College of Law; B.S. in business administration, corporate finance, Colorado State University.

What do you see as the state government's role, what should it do for taxpayers and what should it stay out of?

As a state we have committed funding things like roads, bridges, and schools. We do have the opportunity to start reforming the way we operate across the board, focusing on priorities like infrastructure and not manipulating private markets with subsidies that will not keep our state's businesses viable for the future.

What were the top 3 successes of the most recent legislative session?

They balanced the budget, but Sen. Gronstal kept any real meaningful legislation from being voted on in the Senate.

What were the 3 biggest failures?

Failure to pass Voter ID, failure to implement real property tax reform and failure to address real local education reform.

How can the state restructure property taxes without shifting the burden to homeowners?

We are fixing commercial property taxes to encourage business growth and development. Encouraging business development with a business-friendly tax structure will result in more businesses paying taxes in the long term. We can offset any immediate loss in revenues by reducing spending. This means cutting waste and redundancies and cutting unnecessary government bulk. 

Is the current tax structure hurting the state's economy?

Yes, it makes us less competitive with surrounding states like South Dakota for attracting businesses.

Should the next legislature take up the issue of same sex marriage? What would you propose?

Yes. I believe the people of Iowa want to vote on the issue of a Constitutional Amendment and the legislature should give them the chance.

Should the remaining Iowa Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of allowing same sex marriage be removed from the bench? Why or why not?

Yes. Each of them has publicly supported the ousted justices and stood by the decision. The message Iowans sent by ousting the justices was clear, and the four remaining justices have showed that they didn't get the message.