I’m a deputy sheriff for Marshall County and an Iowa state senator. I want to thank you for the opportunity to work with your state senator, Herman Quirmbach, at the Iowa Statehouse.

Together, we’ve passed bipartisan legislation to crack down on sex offenders, prevent domestic violence murders and make our roads safer. We’ve also addressed important issues affecting Iowa’s first responders, who put their lives on the line for us every day.

Herman protected children by banning sexual predators from areas near schools, day cares, libraries and other places where kids gather. In addition, sex offenders must now report the car they drive, it is easier for undercover officers to catch online predators, and strip clubs can no longer exploit minors.

I also worked with Herman to build a bipartisan majority to protect families by preventing convicted domestic abusers from owning guns. And I believe that Herman’s work to ban texting while driving has probably already saved at least one life.

Iowa depends on our volunteer and professional first responders, including firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and others. Herman made it illegal to fire a volunteer for missing work when called to duty; strengthened firefighters’ disability and death benefits; and protected first responders from personal liability for certain job-related activities, like using a heart defibrillator in an emergency.

I’m the only active-duty law enforcement officer serving in the legislature. I really appreciated the ability to turn to Sen. Quirmbach for help when I needed to convince other legislators to see the light.

In short, Sen. Quirmbach has been a great partner when it comes to making Iowa smarter and tougher on crime. I hope you’ll send him back to the Iowa Senate to continue this important work.