Two legislative forums will be held in Ames during the next two weekends to discuss educational funding, taxes and other community concerns.

The monthly forums are designed to provide information about legislative issues to the public of the Story County House and Senate districts.

“It’s an important opportunity to discuss issues during the legislative session,” said Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames. “I very much value these forums.”

Legislators at the forums are able to both inform and represent the community, said Mary Jo Brearley, co-president of the League of Women Voters.

The Chamber of Commerce will hold its forum at noon Friday at the Institute for Physical Research and Technology and the League of Women Voters will hold another April 3.

The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is located in the Technical and Administrative Services Facility on campus.

“They are a great educational tool for the community,” said Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames.

Educational funding is expected to be a main topic for discussion, due to concerns about university tuition increases in the last four years, said Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada.

This year, the legislature will work to increase educational funding, Kurtenbach said. Although community colleges will receive $4 million more than last year, and $110 million more will go to K-12 schools, funding for universities will remain about the same as last year, he said.

Taxes are another issue the forums will cover; from property tax issues to tax increases proposed by Gov. Tom Vilsack, Kurtenbach said.

“Every Democrat in the last election said they would support an increase in taxes, and if they want taxes now they will have to publicly support their own governor,” Kurtenbach said. “They need to put actions behind their words.”

Greimann, a Democrat, said she supports raising taxes, which she said will bring more money to the Board of Regents and help abate university tuition increases.

“We will continue to work on overhauling the Iowa tax system, of which property taxes are just one component. We will provide a tax system that is stable, predictable, fair to all Iowans and, perhaps most important, encourages economic development,” Kurtenbach said.

The League of Women Voters forum, a Legislative Wake-Up Session, will be held April 3 at 8:45 a.m. in the Ames City Council Chambers, 515 Clark St.

The forum will be televised live on cable channel 12, and viewers will be encouraged to phone in questions to the legislators.