The Reform Party of Iowa held a convention at the Starlight Village, 2601 E. 13th St., on Saturday to solidify the party’s goals within the state and to discuss national support for the Reform Party.

About 90 people were in attendance. Aspects that were discussed during the meeting included the “Jesse Effect,” the party’s surging popularity since Gov. Jesse Ventura won the Minnesota election last year.

Rick McCluhan, chairman of the Reform Party of Minnesota, discussed Gov. Ventura’s influence on the party.

“We have been able to rally the support of such individuals as Donald Trump, Warren Beatty and Cybil Shepherd. Now we must rise up and provide the candidates and Ventura with the level of support that they need,” he said.

Ronn Young, chairman of the Reform Party of Iowa, said the number of registered voters in the Reform Party is likely to triple due to the “Jesse Effect” and an extensive marketing campaign.

Though the meeting’s purpose was simply to provide platform planks and elect new state officers, Reform Party members also discussed who they were going to support as a presidential candidate and stressed party unity for next year’s election.

Current Republican candidate Pat Buchanan was considered as a possible candidate.

Drew Ivers, representative from Webster City, said the party should support Buchanan because of his true conservative stance on limited government and sovereignty.

“We want a trade policy that puts America first, a solid currency and a treasury that is out of debt,” Ivers said. He said Buchanan would bring these things to the country if elected president.

Although Donald Trump is currently a hot prospective for possible Reform Party candidacy, his name was not brought up.

Chuck Greene, the representative of the party handling its platform in Iowa, proposed several platform planks that he derived from constituents. “We want to keep things simple and give the people what they want,” he said.

One platform plank introduced the support of English as the official language of the United States. Some Reform Party members also want to increase the use of ethanol by making it mandatory for more groups and individuals in Iowa.

There was also a proposal to have a special fund supporting first-time home buyers in Iowa in an attempt to keep young Iowans in the state. Other proposals to the party’s platform were same-day voter registration and a moratorium on factory hog farms.

Jim Henniger, program director at William Penn College and an Iowa gubernatorial candidate last year, offered some insight on several of the proposed planks, particularly the policies of the party concerning those involved in farming.

“We would like to protect young farmers in Iowa and also support those who have been farmers by offering aid to first time farmers and tax credits to retired farmers,” Henniger said.