State Senator Johnie Hammond, D-Ames, said Wednesday she will make welfare reform and K-12 education her top priorities if re-elected to the Iowa Senate.

Hammond is finishing her first term representing District 31, which includes all of Ames as well as the southwest corner of Story County. She capped off a busy day in the Senate Tuesday by talking to the Daily about her work in the Legislature.

Hammond is known for her expertise in the area of child welfare and welfare reform, and she has served on the Human Services appropriations subcommittee for the last ten years.

“We were doing welfare reform before Congress passed their law in ’96,” Hammond said.

Welfare and family issues are important for Iowa, she said.

“In every one of these cases … there is a theme behind that and that is to try to help everybody to reach their potential,” Hammond said.

Another top issue on Hammond’s list is primary and secondary education.

“I’m very disappointed in what has happened,” Hammond said. “This was going to be the year of education, and it’s a mess.”

Hammond believes there is a need for reduced class sizes for kindergarten through third grade, years that are critical in learning to read.

Another problem that needs to be addressed, according to Hammond, is “disruptive students who make it difficult for other kids.”

She said part of the solution to this second problem lies in small class sizes as well.

“If students are successful in kindergarten through third grade, they will be less likely to be disruptive in junior high,” she said.

She also thinks school districts need help to mend their “crumbling infrastructure,” which is making it difficult to address any other issues.

Hammond considers the “Healthy Families” program, another family-focused initiative, to be her greatest political accomplishment to date.

The program, instituted about six years ago, seeks to foster one-on-one relationships between social workers and “high-risk” pregnant mothers.

The professional helps the mother through her pregnancy by counseling and “being a good friend,” and the hope is for the relationship to continue after the baby is born.

“It has done great things to prevent child abuse and has helped moms to deal with stress,” Hammond said. “It has helped to prevent foster care placements. It has a great success rate.”

The program has not yet expanded statewide. It began as a pilot program in six counties and is now running in 10 counties.

Helping people is what Hammond likes best about her job.

“I like accomplishing things that I think will help individuals and will help the state,” she said. “When you can move things like the Healthy Families program, it is very gratifying.”

Hammond said working for improvement in higher education is also one of her priorities.

“I try to work for Iowa State,” she said. “That’s about half of my constituents.”

Connecting with college students is no simple task, Hammond said.

“Trying to get the attention of students is very difficult,” she said.

“Students are not focused on the next election, they are focused on the next test,” she said. “That’s a reality, and I accept that reality.”

Hammond does her best to connect with students by speaking to classes whenever she is invited. During her campaign, she registers students to vote in the residence halls, on campus and in apartment areas.

“We all have e-mail now, so I am getting more communication from students,” Hammond said. “I would welcome additional ideas.”

Despite how much she likes her job, Hammond said there are downfalls. “The hours are not so good,” she quipped. “This is not an 8-to-5 or 9-to-5 job, and contrary to what people may think, it’s not a January to May job either. It’s a year-round job.”

But all in all, Hammond loves what she does, and she said she is in good company at the Senate.

Hammond has been in politics for 20 years. She began her career by serving four years on the Story County Board of Supervisors.

She then served 12 years in the Iowa House of Representatives before being elected to her first term in the Senate.

Hammond has a degree in social work from the University of Minnesota and a degree in business management from Iowa State.

She is married to Earl Hammond, ISU professor of food science and human nutrition.

“I am a person that likes to look at the research and then analyze that and reach a decision rather than just putting a Band-Aid on something,” Hammond said. “I think we need more of that kind of person in the Legislature.”