The voting has long been over, the ballots have been counted and now the Iowa Legislature has officially met, motivated to do right by its voters and its state.

The Iowa Legislature filled the Iowa State House in Des Moines on Monday to start day one of the 2017 Session of the 87th General Assembly, which is set to last 110 calendar days. There is great importance now for citizens to know who they are represented by and how to get in contact with them.

“But, beyond professions and party affiliations, I see Iowans, I see senators who share a common passion – a love for this state and our fellow Iowans,” Senate President Jack Whitvers said in his opening remarks. “I see senators who welcome the task to make Iowa the best state we possibly can.”

The city of Ames is represented by two senators, Herman Quirmbach and Jerry Behn, and three representatives, Lisa Heddens, Rob Bacon and Beth Wessel-Kroeschell.

Herman Quirmbach

Iowa Senate District 23

Democrat

Quirmbach is an associate professor of economics at Iowa State University and was elected in 2014 to his fourth term in the Iowa Senate. He is the lead Democrat on the Education Committee and has a main agenda of fighting for education. He is also apart of the Human Resources Committee, Local Government Committee, Ways and Means Committee and the Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

Home Phone: 515-292-8984

Legislative email: [email protected]

More information: www.senate.iowa.gov/senator/quirmback/about/

Jerry Behn

Iowa Senate District 24

Republican

Behn, after serving as a Boone County supervisor from 1995 to 1996, was elected into the Iowa Senate in 1996. He works on the farm, where he has lived with his wife outside of Boone and has farmed for 44 years. He holds chairs in the Ethics and the Ways and Means committees and is a part of the Education, Natural Resources, Rules and Administration and Legislative Council committees.

Home phone: 515-432-7327

Legislative email: [email protected]

More information: www.iowasenaterepublicans.com/senators/jerry-behn/

Lisa Heddens

Iowa House District 46

Democrat

Heddens has been in the Iowa House of Representatives since she was elected in 2003. She is a member of the Appropriations, Human Resources, Transportation and Health Policy Oversight committees, as well as the Health and Human Services subcommittee. This will be her seventh term in the house, and she works as a service coordinator at a family resource center. She is also of member of the Mental Health and Disability Services Commission.

Home phone: 515-292-1748

Capitol phone: 515-281-3221

Legislative E-mail: [email protected]

Rob Bacon

Iowa House District 28

Republican

Rob Bacon is serving his third term in the house and has been in Iowa since 1975, when he moved to the state to attend college. He was previously elected into the Senate until 2010, when he decided to run for the House. He holds a chair position in the Natural Resources committee and serves in the Human Resources, State Government, Transportation and Ag & DNR Budget committees.

Home phone: 515-281-3221

Legislative email: [email protected]

More info: www.iowahouserepublicans.com/members/rob-bacon

Beth Wessel-Kroeschell

Iowa House District 25

Democrat

Beth Wessel-Kroeschell will be serving her sixth term in the Iowa House of Representatives. She is a former high school English teacher and served as president of ACCESS, a battered women’s shelter for four years. She is a ranking member of the Human Resources committee and is an active member of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committees as well as the Health and Serves Appropriations Subcommittee.

Capitol phone: 515-281-3221

Legislative email: [email protected]

More info: www.wesselkroeschell.com