Elinor A. Levin
DemocraticQ1 Iowa currently has the nation’s second-highest cancer rate and is one of only a few states where the cancer rate is increasing. What policies, if any, would you support regarding this issue?
Looking at the specific cancers that are hurting disproportionate numbers of Iowans, there are specific strategies that we must prioritize- clean waters for everyone for cooking/drinking and recreation, whether on well or municipal system; radon detection and mitigation; and anti-tobacco use. If we could improve these category’s impacts on our health, we would bring ourselves closer to being on par with, and worrying about cancer like, the rest of the country.
Keywords: Water, Cancer, Radon, Tobacco
Q2 Iowa’s universities receive roughly $350 million annually in federal research funding. NIH funding for research at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University fell by over $125 million from FY2024 to FY2025. What is your view on these funding reductions, and what policies, if any, would you support regarding funding for scientific research conducted in Iowa?
Scientists and researchers need to know that sources of funding are not subject to political machinations, and that the funds to, in particular, our Board of Regents institutions will be funded securely and proactively from expected state and federal sources. As one example, selection process for directors of agencies must be based on experience and aptitude, not on political games.
Keywords: Research, Funding, Impartiality
Q3 Scientific evidence is generated through the systematic testing and evaluation of ideas. It provides knowledge that helps us understand the world and predict the likely consequences of different choices, such as policy making related to public health, energy, agriculture, and environmental regulation. What role, if any, should scientific evidence and expert input play in your policymaking process, and how would you evaluate competing or uncertain scientific claims when making policy decisions? What role, if any, should that process play when scientific consensus and public opinion diverge?
Experts must be engaged as legislators make policy decisions, and must be protected from any type of retaliation for speaking accurately. The thoughts of the public, particularly our constituents, must be actively engaged and taken into consideration, but a stong policy maker is able to listen and disagree, and even educate when the public opinion of the moment does not match what the evidence tells us. AND, that same policy maker needs to be able to own it when they make a mistake or follow poor or subsequently disproven guidance.
Keywords: Expertise, Opinion