United States Senator Charles Grassley visited with dozens of Greene County High School students on Friday.
The Senator from New Hartford addressed several questions from students such as Iowa’s education compared to the rest of the country, gay marriage, mental health as it relates to school shootings, legalizing marijuana to personal questions like being involved in a filibuster and how Grassley got involved in politics. When it came to his family life, Grassley noted that he wished he could’ve spent more time with his family during the majority of his political career.
Social studies teacher Crystal Heard told Raccoon Valley Radio that Friday’s event was a great opportunity for her students to get first-hand experience with a US Senator.
“The kids came up with all of the questions on their own and I thought they did a really good job of coming up with things that were important to them and that they had concerns about. And I don’t know if they were intimidated by him as they were eager to hear what he had to say about the things that were important to them.”
Grassley said he travels to eight to ten high schools per year as a way to reach younger people who can’t make it to his open town hall meetings.
“It also has the additional advantage of being a resource person for them (the students) in addition to what the teachers or the textbooks and the other material teach them about government.”
Grassley’s visit to the high school was part of his 99-county tour of Iowa when Congress is not in session.