The topic of health insurance premiums for the state’s elected officials continues to make headlines in Iowa.

State Representative Ralph Watts of Adel says “unfortunately, (media outlets) don’t always get things right sometimes.”

Watts says the plan that legislators have is the same one that the unions have but his party has voted against it.

“The House Republicans voted at least six times over the last six years, for state employees to pay more, including legislators, to pay more for their health insurance.  Every time it was held up in the Senate.  Maybe this year we’ll be able to do something with that.”

Representative Watts says there’s no doubt that the state health insurance plan is a good plan and legislators ought to be paying more for it.  He feels people are willing to do that and he feels that may change this year.