The first day of the 2019 Iowa Legislative session is today and for some lawmakers it’s their first time serving the public at the state capitol, but for others, it’s another year for them to continue to represent their constituents.

District 24 Senator Jerry Behn of Boone will return to the senate and serve as Senate President Pro-Tem. As Senate President Pro-Tem, Behn acts as the vice-president of the senate and presides over the senate if the president runs a bill of his own. Behn says it’s a responsibility that he takes seriously.

“It is a high honor and I want to thank all of my fellow Republicans that voted for me into that position. We want to be sure that we really keep Iowa competitive at a national level, that we can do the best possible with recruiting jobs to the state and providing opportunities for our kids and our grandkids.”

A main area Behn believes they will look at this session is on Medicaid, but specifically about keeping to the ultimate goal of achieving healthier outcomes for patients.

“We want to be sure that the services that are repeat basis get taken care of in a timely manner and yet we want to be sure that there’s no fraud and that there’s no abuse of the system as well.”

To hear more from Behn about the legislative preview, listen to today’s Community State Bank in Paton Let’s Talk Greene County program.