Iowa House of Representative District 20’s Ray Sorensen feels the state is still in a good place, so 2021 should be a year of growth and not a time to press the panic button and force matters through during the 89th General Assembly.

He says the Republican caucus will use the same traditional base for their priorities in 2021.

“We base everything off of the budget.  What it’s saying, what the REC [Revenue Estimating Conference] is predicting, how do we go from here and how do we spend smartly on our priorities and not get too out ahead of ourselves, not empty all the reserves and empty the entire surplus because we need to bounce right back. It’s kind of a chess game. You’ve got to understand there’s going to be unintended consequences to every single move you make.”

Sorensen says the state was in a good spot before the pandemic hit in terms of unemployment and that Iowans have done a good job of keeping that number low even during COVID-19. He’s looking for smart ways to help businesses adapt to the pandemic environment and return to normal without rushing it.