A small but passionate group of citizens from Iowa’s 20th House District attended a forum Friday morning with their legislator.

State Representative Ray Sorensen stopped into the Perry Perk Coffee Shop for a gathering he called “Spill the Beans.” The purpose of the event was to give his constituents – specifically those in Perry – a chance to engage in a conversation on policy issues and other concerns they have. It’s the first public forum Sorensen has held in Perry since being elected, as he seeks to make himself more accessible to the people in the 20th District. The conversation largely focused on the proposed state sales tax increase, as well as the potential income or property tax cuts that could accompany it.

Other topics discussed included education funding, the bottle deposit bill and general recycling issues, ongoing concerns over the privatization of Medicaid, and felon voting rights. Sorensen felt the gathering was constructive and enlightening, and he thanked the attendees. He will hold another “Spill the Beans” forum in Perry on March 6th. He will also have other events in the District, including February 21st and March 13th in Anita, March 6th in Greenfield, March 7th in Guthrie Center, and April 4th in Panora. District 20 includes all of Guthrie and Adair counties, a portion of Cass County, and northern Dallas County including Perry.