By Sam Parsons

The Mahaska Chamber hosted its second Coffee and Conversation event of 2025 on Saturday morning at Smokey Row Coffee in Oskaloosa. Members of the Iowa state legislature were on hand to answer questions from Mahaska county residents on topics ranging from public school start dates to ranked choice voting to funding for cancer research. The lawmakers on hand included Iowa State Senators Ken Rozenboom and Adrian Dickey, as well as Iowa State House Representatives Helena Hayes and Barb Kniff-McCulla.

On the topic of school start dates, Senator Ken Rozenboom said that it’s a conversation that is had virtually every year, with schools on one side and tourism on the other.

One resident asked about a remark in Governor Kim Reynolds’ most recent State of the State address in which she pledged to spend $1 million to fund cancer research in the state of Iowa, referencing a recent study that placed Iowa at #2 in the country in cancer rate. Senator Adrian Dickey said that the $1 million is more likely to be a starting point, rather than a complete answer to the problem.

Other topics discussed included arts and culture, child care availability, and general thoughts on the upcoming legislative session.

The Mahaska Chamber’s next Coffee and Conversation will be held on February 8.