OSKALOOSA — Candidates for the Iowa House and Senate met the public Tuesday evening in a candidate forum at Smokey Row and gave their views on issues such as job creation and school funding.

Republican Ken Rozenboom and Democrat Tim Tripp are facing off for Senate District 40 while Republican Larry Sheets and Democrat Joe Judge are vying for House District 80. Incumbent Republican Guy Vander Linden is running unopposed for House District 79.

The moderator asked two questions of the candidates. The candidates gave their views on the first question — job creation.

“Government doesn’t create jobs,” Vander Linden said. He added that he wants to “create a climate for businesses to create jobs.”

Vander Linden argued that the state over regulates business, which hurts their ability to grow and create more jobs.

Sheets said that Iowa has the highest average property tax rate of states that also have income taxes and the highest corporate income tax rate. He said Iowa’s rate is 12 percent and the next highest is Pennsylvania, with a 9.99 percent rate.

Sheets argued the best way to attract jobs is to reform property taxes and push the corporate income tax rate back to 6 percent.

Judge said he wants to introduce a “Made in Iowa” concept. If the state has a job to bid out and an Iowa company has a competitive bid, the Iowa company should be given the job.

Judge also wants to make sure that the state attracts companies that have good-paying jobs for workers.

Tripp said the state needs to emphasize education so Iowa companies have a solid, educated work force to hire.

Rozenboom said he believes a smaller government encourages business growth in the private sector. He said Illinois has raised taxes in response to its fiscal problems, and Iowa should limit taxes to help the economy to grow.

The candidates also were asked about their views on school funding and how it would affect local schools.

Rozenboom said he believes parents should have more choice in schools for their children. He believes that if state schools have a monopoly in money and customers, that would lead to an inferior product.

Tripp believes local school districts should have the ability to plan for two years with regards to allowable growth funding. Local schools need to have more flexibility with state and local funds.

Judge believes the state has an obligation to provide a world-class education for students. He said things such as vouchers and merit pay are gimmicks and what the state needs is highly trained teachers. He said merit pay would siphon off good teachers from rural school districts.

Sheets said allowable growth is like “a cost-of-living adjustment for schools.” He said allowable growth is useless unless the state funds it.

Vander Linden said that although schools had 0 percent allowable growth in 2011, the state provided $40 million to school districts in Iowa.

The candidates also fielded questions from the audience. The first question dealt with their views on the “Right to Work” law.

Vander Linden and Sheets said they were “strongly in favor” of the “Right to Work” law.

Judge said Iowa has a “pretty good balance” between labor and business owners. He doesn’t believe the state needs to eliminate “Right to Work” but it does need to talk about workers’ rights and business owners’ rights.

Tripp said it’s important for workers to be treated fairly. He believes no one should be forced to join an association they do not belong to. However, if workers receive a benefit from that organization, they should join it.

Rozenboom said Iowa “has a good position” on Right to Work.

The candidates also gave their views on term limits.

“I have mixed emotions on that,” Rozenboom said of term limits.

Rozenboom said he hates to lose the services of good legislators, but there should be some limit on the time they serve. He said it is an issue more important at the national level than the state level.

Tripp said Iowa has part-time legislators which is good in that there are no professional politicians. The public has a right to vote lawmakers out of office.

“We have term limits — it’s called Election Day,” Judge said.

Sheets said he plans to run until citizens decide not to vote for him.

Vander Linden said he sponsored a term limits bill in the House. However, it got watered down and did not make it out of committee.

The next candidate forum, featuring candidates for Mahaska County supervisor, will be held on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 6:30 p.m. at Smokey Row.

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Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com