I was lieutenant governor.

Talks politics and her future and what it takes to dress for success in the cities.

We'll.

Iowa lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer was Pleasant Valley school board president when she decided to run for state office.

Her successful campaign for state Senate led to her appointment less than a year ago to be lieutenant governor in the Kim Reynolds administration.

When Reynolds announced she would not seek reelection, there was speculation what Cournoyer would do next.

She's now campaigning for state auditor and joined us to talk about her future and her months of work in the Reynolds administration.

It has been about nine months, since you have been, lieutenant governor.

Tell me about that.

Well, what was the transition like?

And what have you learned in this position?

Yeah, well, I mean, it was obviously something that I never, expected, was a real surprise when I got a call from the governor's office to even interview for the job last fall.

So that that was unexpected.

But it's, you know, an a real honor because I've always been very inspired by Governor Reynolds.

You know, especially with her work on the stem Council and her leadership at the state level.

You know, she's always been somebody that I've admired.

So just just getting the call to interview for the job was a huge honor.

But it's very different than being a state senator.

So when I was in the Iowa Senate, I focused on the three counties I represented Scott, Clinton and Jackson counties.

And and this is a statewide position for all 99 counties.

And so I'm really getting the chance to see the the state as a whole, the budget as a whole, and all of the issues as a whole, not just those, those that I targeted as a committee chair or, as a senator from the eastern part of the state, in a way, as a person who has been able to travel to each of the corners of Iowa, I mean, what is your take away right now?

I mean, you always hear about the condition of the state.

What would be your condition of the state?

Well, I you know, first of all, Iowa nice is real.

I mean, everywhere you go, the people are just so gracious and so wonderful.

But they are, you know, I think because we're a first in the nation caucus state, Iowans are very opinionated and they want to let you know when they have issues that are important to them.

But, you know, we get a lot of thank you's for, you know, especially with our tax reform that we've done in Iowa, cutting, you know, the income tax and then getting rid of the inheritance and the retirement income tax.

So we do get a lot of thank you's.

But we also, you know, we need to do more on property taxes.

We need to, you know, and really it depends really on the part of the state that you're, you're visiting.

So, you know, depending on if it's a border community, depending on what state they border, they have challenges.

You know, we have Illinois here in Iowa.

But, you know, there's a there's five other border states that are challenging for those border communities.

And then you hear from, rural communities and what their challenges are in terms of, economic development and growth.

And, you know, the ability to keep people in Iowa, is a common theme, but just continuing to invest in education, making sure we have state, safe communities and, continuing to lessen that tax burden and deliver better services for Iowans is what we're hearing a lot of.

I always remember Gerald Ford saying that when he was, in the house, that I don't understand why the why the white House, why the administration doesn't get this, that we do this and this.

And then when he became president, he said, I don't understand why Congress isn't able to do A, B, and C in order to improve this country being in the executive branch now for almost a year.

I mean, is it one of those things that's frustrating that you see how government works and how it could work better?

Yeah.

You know, I think one of the benefits of being in Iowa is that we are a part time citizen legislature, and we do get out in across the state and do that.

99 county tour and really talk to Iowans where they are.

And I think, you know, maybe at the federal level and at other, other levels or in other states, people get caught up into their office or it becomes a full time job for them, and they forget where they came from and who they're representing.

So I think being, you know, being in eastern and eastern Iowa and I still live just north of LeClaire, and, and representing Iowans from eastern Iowa and all over the state, but not living in the Des Moines bubble, as I like to call it, I think is really important.

And, I think we've done a good job in Iowa, if not just electing our executive branch and our statewide, elected officials aren't from Des Moines, which I think is a real benefit there from all over the state.

And they represent different viewpoints and different perspectives.

And I think that that's that's valuable to to the policymakers and to the governor.

Just having that feedback from across the state.

A lot of the pundits may have thought that you were you were handpicked by Governor Reynolds in order to be the lieutenant governor and that you were the heir apparent, perhaps, and you would run for governor.

Why did you decide not to run for governor?

Well, you know, I think there were there are a few reasons, you know, my my youngest children, twin boys were graduating from high school.

I had been, lieutenant governor for four months when the governor made her decision.

And that wasn't the expectation I had when I, when I accepted the position.

So it was a bit of a surprise.

It was much of a surprise to me, as it was for everybody else that received that news that day.

So, you know, it would have been a heavy lift for me.

And just looking at where my boys are going to college, they're at the University of Iowa, moved them in this week and and, you know, in terms of fundraising and just having that statewide profile, I kind of looked at my options, and I saw that the auditor's office was an open seat, and I think just looking at the the role of that, the state state auditor, it's more in line with my background and my experience and, where I want to go in terms of, you know, continuing to be a watchdog for the taxpayer, which I've done at the local level as a school board member, I did it as a state senator, and now doing it at the executive level with the governor, governor's office.

And as you well know, Rob sand has been very critical of the Republican legislature for trying to, curtail some of the, job, requirements of the, of the order.

One of the things no longer allowed in Iowa for the order to take a, department or agency to court for release of documents in order to be that watchdog.

Are you worried that the, Republican legislature is going to further minimize the role of the order?

No.

You know, I think the role of auditor, you know, the last six years, it's really been politicized.

And I don't think it is the role of the auditor to be a political figure.

So the role of the auditor is to audit the books and make sure that the standard accounting practices are being used, best practices are being used, and that taxpayer dollars are being used the way they're supposed to be.

And, you know, when it gets politicized or when you're criticizing a program and then you want to audit it, I don't think that's an appropriate role for the auditor.

So I think, you know, in running for the seat, I want to just take the politics out of it and do the job, which is being a watchdog for the taxpayer.

And with my technology background, there's a lot of opportunities to use technology to to root out that waste, fraud and abuse, to find those anomalies and those outliers and, and, and then also work with local governments, you know, as a partner to help, be a resource to implement best practices and technology so that they can not only, deliver better services to their citizens, but also just run more efficiently.

You know, we're looking at property tax reform in this next session starting in January.

And if you're going to look at property tax reform, you have to look at, you have to look to streamline government run more like a business.

We've got 99 counties doing 99 different things, and we've got a Dodge task force looking really digging into state government across the board and looking for efficiencies.

And we'll be getting those recommendations from the DOJ's task force at the end of September.

A lot of them, some of them have already been released.

And what I would say to people is that they are simply recommendations at this point, and they'll be fully vetted through the legislative process.

But, you know, I think we do need to take a hard look at how we do things in state and local government to see where there are efficiencies and and how we can continue to lessen the tax burden for our citizens.

Well, and as you pointed out, I mean, the auditor really is a watchdog and has been, very effective in looking at the books of, of government.

Why do you think that, the auditor's office, like you said, is a perfect fit for you?

But why is it so important for Iowa taxpayers?

Because it's the taxpayer watchdog.

I mean, taxes are a burden for many Iowans, and they want to make sure that when they're paying into the system that the money is being spent appropriately, there's accountability, there's transparency in the service of the services that they are promised are being delivered in an efficient manner.

So I think there is nothing more just mind numbing than, knowing that you're working hard and you're earning that money, and then you're turning it over to the government and you're seeing that it's being wasted.

So I think the fact that the auditor's office is a watchdog who really digs into the books and makes sure that the the taxpayer dollars that are taken in from our citizens that earn it are being used in the best way possible.

And if there is waste, fraud or abuse that that's been, revealed in the people that are committing those crimes are held accountable.

Every time I've, I've talked to you, I've always gone back to your days as, school board president.

And you take a look now in the legislature, and some of the, legislation that has passed involving schools.

Tell me about, the fact that, school funding hasn't really kept up with inflation.

That must have been frustrating as a school board president.

But now that you have a larger view, does it still frustrate you as much?

Yeah.

Well, I mean, again, we have 56% of the $9.5 billion budget goes to education, and there's been increases every year.

And, you know, it's it's that we get federal funding and we're really looking and working with the current administration on how money from the federal government can be used more flexible so that we can continue to invest in Iowa education of our students across the board, in more creative ways that are best suited for what for for the needs of our students so they can reach their best potential, but also the needs of our workforce here in Iowa.

So, you know, it's it's it's a challenge.

Every year we're looking at increase.

It has been increased every year.

I mean, I think when I was in the legislature for six years, education investment increased, half $1 billion, $500 million.

So there are increases.

It's not as much as people would want at some, at some level, but it also needs to be sustainable because if you give an SSA number or an increase in funding that's not sustainable, you're going to have to make cuts further down the line.

So I think something that we've done in the, in the legislature at the state level is just that fiscal discipline, that keeps things spending in check and make sure that we're investing in the right programs for our kids.

And I know you were just at, Horizon Science Academy.

I believe it was, Davenport's first charter school.

Do you think charter schools and and, school vouchers are going to hurt school districts or the education of Iowa children?

Well, we don't have vouchers in Iowa.

They're educational savings account.

There's a difference.

So, just want to make sure you realize that.

So, I think it is going to make a difference.

So right now, we're seeing the data coming in on, the school choice, that we have in Iowa.

About this is the first big year of the test.

You know, as far as the savings accounts go, it sure is.

And, you know, what we're seeing is that about six.

So there's about 520,000 K-12 students in the state of Iowa, and about 16% of them are are choosing some form of school choice.

The parents are finding a, an alternative to how their child can receive the best education that's suited for them.

So there's online, there's homeschool, there's private school, and then there's the open enrollment.

And, we're finding that of the 16% of the students in Iowa that are exercising some form of school choice, 9% are going to another public school.

So they're simply going to a neighboring district.

And, less than 7% are choosing to go to a private school.

So that mass exodus of students from public to private is isn't what we were seeing.

And we weren't anticipating it.

It was about 42,000, which was about in line with our estimates.

And, you know, I think that with charter schools and that it's another option for students to find, the bet for parents to find the best fit for their students so that they can learn and reach their full potential.

But I think, you know, the competition is good.

I think it I think we're finding at the public school level, you know, my kids just graduated from from public education.

They got an excellent educational experience that prepared them for what they're doing now.

And, I think that competition is, is good for everyone.

You are a political animal.

You know, now the politics of Iowa from one side to the other.

And we were talking about the first district Senate race where, Democrat upset, a Republican.

Democrats are jumping up with glee.

Jeff Kaufmann, the Republican Party chairman for the state, saying, well, come on it.

Do you think there's a bit of a pendulum swing here against Republicans by by, Iowans?

You know, I think it well, the special elections are tricky.

I mean, you literally have 32 days to find a candidate.

The turnout was about 24%, I believe.

Yeah, it's low turnout.

And, you know, it's it's a ground game and it's about a month that you have to find a candidate that's willing to, you know, change their life pretty significantly to run for, for the seat.

And, you know, turnout is really important.

And it's good to have it's important to have good candidates that can get the message out.

But it's tricky.

I'm not sure it shows an overall trend.

But, you know, we'll see as the, as the campaigns for 2026 gears up, I don't think it's anything to panic about.

But I think, you know, we need to continue to, recruit good candidates to represent their districts and make sure that they get a strong message out and they put in the work.

Our thanks to Iowa Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer.

Still to come, a way to help women dress for success.

But first, the events that make the cities a better place to live.

Thanks to visit Quad Cities.

Check out the things to do this week in the Quad Cities.

Come enjoy family friendly fun at the newly improved Hodge Park Recreational Trail.

Next experience the Quad Cities Classic pickleball tournament at Riverside Park, then Crow Creek Park is hosting the October Fest.

Bring your dog out and enjoy food trucks, auctions and raffle baskets.

Get ready to paddle, mountain bike and run during this year's taming of the slow.

And finally, check out Dandy Flowers.

You pick farm pick, fruit, flowers or kayak and enjoy the playground.

For more events like these.

Check out our events calendar at visit Quad cities.com.

They are on a mission to empower women to achieve economic independence.

And one way they do it is by providing professional attire.

The group dress for success.

Quad Cities is about to mark its 15th year and has just finished its Recycle the Runway event program and marketing director Lynette Turner joined us to talk about dress for success.

We're coming up on 15 years for dress for success.

Absolutely.

And success is kind of perfect for being in your title.

Yeah, absolutely.

I like to think that we are successful in helping to empower women and achieve, economic independence.

So.

Yeah.

Tell me about the people that you have helped.

Because you have success stories, what's the type of person who walks in and what's the type of person that walks out?

Okay, so I started in September at dress, and I had a lady come in for interview suiting.

She came in, she was in a domestic violence situation.

She literally had to leave with nothing but the clothes on her back.

So she came in.

I helped her, you know, get an interview outfit.

She was interviewing for a retail store in the mall.

So she got the job.

So great.

So then after they do their interview shooting, they come in for an employment shooting and we provide them with two weeks worth of clothes.

You know, head to toe.

We're talking jewelry, shoes, purses, clothes.

The whole gamut was they usually take about two weeks to get paid.

So we try to help out that way.

And literally in the suiting you could see her confidence rise.

You could see her feel a little different about herself.

And she told me a little bit about her situation.

I said, hey, do you need a coat?

Do you need some?

You know, like lotion, deodorant.

She was like, yeah, I do.

And I knew she would never ask, you know, because I feel, the ladies come in so grateful that we're even, you know, providing the service that we're providing.

And then in December, I went to the mall and happened to be in her store, and she just lit up when she saw me and she said, you just don't know how much you help me.

You don't know.

And she was living at a shelter.

She has her own apartment now.

And she's thriving.

And I don't claim to take any big piece in that, but I know that that lady who walked in was a completely different lady that walked out.

Even different when I saw her about three months later at the store.

You must be impressed by the courage of some of the people that do walk in, because in a way, you have to admit that you need some help, and that's always tough to do.

Absolutely, absolutely.

I have another story.

A lady was digging through our garbage, and so we went out and she was like, hey, I have to go to court and I'm trying to get my kids back.

We were like, come in, like, come in.

And we did a shooting for right then in there in the same situation, you could see her confidence rise in it's clothes, their literal clothes that you and I have on.

But it's more than clothes.

It's confidence.

It's, you know, knowing that you're not alone in this battle, knowing that somebody is here to help you and extend a hand.

So.

Absolutely.

But in order for you to extend a hand, you need people to help you out as well.

I mean, the clothing doesn't just fall from a tree, right?

Absolutely not.

Absolutely not.

So we take donations every day of the week.

People can bring in professional clothing, casual clothes.

We're doing a shoe drive right now.

We've partnered with the organization fun to org that we will provide them with shoes and they send them to third world countries and then they give us a profit, from that.

So that's one of the things we're doing in this community.

Being from the East Coast, this is one of the most generous communities that I've ever lived in.

People will come and donate.

Sometimes we'll have people who have pairs and the families will donate their entire closet, their entire wardrobe to us.

And we're so super grateful to have a community that does donate and provide, you know, such great clothing to us.

Well, as you said, it's transformative for the person.

I mean, almost instantly you've seen how a person it changes.

How does the person get in touch with you?

I mean, do they just walk in?

They can go to our website and go to style her, and there's a intake form and a style questionnaire that they fill out.

They can call us on the phone.

We've definitely had people walk in and we help them when we can, but we go by appointments, so we're appointment based.

But we've definitely had people come in.

I had a girl, she started a job and she needed all black black shirt, black pants, black shoes, and she was able to walk in and we were able to accommodate her.

So you know what type of person does walk in?

Because you're talking about some people that, that, that were in abusive situations or somebody that has, issues with the courts, as you were saying.

But but it's that's not every single person.

No, no.

The people who walk in, I believe they've heard from someone, they've seen something and they will literally wander in.

Like I said, the lady, she was just by the trash can hoping that we throw out clothes, which we don't do.

But, I would say all walks of life.

They just got a job.

They need a job.

And we also provide, career services.

As far as resume writing cover letter, if you want a LinkedIn page, mock interview just to prepare women for jobs, I was going to say, because the clothing is one thing, the interview process is so important.

And I knew that you were doing, some of the, help on how to do a resume your entire presentation is so critically important for a job.

It's sad that it's the outside.

When there's so much on the inside that's valuable.

But still you got to get to that inside.

And that's where, where you come, come in.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

So we help on the outside your appearance but also again giving you the confidence, giving you the tools, giving you what to say.

So that you can be prepared for that job so you can be prepared for the interview questions.

Even if people want to go from one industry to the other, we provide career coaching for that as well.

And let's talk about the fact that once you are able to get a person, dressed and ready for success.

And then they have the, the job interview, and they get the job now they've become members of society that are contributing in so many different ways.

And there's got to be pride in the fact that you're helping people stand on their own two feet.

And as you pointed out, so often have families they have to support as well.

Absolutely.

And then we still provide support through our career connections.

It's a monthly, professional development program that we have speakers, leaders from the Quad Cities come in and speak.

We actually have one next week with Trina Wilson.

She's going to talk about leveling up in professionalism.

So if you want to go from one job to another job, if you want to move careers, she's going to talk on that and touch on that.

So we do that monthly to provide continued support for the ladies who may feel, okay, I have the job, you know, but I still need a little more support.

So we have that service as well.

It is a bit of, you know, the support system.

So critically important because, I mean, you're able you're able to tell people that they can do it and and you're not there.

Just day one, you want to make sure they succeed in the long run.

Absolutely.

And we still have before was called career connections.

It was called Professional Women's Group.

These groups still meet to this day outside of dress for success.

They form lifelong friendships.

They meet for lunch once a week.

They go out and gather and do things because of how much support they receive from dress for success.

Many of them are still volunteers.

Many, we have a few that are board members, so they still give back because of what we initially gave them.

So when you're when you're talking about the fact that you now have women who have been touched by your agency, they must tell other women who tell other women.

Word of mouth.

Is that something that you've seen?

And we're talking about an organization that's been in the in the Quad Cities for 14 years.

I mean, do you think that there is a level of success for the organization that you've been seeing?

Absolutely.

We have a high school student who's, completing her community service hours, and her mom recommended it because she volunteered.

And she got had such a great experience.

So you see it all the time in generally, I like to ask people, well, how did you hear about dress for Success?

And they'll say, oh, my friend told me, or oh, someone had this outfit on.

And I asked them where they got it from and they got it from dress.

So I'm here now.

So definitely word of mouth, I would say, is one of the most powerful ways that, we are able to, do our outreach.

And if somebody does want to reach out to you, how should they do it?

They can go to, ww w dress for success because our phone number is (563)322-1010.

And our address is 423 East 32nd Street.

Davenport, Iowa, right off of Brady Street.

Our thanks to Linette Turner, program and marketing director for dress for success 250 years ago.

It took a spark to create a nation.

As America marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

We look at what spark people in the cities have that has helped make our area a better place to live.

And we ask Mercer County farmer Jeff Kerwin about his civic spark and what led him to be a district director for the Illinois Farm Bureau Board.

Farming was something that I was instilled as a young child.

I grew up and that's all I wanted to do was farm.

I can remember my mom telling, you know what?

Every time I wanted to come back to the farm, she'd be like, no, you've got to go get an education.

But it was always in my heart, and I think agriculture has that little spark about coming back to the farm or tending the land.

And I think that's what makes us unique and special.

I'm taking care of the land like my grandfather took care of the land.

It's a legacy, and I think that's a huge driver for American agriculture is the legacy that we both create and that we're leaving behind for our next generation.

Our thanks to Illinois Farm Bureau District Director Jeff Kerwin on the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device and streaming on your computer.

Thanks for taking some time to join us.

As we talk about the issues on the city's.