Chambers to be deployed during session

"Duty calls" topped the statement from state Rep. Royd Chambers, who announced that he will be unable to participate in the first session of the 83rd General Assembly.

The Sheldon Republican serves in the Iowa Air National Guard and recently received notice that he will be deploying again.

"Previous deployments happened to fall outside the legislative session, but not this time," he said, in an announcement to his constituents. "I will be leaving immediately after the first of the year and am not likely to see any of the session."

Chambers said he is proud to serve in what he considers a necessary confrontation of those who seek to do the nation harm. He also thanked supporters for their prayers in a stressful time for his family.

The 2009 legislature convenes on Monday, Jan. 12. The State Canvassing Board will certify two more Iowa House races on Monday, Dec. 8, but Democrats will maintain a distinct majority in the chamber.

Chambers said he has faith in state Sen. David Johnson and state Reps. Mike May, Dwayne Alons, and Dan Huseman to "defend well, northwest Iowa's values." He encouraged his constituents to contact the area delegation with their views.

As the District 6 representative, Chambers serves parts of Clay County west and south of Spencer. He was set to begin his fourth term in the Iowa House and was the ranking member on the Education Appropriations subcommittee.

Chambers said he can't engage directly in politics while on active duty, but will try to keep up with issues and constituent concerns.

"I am hoping to be able to receive periodic updates from other legislators," he said.

Chambers expects the 2009 legislative session to be challenging.

"Economic downturn, flood relief needs, and the overspending practices of the last two sessions will make the budgeting process extremely difficult," he said in his announcement. "At the very outset, the legislature should cut many of the approximately 600 new jobs created the past two years. It should eliminate funding for embryonic stem cell research, which holds no promise as compared to adult stem cell research. The legislature should put on hold any new mandates for schools, cities and counties that lack funding. If there are funding cuts, local entities should be given flexibility in carrying out current mandates."

In his absence, Chambers also called on majority Democrats to shelve attempts to alter Iowa's status as a right-to-work state.

"Since the 1970s, Iowa has been a right-to-work state meaning workers do not have to join a union if they don't want to," Chambers said in an election night interview. "If you take away that, what it effectively means is: Unions can basically force people to join the union or they can charge non-union members a fee. It essentially destroys the concept of not having to join a union if you don't want to. That's an important issue because, statistics show, that every state that is a right-to-work state has a better economy."