Shaun Broyhill is a Republican candidate in Iowa House District 13 which encompasses the western half of Sioux City and unincorporated Woodbury County.
He is running unopposed in the Republican primary on June 7, and will challenge incumbent State Representative Chris Hall (D-Sioux City).
Broyhill was raised in Sioux City with his three siblings, where he learned the value of hard work, teamwork, and perseverance. He graduated from Sioux City West High School in 1997 participating in many activities, such as Cross Country, Track, Debate, Speech, and acting.
He later joined the Nebraska Army National Guard, and was assigned to the 600th Transportation Unit that operated out of Omaha, NE. While in the service Broyhill graduated Magna Cum Laude from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City with a degree in Computer Science. He was inducted into both the Phi Theta Kappa and Delta Epsilon Sigma Honor Societies due to his academic peformance.
Broyhill will earn a Master of Science from Iowa State University this spring in Human Computer Interaction, with a focus on Cognitive Psychology. He currently maintains a 3.83 GPA, and has received the Alice Yvonne Fuhrmann Graduate Scholarship for academic achievements in his program.
Broyhill has also established the Broyhill Family Foundation that provides annual scholarships to local high school students who plan to attend college in the Sioux City area after graduation. This program has funded thousands in scholarships to students-in-need from the Sioux City area.
Broyhill is a baptized Lutheran who volunteers for a variety of charitable causes, and has volunteered over 10,000 hours in the last ten years in Sioux City. He currently volunteers for the Boys Club of Sioux City, where he teaches high-risk students valuable computer and educational skills. Broyhill also volunteered over 800 hours to St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center helping comfort families of patients. Other volunteer projects include serving meals at the local Gospel Mission and has provided clothing and food for homeless families in the area.
Broyhill completed a questionnaire that Caffeinated Thoughts sent.
Why do you want to serve as a state legislator?
I have always believed in service to my country, whether through the military, volunteer acts, or other means. I served in the Army National Guard, volunteer throughout my community as a tutor for 3rd-5th graders, founded, funded, and run the Broyhill Family Foundation that has provided over $100,000 in educational scholarships, grants, supplies, and services, and many other volunteer services in my community.
I also want to ensure that my son grows up in a society that has strong Christian family foundations. It is growing increasingly difficult to raise children in America today due to extreme moral issues. I would like to do my part to help bring my community, state, and country back on track to a moral path.
Describe your worldview and what role that would play as a state legislator:
I think that the world is going down a very scary path. Immoral actions go unpunished, and hard work is no longer rewarded. All too often people feel that things should just be handed to them, and that hard work should no longer required to become successful.
We need to begin trying to reset the mentality of America by instead driving in basic moral standards. Instead of asking what others can do for you, ask what you can do for others, and what you can do for yourself. We need to figure out ways to stop a dependence on the system, but rather a way to free people from the system so that the system is no longer required.
Your top three issues of concern are?
Protection of Constitutional Rights (including the 2nd Amendment), Overhaul of the educational system into a functional entity, and fiscal responsibility.
What is your position on education, in particular Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards, Iowa Core and high stakes testing?
I believe that all students learn in different manners and forms, and to try and build some sort of a standard at the state level or higher would be preposterous. I have done extensive academic research while pursuing my Master’s degree, and followed one major paper in general that researched 41 different teaching methods. In all 41 methods it was discovered that different students within each group excelled at different styles. Person A may learn mathematics exceptionally well using method A, while person B may learn poorly with that method. However, switching to method B could cause a complete switch, where person B learn much better than person A.
This leads to a common sense ideology that parents need choice in their student’s education. Why force a student to attend a public school when a private school may be better suited? Why in person versus online? Why home schooled versus outside the home?
Therefore, I believe instead of double taxing parents that would like to utilize other teaching methods and educational choices, a voucher style system should be enacted that allows parents that choice. And we need to get rid of a standardized system, and instead allow teachers to do what they need to do- educate their students. Stop teaching kids how to excel at tests and instead teach children how to excel in life.
I also believe that teachers within our public education system need to be held to a set of performance metrics. In the private industry, people are evaluated at their jobs, typically annually, and if they do not perform to expectations, they may be reprimanded or fired. With the state of teachers unions and push back from those unions, this is not being done within our classrooms. This is preventing us from replacing non-performing teachers with acceptable teachers.
How do you define local control in education?
We need to take the handcuffs off of our local school boards and stop over regulating them to death. As a community, we need to decide for ourselves how to manage and handle our education system- this is why we elect a school board to manage it.
This also falls farther up the chain to the federal level as well. We need to stop regulating the states at the federal level. This statement from the 10th Amendment says it well: “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
The Constitution does not state anywhere within it any control over the education system- therefore, this power needs to be controlled by the States.
When does someone become a person and at what point should they be granted all constitutional protections of a person under the law?
At the moment of conception (when the egg becomes implanted), that person is a unique entity. It no longer carries the DNA or genetic makeup of the mother, but instead a shared genetic profile of both the mother and father. Therefore, it is a person at that very moment, and should be protected from that point forward.
Do you support recently passed legislation in the Iowa House allowing kids under 14 to use handguns with parental supervision:
Absolutely. We need to teach our children the proper way to handle and respect handguns at an early age. Instead of instilling them with fear of a weapon, we need to empower them with knowledge and respect for it.
Do you support Constitutional carry and the Second Amendment:
100%. It is a Constitutional right of every American to keep and bear arms. We need to be able to protect ourselves, our friends and family, and our livelihood.
Do you support raising any taxes? And, have you supported raising any taxes in the past? If so, which ones?
At this time, I would not ever support raising of any taxes. I believe there is too much burden on citizens as it is with our tax system.
What will you do as a state legislator to lessen the tax burden on farmers and small businesses?
I would not limit this to just farmers and small businesses- we need to lessen the tax burden on everyone. I would support increasing government accountability, tighter fiscal responsibility, and a reduction in spending by eliminating wasteful spending. Through reducing government spending, I would propose reducing taxes for everyone due to these decreases.
Do you support traditional marriage and is there anything you hope to do as a state legislator regarding marriage and how?
A marriage is between a man and a woman. Period. I would support attempting to push through Constitutional Amendments and reversing any legislation that would allow anything but traditional marriage.
What is your position on Christians refusing service at same-sex weddings?
Freedom of religion (the 1st Amendment) protects Christians, and I feel this protection also includes “prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. This means that in no way should we force a practicing Christian to perform any activity that would violate their religious beliefs- if we would force them to do such, we would be prohibiting them the free exercise of their religion.
What will you do as legislator, if anything, to strengthen religious liberty?
I would make every attempt to further protect the 1st Amendment, and attempt to pass legislation that would protect Christians that are exercising their beliefs.
Do you support allowing Syrian refugees into Iowa?
While I do not outright support allowing Syrian refugees into Iowa, I would allow it if the refugee has passed extensive background checks to ensure that there is as minimal risk as possible to our community. Any item that raises any red flags would act as an automatic dis-qualifier. I would also expect the refugee to become a self-supporting and contributing member to society as quickly as possible.
Would you support a bill supporting Personhood? Do you also support bills that bring incremental change on the life issue?
I believe that every person is a person the moment they are conceived. I also do not believe that change should be incremental- It is an absolute right that needs to be protected as soon as possible.
Should taxpayer money pay for Planned Parenthood?
I would not support any funds for Planned Parenthood. The taxpayer funding of the murder of defenseless and innocent children is uncalled for, and in no way should any taxpayer funding be used for this cause.
In what circumstances would you go against the leadership of your own caucus if elected?
At this time I cannot think of any circumstances that I would do such, since my beliefs are in line with the current leadership of my caucus. If their beliefs should change and no longer fall in line with my own beliefs, at that time I would consider such.