DES MOINES, Iowa — When the 2023 legislative session begins on Monday, there will be plenty of fresh faces at the statehouse.
In the Iowa House of Representatives, 39 of the 100 lawmakers are new.
"And that brings new energy, it brings new excitement, and it brings a level of let's try it, why not," said House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst.
"I have full confidence in their ability to step up," House Speaker Pat Grassley added.
"We're all still in the honeymoon stage," Representative-Elect Bill Gustoff, R-Des Moines said.
Gustoff says the leadup to this session has been about finding balance.
"The struggle is wrapping things up enough that I can switch gears and be less present with my work."
A feeling his new colleague across the aisle, Representative-Elect Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines knows well.
"My wife and I have a three-month-old and a two-year-old that both obviously demand a lot of time as they should. And so it's it's really seeing how I can strike that balance of, of being a good representative to my district, and also being a good father and husband," Baeth told Local 5.
His fellow Democrat and doctor, Representative-Elect Dr. Megan Srinivas of Des Moines, believes these newcomers will create something special.
"I've always heard that freshman classes, especially going across the aisle, tend to bond over coming in together and learning these things together," she said. "And that creates a way for people to have that dialogue to create better legislation in the future. And I hope that's what happens with us"
"I'm excited to work with all those folks," said Gustoff. "And I think there's going to be good rapport with people from both parties."
Ultimately, these new legislators say the eagerness outweighs any nerves.
"I'm just really excited to meet my colleagues to get on these committees learn as much as I can, and see what kind of good we can do," Srinivas said.
"I think in this current environment, where everybody has become so hyper-partisan it'd be nice to really turn the temperature down a little bit," Baeth said. "And for us to really focus on coming together as Iowans and really really, what's what we hold as common goals and trying to find policy that achieves that."