T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING
The Marshalltown Education Association’s Legislative Breakfast was canceled due to poor weather conditions. The breakfast is held monthly at the Marshalltown Public Library.

The winter weather which rolled through Marshall County Friday afternoon put the Marshalltown Education Association in a bind.

It led to the cancelation of the monthly legislative breakfast offered at the Marshalltown Public Library, which had been scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday. Brad Wiedenaar said the breakfast would not be rescheduled, and the next monthly meeting is scheduled for Feb. 22.

At the breakfasts, Marshalltown area educators have the opportunity to hear from the city’s representatives in the state legislature — Sen. Jeff Elder and House Rep. Mark Smith. Elder and Smith generally discuss what’s going on in the state congressional sessions held in Des Moines. Susan Cahill said Marshalltown was fortunate to have the breakfasts.

Cahill said the events have been going on for nearly 20 years.

“We’re very fortunate that our representatives and senators are fair and open about what goes on,” Cahill said.

Wiedenaar said the events are important because it gives the teachers and educators in the area a chance to have a conversation with their leaders and make sure their wants and desires are heard.

“We find that folks have a unified view of what we want,” Wiedenaar said. “We have a public forum.”

The discussions will have to wait for another month, but Wiedenaar said funding education is always a pushing point for the MEA and it would be no different this year.

“We would ask them to fund education at a higher level,” Wiedenaar said.