OTTUMWA — Area legislators said public safety and improved infrastructure in the state is their No. 1 priority for the 2008 legislative session.

Following the recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis, state Sen. Keith Kreiman, D-Bloomfield, said Iowa legislators must take an in-depth look at the infrastructure needs around the state.

“I think the [Iowa Department of Transportation] is checking everything now ... We need the reports from them and we need to make sure that instead of putting the reports on the shelf someplace, that we address the need. The No. 1 responsibility of government is public safety,” he said.

State Rep. Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa, agreed.

“The governor has issued a study to check all the infrastructure around Iowa,” she said.

And while many have focused on improvements in the past, state Sen. Becky Schmitz, D-Fairfield, said the Legislature needs to take a look at maintaining the structures that are already in place.

“There isn’t any current legislation but there were a lot of ideas thrown around at last year’s session,” she said. “I’m hoping this year we can come up with something that everyone can agree on.”

All three legislators recognized the need to look into this issue.

Kreiman said he wants to push to make sure that all Iowa bridges and roads are safe.

But where will the money come from for needed improvements and continued maintenance?

“I don’t know where it will come from; we may have to switch some priorities around, but we will have to cover the cost somehow,” he said.

Gaskill said she wants to see what recommendations are made by the Time 21 Committee — the committee charged with looking into the state’s infrastructure.

“It will definitely be a top priority at this year’s session,” Schmitz said. “Hopefully with the studies that are being done through the DOT and the governor, we will be able to get a better understanding of where the needs are and correct them. Citizen safety is No. 1.”

Scott Niles can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at sjniles@mchsi.com.