From the Desk of Senator Jochum
Last week we embarked on a day of reflection and celebration on the heroic deeds and leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This week one of his quotes come to mind: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent.
In the last two weeks, thousands of Iowans and hundreds from Dubuque did not remain silent about the Governor’s private school voucher plan. Despite our best efforts and overwhelming opposition, the bill passed in the wee hours Monday evening. Thank you to all who did not remain silent.
As one Dubuque constituent wrote: “Partially defunding public schools so that more people can send their kids to private schools is a recipe for further erosion of the quality of education in our State. We once used the quality of Iowa’s education system as an incentive to attract and retain quality employees in Iowa. This bill will drive us further down the rabbit hole of mediocrity and obscurity.”
As the Mom of a child with a severe disability, I will be forever grateful to the parents who came before me and fought to open the school doors to children with disabilities. Unfortunately, the doors of private schools remained closed to children like my daughter. The words “school choice” ring hollow for thousands of Iowa families. It is private school choice, but it is not school choice for children with disabilities. Private schools can pick and choose who they will accept. Public schools were created for the public good to teach all children, no matter their race, ability, religious affiliation, or economic class.
The session is far from over. Continue to use the power of your voice to make a difference.
What Can the Iowa Senate Do for You?
As the legislative session gets underway, it’s essential to know what issues are on your mind, and what you want to see lawmakers working on this year.
Quick Updates
Vouchers are a done deal. Gov. Kim Reynolds and statehouse Republicans rammed their private school vouchers bill through the legislature this week, using an unprecedented array of political maneuvers and parliamentary tricks to pass it into law as quickly as possible.
- In the House, Republican leaders created an entirely new committee to consider voucher legislation, shutting many of their own members out of the discussion, and then tweaked the rules to dodge any scrutiny into the financial implications of the plan.
- In the Senate, the GOP used a legislative trick to block any amendments to the bill – from Democrats or Republicans – that could’ve been offered to make it less harmful to public schools and rural communities.
- The governor welcomed national school voucher lobbyists to the Capitol late Monday night for the bill’s final passage, and then rushed to sign it into law less than 12 hours later.
The final Senate vote was 31 to 18, with three Republicans joining 15 Democrats in opposition. Now, private school vouchers are the law of the land, beginning an unprecedented diversion of taxpayer dollars to exclusive private schools.
The plan is projected to pay private school tuition for 41,687 Iowa students at a cost of $341 million a year once fully phased in – while slashing funding to public schools by $46 million per year.
- Senate Dems support family leave. Last week, every Senate Democrat signed on as cosponsor to SF 95, a bill establishing paid family leave for Iowa’s working families. Senate Democrats’ number one priority is supporting working families, lowering costs, and creating opportunity, and paid leave is essential to accomplishing those goals.
- License to Kale. The Senate Local Government Committee advanced a bill to open up farmers markets vendor licenses on a statewide basis. That means your favorite stand could have an easier time covering multiple locations this summer.
- Cold Cases at DPS. The Senate held a hearing this week on the creation of a cold case investigation unit in the Department of Public Safety. Solving cold cases give closure to victims and is a huge morale boost for a police force.
- Don’t device & drive. A bill banning handheld devices while driving advanced in the Senate Transportation Committee this week. SF 60 is aimed at keeping Iowa’s roadways safe by preventing distracted driving. Under the bill, using a device while driving would be a moving violation subject to a $100 fine and could lead to a suspension of your license.
- Insulin relief is on the way. Medicare beneficiaries who need insulin will see tremendous relief with the implementation of price caps included the federal Inflation Reduction Act. That’s great news for Iowa, which currently faces the second-highest out-of-pocket insulin costs in the nation. Check out this report on the Rx benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act.
This Week in the Capitol
