����vlog

ABOUT ANY OF HIS OPPONENTS. COMING UP ON ����vlog EIGHT NEWS CLOSE UP. REMEMBERING A LONG TIME IOWA PUBLIC SERVANT. THE LIFE OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN JIM LEACH, AND THE LEGACY HE LEAVES BEHIND. AND A REVIEW OF IOWA’S AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES. A NEW TASK STATE TASK FORCE IS REVIEWING THEIR WORK AFTER STATE LAWMAKERS MADE SWEEPING CHANGES TO EASE LAST YEAR. THIS IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. THIS IS ����vlog EIGHT NEWS. CLOSE UP. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR ����vlog EIGHT NEWS CLOSE UP. I’M AMANDA RUCKER. AGAIN, THOSE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO IOWA’S AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES WERE MADE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, NOT LAST YEAR. APOLOGIZE ABOUT THAT. WE’RE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW IOWA’S AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES OPERATE AND HOW THE STATE IS REVIEWING THEM. THOSE AGENCIES PROVIDE RESOURCES TO IOWA STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND PROVIDE GENERAL EDUCATION SERVICES TO STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE. LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, A NEW STATE LAW WAS PASSED THAT MADE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE FUNDING STRUCTURE. THE LAW SHIFTED 60% OF THE FUNDING FOR MEDIA AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE DISTRICTS CAN DECIDE TO BUY SERVICES FROM AN E TO GET SIMILAR SERVICES ELSEWHERE, OR SPEND THE MONEY ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT. NEXT YEAR, SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER ALL THE FUNDING FOR MEDIA AND EDUCATION SERVICES. THE LAW WILL ALSO THEN SHIFT 10% OF SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING TO DISTRICTS. THEY CAN USE THAT HOW THEY DECIDE TO, LEAVING 90% WITH EASE. THE LAW ALSO SHIFTED OVERSIGHT OF EAS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND REQUIRED A NEW STATE TASK FORCE TO MEET AND REVIEW HOW THE EAS ARE WORKING BEFORE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO STATE LAWMAKERS. THAT COMMITTEE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST WEEK. IT INCLUDED PARENTS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FROM LARGE AND SMALL DISTRICTS FOR MORE THAN FIVE HOURS, THAT COMMITTEE DEBATED WHAT SERVICES THE EAS SHOULD PROVIDE, HOW THE NEW STATE LAW IS IMPACTING SERVICE, SERVICES AND STUDENTS, AND WHETHER THEY SHOULD SLOW THE LAW’S IMPLEMENTATION. BUT IN A64 VOTE, THE PANEL DECIDED NOT TO RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES TO CURRENT LAW. INSTEAD, THEY ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT SERVICES SCHOOL DISTRICTS NEED. CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS AT EASE, AND HOW NEXT YEAR’S FUNDING CHANGES WILL IMPACT EAS AND THE STUDENTS THEY SERVE. THERE IS A LOT TO UNPACK THERE, SO I AM JOINED NOW BY THOMAS MAYES, WHO IS THE GENERAL COUNSEL FOR THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. GOOD MORNING. WELL, THAT WAS A LONG MEETING. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND EAS. THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE. OVERALL, I’M CURIOUS, WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT MEETING? MY MAIN TAKEAWAY WAS HOW COMMITTED EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, THE TASK FORCE, WAS TO KEEPING THE FOCUS ON OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS. EVERY CONVERSATION, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE CONVERSATION STARTED FROM, ENDED UP AT A SINCERELY HELD BELIEF AND A SINCERE MOTIVATION TO DO THE BEST BY IOWA STUDENTS. HOW THAT LOOKS AND HOW THAT’S ACCOMPLISHED, OF COURSE, WILL DIFFER. ENT WILL DIFFER. BUT MY TAKEAWAY WAS HOW COMMITTED EVERY MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE WAS TO THE MISSION. WHAT HAVE YOUR CONVERSATIONS BEEN LIKE? WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT’S CONVERSATIONS BEEN LIKE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE STATE AND EAS AS YOU WORK TO NAVIGATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW STATE LAW? I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT HOW CLOSELY THE EAS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN IMPLEMENTING THIS BILL, IN TRYING TO NAVIGATE SOME OF THE UNCERTAINTIES THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, SNOW AND HER LEADERSHIP MEET FREQUENTLY WITH CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS, WITH AEA DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION SERVICES, MEDIA SERVICES AND SPECIAL EDUCATION LEADERSHIP. NEWLY APPOINTED, NEWLY CREATED POSITIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION OVERSIGHT HAVE BEEN OUT MEETING WITH SUPERINTENDENTS. OUT MEETING WITH DISTRICT PERSONNEL, SO THAT IT’S IT’S BEEN TOUGH AND TOUGH WORK, BUT GOOD WORK. THE LAW DID MAKE SOME CHANGES TO HOW OVERSIGHT OF EAS WILL WORK, SHIFTING A LOT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. CAN YOU HELP OUR VIEWERS WALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT WHAT THOSE CHANGES WERE, AND THEN HOW THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS GOING. WHAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE PRIOR TO THIS BILL, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE AMOUNT OF OVERSIGHT IT HAD WITH OVER THE AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES WAS UNCLEAR, ESPECIALLY REGARDING SPECIAL EDUCATION. THE PRIOR LAW PROVIDED THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION GENERAL SUPERVISION WAS SORT OF A MIXED RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN THE ADA SYSTEM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THAT LED TO A LOT OF UNCLARITY, LIKE WHO WAS MAKING THE FINAL CALL, WHO WOULD DETERMINE WHETHER SOMETHING WAS IN OR OUT OF COMPLIANCE, AND THAT CONFUSION LED TO A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY. WHAT THE BILL DOES WAS CREATE FINAL GENERAL SUPERVISION RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND CREATED SOME NEW POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY BASED SUPPORT AND OVERSIGHT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. GETTING SPECIAL EDUCATION OVERSIGHT OUT OF DES MOINES AND INTO THE 99 COUNTIES. DURING THE MEETING, THERE WAS A CLASSROOM TEACHER WHO TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST HER FRUSTRATIONS WITH SEEING, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE’S NOT ALWAYS COMPLIANCE IN THE CLASSROOM, THAT THERE ARE IDEAS AND STANDARDS FOR THE STATE TO MEET. BUT THEN WHEN IT COMES TO PRACTICE THAT IT’S HARD TO ALWAYS STANDARDIZE ALL OF THOSE CLASSROOM SITUATIONS FOR THEM TO BE IN COMPLIANCE. YOU TALKED WITH HER A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE HOPE AND THE GOAL OF HAVING REGIONAL MEMBERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD YOU EXPLAIN TO OUR VIEWERS ABOUT WHAT YOUR GOAL AND HOPE IS FOR THOSE PEOPLE? WHEN YOU ARE FACED WITH DOUBT AND SKEPTICISM FROM SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? WELL, DOUBT AND SKEPTICISM IS HEALTHY. THE DOUBT AND SKEPTICISM WAS MOTIVATED BY IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND HAVING ADEQUATE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO IOWA STUDENTS. AND I SHARE THAT MOTIVATION. WHAT I TOLD THE TASK FORCE MEMBER WAS. TRUST THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. IT’S HARD TO DO GENERAL SUPERVISION OVER 99 COUNTIES AND 325 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. NINE E’S FROM A BUILDING IN DES MOINES. WE HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THROUGH THIS BILL, HAS PUSHED THAT OVERSIGHT AND COACHING AND SUPPORT AND MENTORING OUT INTO THE FIELD. AND. I EXPECT THE DEPARTMENT EXPECTS THAT THIS TEACHER AND OTHERS WILL SEE SEE GREATER RESULTS AND GREATER SUPPORT AND GREATER ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE LAW SHIFTS SOME OF THE FUNDING AROUND MEDIA AND EDUCATION SERVICES THAT WENT INTO EFFECT AT THE START OF THE THE SCHOOL YEAR. SOME DISTRICTS WERE ABLE TO SPEND THAT MONEY ELSEWHERE OR SPEND IT WITH THE EAS. HAS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BEEN TRACKING HOW EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DECIDED TO SPEND THOSE FLOW THROUGH DOLLARS? NOT AT A SPECIFIC GRAIN SIZE, NOT AT A SPECIFIC UNIT OF PURCHASE. BUT THERE WILL BE ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING STRUCTURES TO CAPTURE HOW THAT MONEY WAS SPENT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY AT A PER TEXTBOOK ITEM OR PER DAY OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT. BUT THE DEPARTMENT’S FINANCE TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COACHING AND SUPPORT TO DISTRICTS IN EAS ABOUT HOW TO APPROPRIATELY USE THAT A USE AN ACCOUNT FOR THAT MONEY. AND DOES PART OF THAT HELP SET UP WHAT THE PREPARATION WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN IT IS 100% NEXT SCHOOL YEAR? THAT’S A CONVERSATION THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUING TO HAVE WITH THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS, INCLUDING MY GOOD FRIEND CINDY YELICH. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT’S CONTINUED TO DISCUSS. WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE GOING? WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR WHEN 100% OF EDUCATION AND MEDIA SERVICES IS WITH THE DISTRICTS? THAT THAT’S A CONVERSATION AND A TRANSITION POINT THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS ENGAGING IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EAS ABOUT. SO AS THESE FUNDING SHIFTS CONTINUE TO TAKE EFFECT, HOW IS THE DEPARTMENT ENSURING THAT DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED, THAT THEY THAT THEY NEED? PART OF THIS INVOLVES TRUSTING DISTRICTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. ONE OF THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED AT THE TASK FORCE WAS THE PRIOR FUNDING STRUCTURE WAS OPAQUE. THE BEST CHECK OR THE BEST CATALYST TO ENSURING WISE USE OF FUNDS IS TO HAVE THAT FUNDING AVAILABLE LOCALLY. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COACHING AND SUPPORT TO DISTRICTS ABOUT HOW TO BEST USE THIS EDITOR AND MEDIA SERVICES, HOW TO THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE NOW THAT HAVE NOW BEEN OPENED UP TO THEM, HOW TO USE THEM WISELY AND HOW TO MATCH FUNDING WITH NEED? WELL, THOMAS, I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING TIME AND JOINING US THIS MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR INVITING ME. WELL, WHEN CLOSE-UP RETURNS, WE WILL BE TALKING WITH CINDY YELICH, REPRESENTING THE HEARTLAND, IA. STAY WITH US. WELL, I’M JOINED NOW BY CINDY YELICH. SHE’S THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE HEARTLAND AREA EDUCATION AGENCY. CINDY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. WELL, WE’VE BEEN TALKING THIS MORNING ABOUT THE FIRST ADA TASK FORCE STUDY COMMITTEE MEETING. WE TALKED TO THOMAS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT MEETING. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WERE YOUR MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT FIVE HOUR LONG, ROBUST CONVERSATION? YOU KNOW, I THINK THE TASK FORCE HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK THROUGH MANY OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN HOUSE FILE 2612. AND I THINK REALLY REFLECTED KIND OF CONVERSATIONS WE’VE HAD THAT THEY REALLY WANT SOME MORE DATA TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY WANT TO MAKE IN CERTAIN AREAS. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY ASKED FOR A SERIES OF DIFFERENT DATA POINTS AND AGREED TO MEET AGAIN BEFORE MARCH TO REVIEW SOME OF THAT DATA AND SEE IF THEY HAVE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THEY’D LIKE TO MAKE. IN ADDITION TO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY DID MAKE IN PASS, SAYING THEY WOULD LIKE DATA AND MEET AGAIN. THEN BEFORE MARCH, WE HAD SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, PARENTS, CLASSROOM TEACHERS THAT WERE ON THAT IN THAT MEETING. AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO HEAR SOME OF THEM TALK ABOUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF WATCHING THE IMPACT OF THIS LAW. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WE’RE NOW ABOUT HALFWAY INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR. WHAT IMPACT HAVE YOU SEEN FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HOUSE FILE 2612? RIGHT. WE CERTAINLY HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION IN STAFF ACROSS THE SYSTEM THAT HAS RESULTED IN SERVICES FEELING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BOTH FOR SCHOOLS AND FOR FAMILIES. PEOPLE SAYING THAT MAYBE IT’S TAKING A LITTLE LONGER TO GET SERVICES. OUR STAFF DEFINITELY HAVE LARGER CASELOADS. SO THAT’S IMPACTING THEIR RESPONSE RATE. AND I THINK, THOUGH, AS WAS REFLECTED IN THE TASK FORCE, WE’RE REALLY EARLY ON IN THE IMPLEMENTATION. YOU KNOW, IT’S FIVE ABOUT FIVE MONTHS INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND SO WE JUST NEED MORE TIME FOR THE SYSTEM TO SORT OF STABILIZE AND THEN GET SERVICES REPOSITIONED. BUT ALSO FOR US TO KNOW THE FULL IMPACT. OBVIOUSLY, THE BILL WAS WRITTEN WHERE IT’S KIND OF A TWO PART IMPLEMENTATION. THERE WAS THE PART THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED FOR THIS YEAR, AND THEN THERE’LL BE A SECOND WAVE OF IMPLEMENTATION STARTING JULY 1ST OF 2025. SO THAT WILL BE ANOTHER TIME WHERE WE HAVE TO ASSESS HOW ARE THINGS GOING, AND ARE WE REALLY POSITIONING SERVICES FOR KIDS THE WAY WE WANT TO. AND PART OF THAT SECOND PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE THAT, I BELIEVE 10% OF SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING THAT USUALLY WOULD GO TO THE AEA WILL GO WILL BE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER HOW TO SPEND THAT. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HEARD ABOUT IN THAT TASK FORCE MEETING WAS WHAT MONETARY, YOU KNOW, IN A MONETARY NUMBER, WHAT IS THAT? 10% CHANGE MEAN FOR THE AEAS? RIGHT. SO AT HEARTLAND, AEA, THAT 10% IS EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT $5.2 MILLION AT GREAT PRAIRIE AEA, WHICH SERVES THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE STATE. THAT MONETARY EQUIVALENT IS ABOUT $1.1 MILLION. HEARTLAND IS THE LARGEST AEA. GREAT PRAIRIE IS ONE OF THE SMALLEST EAS, SO YOU SEE KIND OF THE RANGE OF WHAT THAT FINANCIAL IMPLICATION WILL BE FOR EAS. AND WHAT WILL THE PLAN BE IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT THAT MONEY? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THAT MAY COME BACK TO HEARTLAND E OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS CHOOSE TO. BUT HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT STAFF TO RETAIN OR HOW TO STRUCTURE SERVICES WHEN YOU MAY NOT KNOW NOW WHAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE PLANNING TO DO NEXT YEAR? RIGHT. THE EAS HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT ROLE THAN LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO IN THE PROVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. LOCAL SCHOOLS REALLY ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENT. HOW YOUR TEACHERS, MAYBE PARAPROFESSIONALS, PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION ESE PROVIDE WHAT WE CALL DIRECT AND RELATED SERVICES. SO SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. AND WE’RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD FIND WHICH MEANS IDENTIFYING KIDS WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. SO WHAT WE ARE WE WILL DO IS BASE OUR STAFFING ON MINUTES OF SERVICES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN A STUDENT’S INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN TO DECIDE, DETERMINE HOW MANY SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS WE NEED, OR THOSE DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS. AND THEN WE LOOK AT GENERAL GENERAL EDUCATION ENROLLMENT OR A DISTRICT’S TOTAL ENROLLMENT TO DETERMINE HOW WE STAFF THEN FOR THE CHILD FIND RESPONSIBILITIES. SO IT WILL BE A CONTINUED LOOK AND REVISION AROUND THAT DATA. AND PULLING THOSE NUMBERS TO SEE THEN HOW YOU BEST STAFF AND HOW YOU ALLOCATE STAFF ACROSS AN AEA. I KNOW THAT FOR THIS YEAR, THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTED WITH A REDUCTION IN STAFF AT THE ESE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ENVISION BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE COMING UP ON NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, OR IS THAT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU ANTICIPATE MOVING FORWARD? THESE WILL BE THE NEW STAFFING LEVELS AT AT EASE. I THINK AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, YOU’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE AN ADDITIONAL ROUND OF REDUCED STAFFING BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, FOR THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A 60% REDUCTION IN ED SERVE IN MEDIA DOLLARS. AND NEXT YEAR THAT GOES TO 100% OF THAT MONEY GOING TO LOCAL SCHOOLS. SO 0% GOING DIRECTLY TO THE ESE. AND WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION. THEN, AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE’S THE 90 OVER TEN SPLIT. AND SO THAT 10% OF FUNDING THAT SCHOOLS CAN ACCESS IS NOT A GUARANTEED FUNDING SOURCE FOR ESE. SO THE COMBINATION OF BOTH OF THOSE, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE REDUCED STAFFING ACROSS THE SYSTEM. HOW DO YOU ESPECIALLY IN THE THE LENS OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP? YOU KNOW, LAWMAKERS WILL RETURN IN IN JANUARY AND THIS TASK FORCE WILL MEET AGAIN BEFORE FIRST FUNNEL FOR VIEWERS. IT’S TIME STILL WHERE LAWMAKERS COULD MAKE CHANGES TO STATE LAW. YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU HOPE CAN HELP STABILIZE THE SYSTEM IN THE IMMEDIATE, NOT WAITING UNTIL THE THE LAW FULLY PHASES IN? BUT IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE HOPING FOR? YOU KNOW, I THINK ACROSS THE AEA SYSTEM, WE’RE JUST HOPING FOR SOME STABILITY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WITH IMPLEMENTATION, ENSURE HIGH SERVICES, HIGH QUALITY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE. SO I THINK IN THE SHORT TERM, WHAT WE WOULD SAY IS WE NEED TIME TO IMPLEMENT. WE NEED TIME TO REFLECT ON AND GATHER DATA ON HOW THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS GOING AND ENSURE THAT THE STATE HAS POSITIONED US TO DO THE BEST WE CAN FOR ALL STUDENTS IN OUR STATE. WHAT ARE THE THE CONVERSATIONS LOOKING LIKE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HAVE SETTLED INTO A NICE COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. WE MEET WITH THEM ROUTINELY AND TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT ARE ARISING OR THINGS THAT WE KNOW WITH THE BILL NEEDED DEFINITION. AND WE’RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE TOGETHER. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS WORKING TO ESTABLISH THEIR DIVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FROM THE BILL WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY’VE BEEN REQUIRED TO DO. AND SO THEY’VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT PROCESS. WE’VE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH THEM TO JUST TRY TO GET CLARITY, UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LAW AS IT WAS INTENDED. WELL, CINDY YELICH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. WE APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ONE OF IOWA’S LONGEST SERVING CONGRESSMEN HAS DIED. HOW JIM LEACH IS BEING REMEMBERED BY A CLOSE FRIEND AS BEING UNDERSTATED, SMART AND ENGAGED. WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP. LAST WEEK, FORMER LONGTIME IOWA CONGRESSMAN JIM LEACH PASSED AWAY AT 82. LEACH IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, TWO CHILDREN AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN. THOSE WHO KNEW HIM SAY HIS INTERESTS WERE BROAD. A STUDENT OF HISTORY, A LOVER OF ARTS AND SPORTS, AND PASSIONATE ABOUT PUBLIC SERVICE. TODAY WE REMEMBER LEACH’S LIFE AND LEGACY. WE FIRST MET IN 1976 WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS. DAVID ALLEMAN, FORMER CO-CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA AND CHIEF OF STAFF TO GOVERNORS ROBERT RAY AND TERRY BRANSTAD, REMEMBERS THE MOMENT HE FIRST MET JIM LEACH. I LIKED HIM A LOT. JIM WAS AN UNDERSTATED PERSON, REALLY SMART AND BUT HE HID THAT AND HE WAS ENGAGING. HE LISTENED WELL. WHEN HE TALKED, HE KNEW HE WAS SAYING SOMETHING THAT WAS SERIOUS. CONFERENCE REALLY HAS TWO OBJECTIVES. ONE IS TO REALLY RETHINK THE TRADITION OF REPUBLICAN THINKING. BORN IN DAVENPORT, IOWA, LEACH WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED ACADEMIC, GRADUATING FROM PRINCETON UNIVERSITY AND EARNING HIS MASTER’S DEGREE FROM JOHNS HOPKINS. HE WENT ON TO RUN FOR CONGRESS AND SPENT 30 YEARS REPRESENTING IOWA IN WASHINGTON. HE NEVER SAID A NEGATIVE WORD ABOUT ANY OF HIS OPPONENTS. THAT’S TRUE. ALL OF HIS ADS WERE POSITIVE. WOULDN’T WE LIKE TO SEE THAT IN POLITICS TODAY? AND I THINK OVER A WHILE IOWANS RESPONDED TO THAT. THEY LIKED THAT. WHILE IN OFFICE, LEACH WAS A LEADING VOICE ON FOREIGN POLICY. I AM PERSONALLY CONVINCED THAT SADDAM HAS NO CHOICE EXCEPT TO BLINK BEFORE THE 15TH, UNLESS AMERICA BLINKS FIRST. AND ON ECONOMICS, HE CHAIRED THE HOUSE BANKING COMMITTEE, BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES NOW. BUT REALIZED THAT THE FINANCIAL SERVICES SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY WAS ANTIQUATED. IT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED AS TECHNOLOGY WAS EVOLVING, TOOK THE LEAD IN MAKING THAT CHANGE. TO THIS DAY, THE WORK THAT HE DID 20 SOME YEARS AGO ON THAT IS SEEN AS BEING VERY VALUABLE. HE WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR HIS ABILITY TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE AND HIS CIVILITY IN POLITICS. LEACH DREW PRAISE FROM HIGH PROFILE POLITICIANS. JIM LEACH IS THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS. AFTER SERVING 15 TERMS ON CAPITOL HILL. LEACH WAS DEFEATED BY DEMOCRAT DAVE LOEBSACK IN THE 2006 ELECTION. HE ACCEPTED HIS LOSS WITH EQUANIMITY, CONGRATULATED DAVE LOEBSACK, AND BEFORE LONG HE WAS TALKED ABOUT FOR ALL KINDS OF OTHER POSITIONS. LEACH WORKED AS A PROFESSOR FOR PRINCETON AND THE JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT AT HARVARD BEFORE THEN-PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TAPPED HIM TO LEAD THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES. IN 2013, LEACH BECAME A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. HE HAD A WELL-ROUNDED LIFE. HE NEVER LOOKED BACK ON POLITICS. PEOPLE OCCASIONALLY SAY, YOU WANT TO RUN AGAIN? NO, HE’D DONE THAT. BUT HE STILL WANTED TO SERVE. HE JUST WASN’T POLITICS. HE STILL HAD HIS IDEAS. HE STILL WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HE STILL WANTED TO WORK WITH PEOPLE, DO IT ACROSS PARTY LINES, PRIVATE SECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR. ALL OF THOSE WERE PART OF WHAT WAS IN HIS HEAD AND IN HIS HEART. AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET THAT DONE AFTER HIS CONGRESSIONAL CAREER. SO LOOKING BACK AT THAT OR HIS CAREER ARC, HE MADE A DIFFERENCE. HE WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE. AND HE MADE IOWA PROUD. HE’LL BE MISSED GREATLY BY THOSE OF US WHO KNEW HIM. IF WE COULD ALL ASPIRE TO BE A LITTLE MORE LIKE HIM, WE’D BE A BETTER PLACE. RETIRED SENATOR TOM HARKIN AND HIS WIFE ARE HONORING LEACH, SAYING HE WAS A FRIEND AND PUBLIC SERVANT. IN A STATEMENT, HARKIN SAYS LEACH WAS LIKED AND ADMIRED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM ON X, SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY CALLED LEACH A FRIEND, SAYING HE’S SAD TO HEAR OF HIS PASSING. GRASSLEY SAYS LEACH, QUOTE, SERVED THE PEOPLE OF IOWA WELL. IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS IS ALSO REMEMBERING THE FORMER CONGRESSMAN. SHE SAYS, QUOTE, JIM DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO SERVING HIS COUNTRY AND THE STATE OF IOWA. OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH JIM’S FAMILY. EVEN FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TALKING ABOUT LEACH ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON X, SAID, AS A FORMER SERVICE OFFICER, A CONGRESSMAN AND CITIZEN, JIM LEACH PUT COUNTRY ABOVE PARTY. TIME AND AGAIN, HE WAS A DEDICATED