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Gov. Kim Reynolds signs the 'school choice' bill into law

Gov. Kim Reynolds signs the 'school choice' bill into law
A GYM. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SCHOOL CHOICE BILL HAS BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW. THE GOVERNOR MADE IT OFFICIAL AN HOUR AGO. LAWMAKERS THE SENATE PASSED THE BILL WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING OVERNIGHT. THE BILL ALLOWS ANY FAMILY WITH A K THROUGH 12 STUDENT WHO WANTS TO SWITCH FROM PUBLIC TO PRIVATE SCHOOL TO GET 70 $600 FROM THE STATE. THAT’S THE FULL AMOUNT OF TAXPAYER MONEY THE STATE INVESTS IN EVERY STUDENT. THE PROGRAM WILL START IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. ONCE IT’S FULLY PHASED IN, THE PLAN WOULD COST THE STATE MORE THAN. $340 MILLION PER YEAR. ALL TIMIDLY, IT ISN’T ABOUT THE MONEY. IT’S NOT EVEN ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS VERSUS PRIVATE SCHOOLS. IT TRULY IS ABOUT GIVING EVERY STUDENT THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD AND TO BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE. DEMOCRATS SAY THE BILL LACKS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER IS TALKING WITH GOVERNOR REYNOLDS RIGHT NOW. SO MUCH MORE REACTION FROM ALL SIDES TONIGHT ON vlog 8 NEWS AT FIVE AND SIX AND LOCAL PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE BILL SIGNING WITH THE BREAKFAST AT THE CAPITOL THIS MORNING. THE EVENT WAS HOSTED BY THE NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE AWARENESS FOUNDATION. THE ORGANIZATION ADVOCATES FOR PARENTS TO CHOOSE THE BEST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR CHILD. ONE STUDENT TELLS vlog THE BILL CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR MANY IOWA KIDS AND THE SCHOOL CHOICE BILL WAS FAST TRACKED THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE. THE IOWA HOUSE PASSED IT LAST NIGHT ON A 55 TO 45 VOTE. NO DEMOCRATS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE BILL. ALL BUT NINE HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT. AND JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT, THE IOWA SENATE PASSED THE BILL IN A 31 TO 18 VOTE. AND LIKE THE HOUSE, NO SENATE DEMOCRAT VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE BILL. TWO REPUBLICAN SENATORS ALSO VOTED AGAINST IT. AFTER THE VOTE, AMES DEMOCRAT HERMAN QUIRMBACH RELEASED THE STATEMENT CALLING THE BILL A GRAVE MISTAKE FOR IOWA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SAYING THERE’S NO PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY. THE LAW GOES INTO EFFECT STARTING IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND WOULD BE PHASED IN OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS WHEN IT’S FULLY IMPLEMENTED. PARENTS WHO DECIDE TO SEND THEIR KIDS PRIVATE SCHOOL WILL GET AN EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNT WORTH 70 $600 A YEAR. THE MONEY CAN BE USED FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION OR OTHER QUALIFIED EDUCATION EXPENSES. THE AMOUNT WOULD NORMALLY BE GIVEN TO THEIR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. UNDER THE PLAN, PUBLIC SCHOOLS WOULD GET A LITTLE MORE THAN 1200 DOLLARS FOR EACH PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENT IN THEIR DISTRICT WITH AN ESSAY. AND THAT BILL IS NOW LAW. BUT THERE’S MUCH, MUCH MORE PARENTS NEED TO KNOW AND TAXPAYER EARS. WE’RE GETTING THOSE ANSWERS FOR YOU. JOIN US TONIGHT AT FIVE AS WE GO THROUGH WHAT PAREN
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Gov. Kim Reynolds signs the 'school choice' bill into law
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the 'school choice' bill into law Tuesday morning.In the early hours of Tuesday morning, state lawmakers approved Gov. Reynolds' plan to use taxpayer money to pay private school tuition. The bill passed with a 55-45 vote in the Iowa House and a 31-18 vote in the Iowa Senate. After nearly five hours of debate Monday night, all Iowa House Democrats voted against the bill. Nine Republicans also voted against the bill: Michael Bergan, Brian Best, Jane Bloomingdale, Chad Ingels, Brian Lohse, Gary Mohr, Thomas Moore, David Sieck and Brent Siegrist.In the bill, HF 68, any family with a K-12 student who wants to switch from public to private school during the next school year would receive roughly $7,600 from the state — the full amount of taxpayer money the state invests in every student.That money usually goes to a student's public school district. But under Reynolds' plan, families who switch to private schools would get that money instead.Once fully phased in, the plan would cost the state more than $340 million annually.House Republicans voted to exempt the bill from the traditional budgetary process requiring consideration in the House Appropriations or Ways and Means Committees, a process that every other bill that appropriates money is required to go through.Republicans argue the plan will empower parents to send their kids to whatever school provides the best educational opportunity to fit their unique needs.“It's been a very exciting night ... And as I listen to the debate tonight, I realize that a lot of people don't realize that this was actually decided back in the primaries. What Governor Reynolds has done to take a stand for children all across the board, and I know we heard a lot of opposition to the ESAs during the debate. But we, especially the freshman and the people who have been here for many years. We've been listening to constituents for years already. This isn't anything new. We're really excited. We're pleased with the vote,” Republican Rep. Helena Hayes said.Democrats say the bill lacks fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability."It's been an exhausting process. It's been a heartbreaking process. I was even with some kids in an elementary school today, a public school in Des Moines, here. And looking at them, knowing that this could happen tonight and knowing that they're going to have to get by with even fewer resources than they have now is heartbreaking to me. Tonight, the Iowa legislature let down a half-a-million kids in the state," Democratic Rep. Austin Baeth said.Before the vote, state auditor Rob Sand, who is a Democrat, expressed concerns about oversight of the plan."With no transparency obligations, no required public audits, no public records and no public meetings, uncovering waste, fraud and abuse of your tax dollars will be much harder," Sand said.Watch: Iowa House and Senate pass governor's school choice bill

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the 'school choice' bill into law Tuesday morning.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, state lawmakers approved Gov. Reynolds' plan to use taxpayer money to pay private school tuition. The bill passed with a 55-45 vote in the Iowa House and a 31-18 vote in the Iowa Senate.

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After nearly five hours of debate Monday night, all Iowa House Democrats voted against the bill. Nine Republicans also voted against the bill: Michael Bergan, Brian Best, Jane Bloomingdale, Chad Ingels, Brian Lohse, Gary Mohr, Thomas Moore, David Sieck and Brent Siegrist.

In the bill, , any family with a K-12 student who wants to switch from public to private school during the next school year would receive roughly $7,600 from the state — the full amount of taxpayer money the state invests in every student.

That money usually goes to a student's public school district. But under Reynolds' plan, families who switch to private schools would get that money instead.

Once fully phased in, the plan would cost the state more than $340 million annually.

House Republicans voted to exempt the bill from the traditional budgetary process requiring consideration in the House Appropriations or Ways and Means Committees, a process that every other bill that appropriates money is required to go through.

Republicans argue the plan will empower parents to send their kids to whatever school provides the best educational opportunity to fit their unique needs.

“It's been a very exciting night ... And as I listen to the debate tonight, I realize that a lot of people don't realize that this was actually decided back in the primaries. What Governor Reynolds has done to take a stand for children all across the board, and I know we heard a lot of opposition to the ESAs during the debate. But we, especially the freshman and the people who have been here for many years. We've been listening to constituents for years already. This isn't anything new. We're really excited. We're pleased with the vote,” Republican Rep. Helena Hayes said.

Democrats say the bill lacks fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability.

"It's been an exhausting process. It's been a heartbreaking process. I was even with some kids in an elementary school today, a public school in Des Moines, here. And looking at them, knowing that this could happen tonight and knowing that they're going to have to get by with even fewer resources than they have now is heartbreaking to me. Tonight, the Iowa legislature let down a half-a-million kids in the state," Democratic Rep. Austin Baeth said.

Before the vote, state auditor Rob Sand, who is a Democrat, expressed concerns about oversight of the plan.

"With no transparency obligations, no required public audits, no public records and no public meetings, uncovering waste, fraud and abuse of your tax dollars will be much harder," Sand said.

Watch: Iowa House and Senate pass governor's school choice bill