vlog

Skip to content
NOWCAST vlog News at 5am Weekday Morning
Live Now
Advertisement

Gov. Reynolds' 'school choice' plan passes Iowa House and Senate

Gov. Reynolds' 'school choice' plan passes Iowa House and Senate
NEWS BECAUSE MORE BREAKING NEWS OVERNIGHT. THE GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL CHOICE BILL IS NOW HEADED TO HER DESK THIS MORNING. THE SENATE PASSED IT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT A FEW HOURS AFTER IT CLEARED THE HOUSE. AND vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER FOLLOWED THE DEBATE ALL NIGHT. SHE SHOWS US THE FIGHT TO THE FINISH LINE OVER A BILL THAT WILL SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE HOW OUR STATE FUNDS EDUCATION. IT WAS A HISTORIC NIGHT AT THE STATE HOUSE MONDAY WITH BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE LAWMAKERS PASSING A BILL TO SEND TAXPAYER MONEY TO SOME IOWANS TO PAY FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION. THE BILL HAS BEEN A GOAL THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH FOR YEARS AND JUST TWO WEEKS SINCE THIS BILL WAS INTRODUCED AT THE STATE HOUSE. THE GOVERNOR HAS FINALLY GOTTEN HER BILL ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, BUT WASN’T WITHOUT DEMOCRATS FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL. THEY ARGUE THAT THIS BILL WAS FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE, THAT IT WAS MOVING THROUGH THE STATE HOUSE TOO FAST AND THAT IT WILL TAKE A CRITICAL FUNDING AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT HAVE TO SERVE ALL IOWA STUDENTS. BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, REPUBLICAN HAS ARGUED THAT IT IS TIME TO USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO FUND STUDENTS INSTEAD OF SYSTEMS AND THAT THIS BILL IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY PARENT IS ABLE TO SEND THEIR KID TO THE SCHOOL THAT BEST FITS THEIR NEEDS. SCHOOL CHOICE DOES NOT IN ANY WAY TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORK OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE DOING. ULTIMATELY, WE MUST NOT SIMPLY FUND THE STATUS QUO. IF WE ARE TO IMPROVE EDUCATION, IT IS PAST TIME TO FUND OUR STUDENTS, NOT THE EDUCATION ESTABLISHED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, EXCEPT ALL KIDS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS PICK AND CHOOSE. THIS IS NOT ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE. THIS IS ABOUT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR CHOICE. AS HEARTBREAKING TO ME TONIGHT, FIVE LEGISLATURE LET DOWN A HALF A MILLION KIDS IN THIS STATE. ALL ACROSS THE BOARD, WE’RE GOING TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS. COMPETITION IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING. AND AND WHETHER IT’S A LARGE CITY OR A SMALL RURAL DISTRICT, THEY WILL RESPOND TO THIS IN A POSITIVE WAY. WELL, NOW THAT THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAVE PASSED THIS BILL, IT IS ON ITS WAY TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK TO BE SIGNED INTO LAW. THE GOVERNOR EXPECTS TO SIGN THAT BILL TODAY. WE WILL BRING YOU THAT UPDATE AS SOON AS IT HAPPENS FROM THE STATE HOUS
Advertisement
Gov. Reynolds' 'school choice' plan passes Iowa House and Senate
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. Reynolds is expected to sign the bill into law Tuesday afternoon.After nearly five hours of debate, 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.Watch below for reaction from lawmakers after Iowa House passes bill: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. Previous coverage:

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.

Reynolds is expected to sign the bill into law Tuesday afternoon.

Advertisement

After nearly five hours of debate, 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.

Watch below for reaction from lawmakers after Iowa House passes bill:


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.

Previous coverage: