It was a little more than one year ago The Iowa Standard was celebrating Iowa lawmakers who signed the Ed Freedom Pledge.
It was something we credited lawmakers for signing, and something we encouraged them to do.
Here is what the pledge said:
“I pledge to support policies that promote parental rights in education and educational freedom. This includes the right of parents to voice their opinions at school board meetings and to take their children’s taxpayer-funded education dollars to the education providers of their choosing – whether it be a public, private, charter, or home school.”
Here are the 18 Iowa legislators who signed the pledge:
Rep. Jeff Shipley
Rep. Henry Stone
Rep. Skyler Wheeler
Rep. John Wills
Rep. Mark Cisneros
Rep. Anne Osmundson
Rep. Steve Holt
Rep. Eddie Andrews
Rep. Brooke Boden
Rep. Craig Johnson
Rep. Steve Bradley
Sen. Jeff Taylor
Sen. Jesse Green
Sen. Cherielynn Westrich
Sen. Ken Rozenboom
Sen. Brad Zaun
Sen. Amy Sinclair
Sen. Sandy Salmon
For a second straight year, the Iowa Senate passed ESAs in 2022. But for a second straight year, the effort died in the Iowa House without a vote.
Perhaps the third time will be the charm.
The Governor’s ESA proposal is set to hit the floor of both the Iowa House and Iowa Senate this week — perhaps as early as Monday.
And much of the credit, should this bill pass, will belong to these 18 legislators who have led the way on this issue.
Parents have been clamoring for this bill to pass for years. And it syncs with the Ed Freedom Pledge quite well.
It may not be perfect, but it is a significant, strong step in the right direction. It may not be a “touchdown,” but it puts the ball in the red zone if not a first-and-goal situation!
When this bill passes this week, it will be one of the strongest school choice bills in the nation. And Iowans will be able to thank Gov. Kim Reynolds as well as these 18 conservative champions who were willing to commit to the Ed Freedom Pledge and see this battle through to the end.
