The first week of the legislative session doesn’t really involve much work on policy as committees have their first introductory meetings and bills are read in for the first time and assigned to committees. By the end of the first week, 31 House Study Bills and 47 House Files were filed and ready for subcommittee work. Study Bills are proposed legislation filed by committee chairs, the governor’s office or administrative departments. House Files are bills filed by individuals legislators or groups of legislators. I have filed 3 House Files, HF 16, HF 30, and HF 35; and I have also submitted 3 Study Bills for the Veterans Affairs committee, HSB 20, HSB 21 and HSB 22.
The most prominent bill to create a buzz around the Capitol is HSB 1, the governor’s education savings account program proposal. The first time I saw the details of the bill was the same time it was made available to the public. There are multiple components to the bill, but the most significant piece is the creation of an education savings account (ESA) for a student whose parents choose for them to attend an accredited private school. The ESA would be funded with $7598 annually with state tax dollars for the family to use toward private school tuition. The bill would allow for all students attending private school to qualify for the ESA by year 3. I am still understanding all the details of the bill and how the program might be implemented, if approved. Many organizations and their members are putting out their “take” on the proposal and making their pitch to legislators. The easiest way to find the bill and read it for yourself is to visit https://www.legis.iowa.gov/ and use the bill search option in the top left corner to find HSB 1.
I expect this legislation to move very quickly through the process, most likely within the next two weeks. School funding is a complicated mix of local property taxes, and state and federal funding. Some groups are trying to make the proposal appear very simple. It is not. I look forward to hearing from you on this topic and whatever else you might have on your mind.
I would think the “supposed good teachers”would be leading the way out of this disgraceful system! I would think there’d be endless articles written by them, there seemingly complicit, in the abuses of children! Gender fluidity, CRT, soft porn in libraries, hoe far our education has fallen! The silence from so many educators is deafening in my opinion.