(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa House has been in a holding pattern today (Thursday), waiting for the public release of the latest plan to change the operations of Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies. House Republicans passed their first plan in February. Republicans in the Senate approved their alternative Monday and House Republicans have another proposal in the works. The public normally gets at least 24 hours to review proposed legislation, but House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst says Democrats have been told this latest plan is a lengthy amendment — and it will come up for votes within hours.

“You can’t tell me this is for Iowans,” Konfrst said. “You can’t tell me this is for Iowa kids. This is for the governor, This is for politics and it shows me ho they work for.” In January, Governor Reynolds said test scores among Iowa students with disabilities are behind other states. She’s called for an overhaul of the A-E-As. which have staff that travel to schools to help students with disabilities. “This is Republicans fighting with each other in a way that’s politics pure and simple and Iowa kids are the ones being left behind,” Konfrst said.

Melissa Seitz, a spokesperson for House Republicans, says Democrats know the concepts in this latest plan have been debated on the House and Senate floor and Iowans have been able to weigh in on these pieces of policy for weeks. She says House Republicans have worked hard to take feedback from the AEAs, superintendents and parents to resolve this topic — and move on to the rest of the priorities for the 2024 legislative session.