(Radio Iowa) – Most Republicans in the Iowa legislature have voted for Governor Kim Reynolds’ top 2023 priority — a bill that will provide state-funded accounts for the parents of private school students. (See the list of those who voted against the bill at the end of this story).

Reynolds plans to sign it into law later this (Tuesday) morning. Republican Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake opened yesterday’s (Monday’s) House debate by saying the bill is about freedom. “The parents and the child are the customers in this scenario. They deserve a choice on where their child goes,” Wills said. “…If the current public school isn’t working for a child and those parents want to have a choice, that’s what this bill’s all about.”

Democrats like Representative Sue Cahill of Marshalltown say the choice is up to private school administrators since nothing requires private schools to accept all students. “Private schools can select the students they want to attend and use what I consider discriminatory practices to do so,” Cahill said. After five and a half hours of debate, the bill cleared the House on a 55 to 45 vote. Senators debated in earnest for about three hours, passing the bill just before 12:30 this (Tuesday) morning on a 31-to-18 vote.

Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says state funds will now follow a child to the school that best fits their needs. “If we are to improve education, it is past time to fund our students, not the education establishment,” Holt said. “We can support public education and public teachers, while also embracing positive change.” Representative Thomas Moore of Griswold opposes the governor’s two, less expansive “school choice” proposals and he is one of nine House Republicans who voted against this year’s proposal.

“It came down very simply to my constituents — I’m in a very conservative Republican district — and they were telling me, ‘No,'” Moore said. Three Republican Senators opposed the plan. Representative Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Hull who backed the bill, says public school parents got frustrated during the pandemic and asked for this alternative.  “This is about students, it’s not about systems,” Wheeler said, reciting a theme from the “school choice” movement. “And tonight, in historic fashion, the state of Iowa is going to uphold and uplift every family in this state.” Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City, disagreed.

“This bill will not uplift every single family,” Steckman said, “only a chosen few.” In the first year, low income parents who enroll a child in a private school could apply for nearly 76-hundred dollars in state funding to cover tuition, computers, textbooks and tutoring. In 2026, all private school parents could apply for the state money. Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines, says an estimated 79 percent of the money will be spent on kids already enrolled in private schools.

“What this really is is a government handout to people who don’t need it,” Baeth said. Wills says if Iowans didn’t want school choice, they wouldn’t have expanded the Republican majorities in the legislature — and would not have reelected Governor Reynolds by a 19-point margin. “Her stance was she’s going to campaign on school choice all across the state of Iowa,” Wills says. “She never stopped talking about it.” All Democrats in the legislature voted against the bill. Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls says the governor’s plan is Robin Hood in reverse.

“Iowa Republicans are giving up on Iowa’s public schools,” Wahls said. “They are quitting and throwing in the towel.” Reynolds held a private ceremony in her formal office Monday to mark the start of “School Choice Week” and plans to sign her bill into law at 11 a.m. today (Tuesday).

(All Democrats and the following Republicans voted against the bill: Representatives Michael Bergen of Dorchester; Brian Best of Glidden; Jane Bloomingdale of Northwood; Chad Ingels of Randalia; Brian Lohse of Bondurant; Gary Mohr of Bettendorf; Thomas Moore of Griswold; David Sieck of Glenwood; Brent Siegrist of Council Bluffs and Senators Lynn Davis of Cherokee, Charlie McClintock of Alburnett and Tom Shipley of Nodaway.)

(Radio Iowa) Two students the “Starts Right Here” charter school in downtown Des Moines were shot and killed this (Monday) afternoon. Des Moines Police Spokesman Paul Parizek says the shooting happened just before 1 o’clock.

Sergeant Parizek says that person was going into surgery. Parizek says a vehicle that fled the scene was stopped two miles away and three suspects are in custody.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Guthrie County Extension & Outreach will be offering an intake site for VITA this year. The Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to families and individuals with incomes of $60,000 or less, persons with disabilities, limited English speakers, and older adults.

How VITA works: Clients will meet via phone or zoom with an Intake Specialist to fill out paperwork and review information. You will then schedule a time to come in person to our office to submit all required paperwork. Your tax information will be scanned and sent to volunteer tax preparers off site who will prepare your return remotely within two weeks. You will be alerted when your tax return is complete and ready to review the results of the return. You will sign the returns and then we will electronically file your state and federal tax returns for free.

Taxpayers must bring:

• Picture ID for taxpayer & spouse’s if filing jointly
• Income tax documents for all jobs (W-2s, 1099s, 1098s etc.) for all years tax returns to be done
• Copy of last year’s federal and state tax returns
• Social security cards or Individual Taxpayer ID Numbers (ITIN) for each family member named on the return

VITA is being offered by appointment only, you can schedule an appointment by calling the office at 641-747-2276 anytime Monday-Thursday. All appointments will be held via phone/zoom or at our office at 212 State Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115.

For more information, please visit our website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/guthrie/. If you have any questions about the program please feel free to reach out to Krista Downing at the Guthrie County ISU Extension office at 641-747-2276.