Last week Governor Kim Reynolds laid out in her Condition of the State Address what her proposal is for another run at passing school vouchers.

District 24 Senator Jesse Green (R-Boone) says the governor’s bold bill allows all of the state’s per pupil funds to be designated for each student who decides that they would rather attend a private school instead of a public school. He points out the governor’s three year phase-in process would start the first year for a combined household income of less than $85,000 and all kindergarteners. 

Opponents of the bill argue that this bill is taking public funds and using it on private schools, along with there already being choices for parents and families for education. Greene describes the results of a poll where 40-percent of families desire to enroll their child into a private school, and only five-percent of those families were able to do so. He believes one of the obvious reasons for those other families was not being able to afford it.

“These families pay taxes just the same as anybody else and 54-percent of our state taxes go towards education at the end of the day. Shouldn’t they have a right to some of those dollars too that they’re already spending for education to be able to find something that better suits their child. That’s what’s driving this conversation.”

Greene is hopeful this bill will pass both the Iowa Senate and House this session. Contact Green to share your opinion by emailing him at jesse.green@legis.iowa.gov.