A controversial bill is making its way through the Iowa Legislature with the Education Savings Account (ESA).

Iowa House District 23 Representative Ray Sorensen says that the bill has been in the capitol for some time now, but has struggled to gain enough support in the past to become law. He adds that for this year, the proposed bill has some differences from past versions. Sorensen tells Raccoon Valley Radio about one of the differences.

“It’s important, I think, to be open-minded and make sure that we all understand the proposal in its entirety. One difference is that it will be open to all students after it’s fully implemented. The Governor wanted to provide as much choice to as many parents as possible. So that’s where I have a little bit of reservation with it. I think there should probably be a cap on a certain percentage from the federal poverty level, I’m not sure what that is. I would debate that fact, but it’s one of the areas where I have a little bit of pause.”

Sorensen mentions that another difference is that students that would leave a public school to attend a private school on an ESA would still be counted in the public school’s numbers. What this does is still pay the public school for that student, but the school wouldn’t be teaching the student.