From the ground up

     Floor debate has taken up most of our time as we finish week ten of the 2019 legislative session. We are already over halfway through the session and while we’ve been busy, there is still much we hope to accomplish in the next few weeks. As we continue to consider major issues like the budget and property tax reform, I urge you to contact me with your concerns, questions, and comments.

     A bill leveling the playing field between individuals and a private entity’s ability to purchase land passed the senate with bipartisan support this week. This bill ensures individuals and young families do not have to compete with a private entity that has the unfair advantage of using taxpayer dollars. The bill does not do anything to inhibit land acquisition for water quality or conservation projects by local governments or watershed protection organizations. It only ensures a private conservation organization is using those state and federal dollars to install water quality practices, not to help it purchase land.

     School board members are elected by their neighbors down the street and across town. They are citizens who take a vested interest in children’s education. In many cases though, decisions are often made in Des Moines through state mandates instead of local school board members being entrusted to make these important choices.

     The bill advanced this week in the Senate and would allow school board members to make decisions in the best interest of the students they serve. It eliminates a number of state mandates such as having the school serve as the middle man for paperwork on dental screenings, vision screenings, and blood lead testing. This bill does not eliminate the requirement that data is collected to ensure screenings occur.

     What works for one district does not always work for another, especially when looking at the differences in urban and rural schools in Iowa. This is why we want to provide flexibility to school boards when they make decisions for their district. I supported advancing this bill because I believe it is important to trust parents and our school board members and give local control back to our school districts.