Des Moines, Iowa — The state legislature has returned to Des Moines to vote on bills that outline state spending, but the governor’s plan to provide state scholarships to private school students is NOT on the list. House Speaker Pat Grassley spoke to reporters Monday morning.
At the end of March, Republicans in the Senate approved 55-hundred state scholarships to send 10-thousand K-through-12 students to private schools, but a group of House Republicans objected to the idea, saying it would divert state money from rural areas since 42 counties do not have a private school. Legislators were in private meetings Monday morning. Grassley says some details are still being worked out in the eight-point-two BILLION dollar plan for the state budgeting year that begins July 1st.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver is offering a bit of optimism about making final budget decisions in the next few days.
Republicans hold firm majorities in the House and Senate. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has not yet commented on the decision to table her private school scholarship plan, but she has begun endorsing Republican candidates for the Iowa House who support the proposal. That includes a Republican who’s running against an assistant GOP leader in the Iowa House.
