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DISTRICT. NEW TONIGHT AN AMENDED BILL OVERHAULING IOWA EASE NOW ADDRESSES SCHOOL FUNDING AND TEACHER SALARIES. ����vlog DAYFIELD JACOBSON SHOWS US WHAT’S IN THE REVISED PLAN AND WHAT COMES NEXT. AFTER TWO HOURS OF FIERY DEBATE, HOUSE LAWMAKERS VOTED TO PASS THEIR VERSION OF A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO IOWA’S AREA. EDUCATION AGENCIES. EA’S OVERSEE ALL SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THE VOTE WAS 51 TO 43, WITH ONLY REPUBLICANS SUPPORTING IT AND MEMBERS FROM BOTH PARTIES OPPOSING IT. GOOD EVENING, MR. SPEAKER, AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE. IOWA HOUSE LAWMAKERS STARTED DEBATE ON A LENGTHY AMENDMENT LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER REPUBLICANS FILED IT. IT’S POLITICS. HOUSE DEMOCRATS SAY THAT WASN’T ENOUGH TIME TO REVIEW THE 49 PAGE DOCUMENT PROPOSING CHANGES TO EASE TEACHER PAY AND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING. WE CAN QUIBBLE ABOUT THE DATES OR THE HOURS WE’VE HAD IT, BUT LET’S BE CLEAR IT WASN’T 24. IT WASN’T 12. IT WAS TWO AND A HALF FOR THE PUBLIC, THAT’S NOT HOW YOU GOVERN. THE LATEST HOUSE PROPOSAL WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. BUT STARTING IN 2025, SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GIVE 90% OF THAT FUNDING TO THE EA’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THE OTHER 10%. ALSO. SO STARTING IN 2025, SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER HOW TO SPEND GENERAL EDUCATION AND MEDIA SERVICES FUNDING. THE NEW HOUSE PLAN ALSO INCLUDES SALARY INCREASES FOR TEACHERS AND PARAEDUCATORS, AND A 2.5% INCREASE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING, AND IT WOULD CREATE A TASK FORCE TO REVIEW EA’S FAMILIES ARE COUNTING ON US. DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS SHARED PERSONAL STORIES ON THE FLOOR. WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD AUTISTIC DAUGHTER. SHE HAS RECEIVED SERVICES FROM THE AREA EDUCATION AGENCY UP IN OUR AREA. WE WERE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY HAD DONE AND READ MESSAGES FROM CONCERNED CONSTITUENTS. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE CROTON, I AM A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST SERVING HARRISON ELEMENTARY. IN YOUR DISTRICT. I AM URGING YOU TO VOTE NO TO THE EAA BILL. HOUSE REPUBLICANS LIMITED THE LENGTH OF DEBATE, CUTTING IT OFF AT 6:30 P.M. BEFORE PASSING THE BILL. THOSE VOTING I 51. THOSE VOTING NO. 42 ABSENT HOUSE SPEAKER PAT GRASSLEY REACTED TO THE VOTE MOMENTS AFTER WE MADE IT. ONE OF THE PRIORITIES, IF NOT THE DRIVING PRIORITY WITHIN THE AA BILL WAS MAKING SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN CERTAINTY FOR SPECIAL ED SERVICES. WE DID THAT WITH THE BILL THAT WE PASSED TODAY. THE BILL NOW HEADS BACK TO THE SENATE. NOW FOR IT TO LAND ON THE GOVERNOR’S DESK, THE SENATE HAS TO PASS THE SAME EXACT BILL THAT WAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE TONIGHT AT THE STATE HOUSE. OPHELIA JACOBSON