Legislators Field Education And Women’s Health Topics
Some individuals chose to use signs to demonstrate their feelings at Eggs & Issues on Saturday.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Iowa Legislature is 3 weeks into the 2017 season, and have worked to correct an 118 million dollar shortfall in revenue from last year’s budget before they turned their attention to the current fiscal year.
In Oskaloosa on Saturday morning, individuals from Oskaloosa and surrounding communities took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions directly of those who are making policy in Des Moines.
Iowa Senator Ken Rozenboom and Representative Guy Vander Linden were not unlike other legislators around the state on Saturday, taking fire on topics such as education, and Planned Parenthood funding.
Iowa State Senator Brad Zaun was another of those legislators who took heat when he participated in a similar forum in Urbandale on Saturday.
Rozenboom said he believes Republicans were swept into office in November due to “a spending problem.” He referenced the ending balance for the State of 927 million dollars. “What that means is that this is the 30,000 foot view of our budget situation in the State of Iowa. That means in 4 years, the 4 years I’ve been up there, we have spent more than a billion dollars over our revenues. That is a problem.”
Rozenboom said that collective bargaining reform, expanding school choice, legislation on unborn babies, balanced budget, 2nd Amendment Rights are some of the topics he expects action on during this session.
Vander Linden also spoke to the budget estimate shortfall which created the efforts of balancing the 2016-17 state budget, in which the legislature can spend up to 99% of the projected revenues. The estimated revenues came up 1.6% short, necessitating the budget scramble taking place now.
Phyllis Weeks of Knoxville asked the legislators about education savings accounts. “This will take my money as a taxpayer and give it to people to home school or to go into private schools. What I want to know is, will there be equal accountability? Will the taxpayers be able to see what goes on in the home schools? Will that cloak of secrecy be lifted so we can see how our money is being spent?”
Rozenboom said that education savings accounts would be new to Iowa, saying it would “basically direct taxpayer money to parents that want other school choices other than public schools.”
Rozenboom said that the choices available to parents for school choice would face oversight and vetting by the state. “The whole idea is to expand school choice opportunities the parents have so they can tailor the education package for their children.”
Open enrollment is a current school choice said Rozenboom. “A lot of parents around the state access that opportunity. This is simply expanding on that.”
“In the interest of educating our children in this state, we believe empowering parents to make more choices is a good thing,” added Rozenboom.
Linda from Pella asked the legislators “about the current war on reproductive rights for women.”
A member of the audience commented to Linda, “Oh come on”.
Linda responded, “Yes sir, this is my time to speak.”
“As far as my biology teacher told me, it takes two to tango. There are men and women who conceive a child. Why is the current political environment so against women only? Why is there no concern about the men who help produce children, sometimes unwanted pregnancies? Why is the emphasis only on women?”, added Linda.
“I guess you’ve characterized it against, I guess, the old moniker war on women, or whatever,” said Rozenboom. “First of all, understand that I’ve always been uncomfortable with couching this under the heading of women’s health. I understand women’s health to the extent that a man can. I’ve got a mother, a wife, daughter, granddaughter. But in this case, it’s about the baby. We’re not doing anything to take away women’s rights to access healthcare. In fact, with the bill you’re referencing in Iowa, we are taking the same amount of money and directing it to over 200 federally qualified health care facilities around the state, instead of to 12 Planned Parenthood offices that serve 80,000 Iowans. Why shouldn’t rural Iowans have access to those same health care dollars as urban Iowans do? That’s what this is about. And it’s about taking the life of unborn children.”
‘Sir, with all due respect, you did not answer my question”, said Linda. “My question was directed at taking the actions against women’s health.”
Rozenboom asked, “What action?”
Linda responded, saying, “The action is Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood, the amount of its budget to produce abortions by the way, which are legal. It is legal in this land for a woman to have the choice to have an abortion. If it’s legal, why take action against Planned Parenthood, which services women, and not consider the male part of this. Why are men exempt? That’s my question sir. Not your actions. You can take what ever actions you want.”
“We would agree there are a lot of social ills in our society,” said Rozenboom. “We’re focused here on funding health care needs for women. You want to bring men into it, fine. That’s not what we’re dealing with right now.”
The next Eggs and Issues is scheduled to take place on February 11th, at 8:30 am inside Smokey Row with Senator Rozenboom and Rep. Vander Linden.
Eggs and Issues on February 25th will feature Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, and will also begin at 8:30 am inside Smokey Row.
