Governor Kim Reynolds consistently puts her extreme, conservative special interest donors and political buddies ahead of the people of Iowa. Nowhere is this more apparent than the state budget, and Iowa’s “fields of opportunity” are drying up as a result.
That’s why House Appropriations Ranking Member Chris Hall, Educator and Des Moines School Board Member Kyrstin Delagardelle Shelley, and College Student and I-35 School Board Member Josh Hughes are joining Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price today to speak out about the failures of the Reynolds Administration.
Thanks to Reynolds’ massive tax giveaways that disproportionately benefitted wealthy special interests and failed to yield the promised results, our state budget has gone from a $900 million surplus to a deficit that ballooned up to $350 million.
Instead of ending these handouts that aren’t bringing opportunity back to our state, Reynolds and her Republicans in the Legislature have doubled down on their failed fiscal strategy.
Democrats are ready to fight for Iowa’s fields of opportunity – putting them back to work for the people instead of Kim Reynolds’ special interests.
“Reynolds misplaced priorities have put her extreme agenda and special interest backers ahead of the people of our state, and that’s why Iowans are speaking out against her reelection,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price. “Over the next five months, we will work to make sure every Iowan knows how Kim Reynolds has failed our state, and voters will send a clear message that they have had enough.”
K-12 Education
Kim Reynolds’ consistent underfunding of education resulted in the closures of 105 schools since Reynolds started in the Executive Branch and caused massive cuts in school districts across the state. Case in point: the Des Moines School District is looking at an $11 million cut if the Republican plan is approved.
Rural school districts are grappling with the added cost of transportation. Instead of restoring funding, lawmakers instead considered making rural kids spend hours each day on the school bus to allow for more school consolidation.
Higher Education
Governor Reynolds heavily targeted Iowa’s higher education system in her mid-year budget cuts, despite warnings that resources are already depleted and that costs would be passed on to Iowa families.
She signed a 11.5 million dollar budget cut to public universities and community colleges in March. Similar cuts last year resulted in burdensome tuition increases for Iowa families, and all indications are that it will happen again should the Republicans get their way.