What Do Republican Candidates For Governor Have to Say About IPERS and Teacher Pay?

Do they believe in the cuts Reynolds’ DOGE taskforce has proposed?

Des Moines – Reynolds’ DOGE task force, modeled after Elon Musk’s short-lived and unsuccessful original group, met last week to release their work. Instead of reviewing the state’s $350 million voucher program or tax breaks for the wealthiest, the committee of GOP donors and insiders wants to take away pensions and politicize classrooms.

Two of their main proposals were to change Iowa’s public employee retirement system, called IPERS, and to tie teacher pay to student performance. Changing IPERS from a defined benefits program to a defined contribution program will make it harder to retain good workers and hurt communities that rely on their retirement income.

All that remains to know about these harmful plans are whether or not Randy Feenstra, Brad Sherman,  Eddie Andrews and Mike Bousselot support them. Are these politicians the change they claim to be? Or are they just another group of Reynolds’ bootlickers, who’ll keep Iowa on the same path that has led to our state ranking 49th in economic growth, 48th in personal income growth, and first in medical debt accrual.

“Iowa needs a new direction and Iowans deserve to know whether their gubernatorial candidates are going to vote to make changes to IPERS and teacher pay and further damage our public schools,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart. “We need new leadership, fresh ideas, and most definitely not another clone of Kim Reynolds. Her DOGE task force’s recommendations only prove that they’re doubling down on the policies that have led Iowa into a downturn, not changing course. Which is why we need to know, do Randy Feenstra, Brad Sherman,  Eddie Andrews and Mike Bousselot support overhauling IPERS and making teachers’ lives more difficult?”

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