Branstad, Hatch at odds over same-sex marriage, education

DES MOINES - Gubernatorial challenger Jack Hatch thinks Iowa Republicans will target same-sex marriage if they gain complete control of state government in the November elections.

During their weekly news conferences, Gov. Terry Branstad and Hatch were asked about same-sex marriage as a campaign issue.

Branstad said it is not an issue he is focused on as governor, because it is an issue that would have to be addressed by the Legislature.

Since the Iowa Supreme Court in 2009 ruled the state law banning same-sex marriage unconstitutional, a new ban would require amending the state Constitution. That procedure requires consecutive Legislatures to adopt identical legislation putting the issue to a public vote.

Although he repeatedly called same-sex marriage 'a legislative issue,” Branstad said he would support legislative efforts to call for a vote on amending the state Constitution.

Hatch said if they get the chance by winning the governor's office and control of the Iowa House and Iowa Senate this fall, Republicans will make same-sex marriage 'their No. 1 social agenda, without a doubt.”

'It's a settled matter now, of course, but it could always change. I think we have to realize that you if you have a Republican House and a Republican Senate and you have a Republican governor, then marriage equality is at risk,” Hatch said. 'And if it's at risk, it then changes the complete dynamics of politics in Iowa, and you will have a pretty aggressive attempt to take that away from the people of the state.”

Branstad and Hatch also had different reactions to a recent federal education report card that said more than half of Iowa's schools are on a watch list for needing assistance.

The federal No Child Left Behind law tracks the academic progress of students in grades 3 through 8. Iowa's annual report card, released last week, identified 737 public schools, or 54.4 percent, in need of assistance for students not meeting the prescribed academic progress.

'We think that No Child Left Behind is, frankly, a flawed system because it's being imposed by the federal government, which is too far away and detached from what is really happening out there in the schools in Iowa,” Branstad said.

Hatch stressed universal preschool as one possible solution to the report's critical findings.

'We have to absolutely guarantee and commit ourselves to universal early childhood education,” Hatch said. You've got to identify these problems early.”

BRANSTAD UNVEILS OPTIONAL CITIZENSHIP CURRICULUM

Branstad announced at Monday's news conference the creation of an optional curriculum for Iowa schools that aims to prepare students for college, career and citizenship.

The program, developed in conjunction with the state's Area Education Agencies and multiple nonprofit organizations, 'provides a flexible system of teaching and learning supports to ensure college, career and citizenship readiness,” a media release said.

The curriculum is free and was funded by philanthropic support, officials said.

'This is about educating the whole child,” Branstad said.

The curriculum was developed by the nonprofit Institute for Excellence and Ethics.

'What's exceptionally exciting about this particular curriculum,” said Scott Raecker, executive director of the nonprofit Character Counts in Iowa, 'is that these are resources that we've seen utilized not only in individual classroom settings, but we've seen in leadership development at the high-school level. They've been embedded at the community college level and degree programs at one area community college, and we've seen ongoing professional development of these same resources at some of Iowa's largest organizations: Principal Financial Group, UnityPoint Health, Hy-Vee, Prairie Meadows, all using these same materials.”