Branstad’s bullying order is welcome

Gov. Terry Branstad came to Cedar Rapids this week to do what state lawmakers have declined to do for three years - take meaningful action to help schools combat bullying.

Branstad signed an executive order establishing the Governor's Office for Bullying Prevention, to be housed within the University of Northern Iowa's Center for Violence Prevention. The new office will be a resource for school districts, students, parents and the Department of Education. Staff will create model policies and training materials, promote existing resources, such as the 24-hour hotline for kids who feel threatened, bullied or harassed, and work with the DOE to create guidelines for addressing cyberbullying.

The department also will work on developing procedures for notifying parents of victims and perpetrators, as well as addressing inconsistencies between school districts on how bullying data is reported to state officials. The effort would encourage student mentoring and seeks to end the loss of athletic eligibility for bullied students who seek a transfer.

Bills sought by the governor since 2013 to accomplish some of these things have failed to pass the Legislature, where the Republican-controlled House has balked at a statewide prevention law. Branstad's order seeks to use the existing authority of executive branch agencies to make progress. Although we haven't always been fans of how Branstad uses his executive powers, this order doesn't appear to us to be an overreach.

We have been skeptical that one-size-fits-all legislation, though well-meaning, could address the school-by-school issues and cultural challenges that permit bullying to persist. This new office seems to strike a balance, identifying best practices while providing resources and materials which can be tailored to local needs. It's a worthwhile effort, and the governor deserves credit for his tenacity on the issue in the face of stubborn opposition from within his own party.

But the Legislature isn't off the hook. There still is a need for lawmakers to provide consistency between school districts on how bullying is defined and reported. And it's certain that the governor's new initiatives will need funding to succeed, although he has yet to explain how much funding he'll seek.

Branstad is right that bullying is unacceptable, and that leaders should do all they can to 'stamp it out in Iowa.”

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