Numbers show GOP and Reynolds’ priorities are lopsided

Gazette columnist Todd Dorman says Gov. Kim Reynolds and her GOP colleagues approved zero bills to curb dirty water. Zero major bills addressing Iowa’s growing cancer rate (pollution is a contributing factor). The number of times slavery is mentioned in new curriculum rules for social studies cribbed from a conservative think tank and approved by Republican lawmakers — zero. Zero on expanding access to free and reduced-price school lunch. But the governor and her people felt licensed to cut services provided by Area Education Agencies.

I’m sure parents would prefer safe drinking water over CRT-free schools with slavery-free curricula. We can’t have both. It’s a steep climb back to a normal Iowa.

Were parents with special needs children unhappy with the AEAs? They loudly said they wanted Iowa to keep them, but Reynolds gave more weight to the anti-tax, Koch-funded Iowa Americans for Prosperity, whose core interest is really fossil fuels and privatization of public services like the AEAs.

Dorman closes with a less-than-subtle reminder: The date of the next election — Nov. 5. I know where I’ll be casting my votes.

Gerry Ott

Ankeny