Gazette Daily News Podcast: Tuesday, May 7, 2024

– Iowa universities propose tuition increases for next year

– Cedar Rapids teachers to get 3% base wage increase next year

– Iowa Republicans call to rally around Trump at state convention

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Episode Transcript

Coming up, we take a first look at proposed tuition increases at Iowa’s public universities

And later, a brief recap from the Republican state convention

Plus, Cedar Rapids teachers are getting a raise

Welcome to the Tuesday, May 7 edition of the Gazette Daily News Podcast. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

University of Iowa and Iowa State University resident undergraduates could pay 3 percent more in tuition next fall. Plus, University of Northern Iowa resident undergrads could pay 2 percent more under proposed tuition increases made public Monday. According to board documents, the increases are tied directly to a larger proposed state appropriation. In the fall, it requested $14.8 million more in general university appropriations for the 2025 budget year. Meanwhile, the Iowa Legislature passed a budget bill that appropriates $12.3 million of that request for the next budget year. That amounts to a 2.5 percent increase over this year.

Last session, lawmakers kept allocations flat and shot down the regents’ request for $32 million more in general education appropriations. Although, an additional $7.1 million was designated for special uses, like the UI College of Nursing, ISU STEM workforce initiatives and UNI’s teacher-student recruitment efforts.

According to reporting from The Gazette’s Vanessa Miller, as long as Gov. Kim Reynolds signs the budget bill for fiscal year 2025, Iowa’s public universities would hold increases for resident undergrads. Those amounts would be $270 at the UI and ISU and $168 at UNI for the academic year.

Non-resident undergraduates face tuition increases as well. At the UI, non-residents are facing a 1.3 percent increase. That is less than the in-state undergraduate increase. Iowa State is proposing a 4.5 percent increase for non-residents. UNI wants to keep its proposed increases at 2 percent across the board, although nonresidents pay more so that amounts to a $400 a year increase.

The board office said it weighed quote “state support, operating costs that may be absorbed through efficiencies and reallocations, and the expected inflationary impact to higher education budgets” end quote when proposing the increases.

The Iowa Board of Regents will meet Friday to consider the proposal for the first time.

In other education news, teachers in the Cedar Rapids Community School District are getting a raise. On Monday evening, the school board approved a 3 percent base wage increase for the 2024-25 school year. The increase comes in an agreement between school officials and the Cedar Rapids Education Association, which represents teachers in the district. This will add an estimated cost of $3 million to the district. According to board documents, this brings the total cost of all district teacher salaries to $101.7 million. Additionally, a one-time incentive of $1,000 is being offered to employees in bargaining unit positions who submit a resignation or a signed contract within seven days of the issuance of their contract. This is being offered for perspective on the scope of teacher workforce issues.

Next, Iowa Republicans gathered at the Horizon Events Center in Clive over the weekend. There, party members elected delegates to the national convention, finalized a state platform and elected members to the Republican National Committee. According to reporting from Caleb McCullough, Republican officials called for voters to unify around former President Donald Trump and elect Republicans to congress. Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann said the only question he will ask himself from now until November is quote, “How does this help to put Donald Trump back in the White House? That’s all that matters.” end quote.

Kaufmann said Republicans should support Trump to prevent a second term for Biden, regardless of if voters supported Trump in the caucus process earlier this year. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also spoke in support of Trump, despite endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the caucus. Reynolds said she and Trump share a common goal, ending President Biden’s political career.

Trump won Iowa in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. According to a March Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, he maintains a solid lead over Biden in a potential 2024 matchup.

In addition, Reynolds spoke about recent changes made during the legislative session, like tax cuts, a school choice program and a higher scrutiny on foreign owners of farmland. Reynolds also spoke about immigration and said Biden’s administration has led to a crisis at the southern border. Reynolds said that the record number of unlawful border crossings can quote “only be described as intentional” end quote. Earlier this year, Reynolds signed a bill into law that gives state officials the authority to arrest people who are in the country illegally if they’ve previously been denied entry. Late last week, a Justice Department official wrote to the governor and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird saying the federal government intends to sue to block the law from being enforced.

Reynolds addressed this at the convention, saying quote, “The Biden administration and the Department of Justice are threatening to sue me and to sue the state of Iowa for — get this — punishing people who are breaking the law. You can’t make it up... if he would do his job, we would not have to deal with it.” end quote.

Meanwhile, Iowa Democrats held their district conventions on Saturday and will hold their state convention June 15. In a statement, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart spoke on the political agenda of Republicans.

Quote, “Their platform is sure to strip away women’s rights even further and reallocate public dollars that belong to public schools to well-off families that are enrolled in private schools. These policies are dangerous for women, bad for our children’s educational future, unpopular among likely voters and will show just how badly a change of leadership is needed here in Iowa.” end quote.

For a closer look at topics brought up at the Republican Party of Iowa state convention, read the full story by Caleb McCullough. Find links to that story, and all stories featured in this episode in this episode’s description or at thegazette.com. As always, you can find a full transcript of this episode at thegazette.com.

Hey listener! We're considering some changes to the Gazette Daily News Podcast, but we want to hear from you before doing so. This episode's description has a link to a brief survey or you can visit thegazette dot com slash survey. We hope you take a few minutes to share your thoughts on this show. Thank you!

Now let’s take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids. Today will be partly cloudy. Anticipate a high of 76 degrees and a low of 52 degrees. Wednesday, expect rain and highs in the low 70s.

Thank you for listening to the Gazette Daily News Podcast. Stay updated with the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com