Work together

The 2023 Iowa legislative session opens on Monday, with Republicans in firm control of both the House and Senate.

We hope this can be a year where the focus isn't on extremist bills on either side, but one in which the Legislature gavels in and gets things done for the majority of Iowans. That can be done by looking for ways to work together beyond the fire and brimstone legislation that has been pushed in other sessions. We need work on things other than more tax relief and school vouchers, which are highly charged issues.

We do believe there are other initiatives that could benefit Iowans and receive bipartisan support.

One example is fully funding the state’s children’s mental health system created in 2019. Republicans and Democrats alike know resources are needed to meet demands for mental health services. Iowans have repeatedly said expanding access to mental health care should be a top state priority, and candidates in both parties have pledged to address the issue.

With the state sitting on a $1.5 billion budget surplus, it seems like the right time to live up to those commitments.

Legislation filed last year addressing cybersecurity protections for governmental entities and prohibiting the use of public funds to pay ransomware demands has taken on sense of urgency. Multiple school districts, including Cedar Rapids and Linn-Mar, were hit by cyberattacks in 2022, leaving employees vulnerable to the theft of personal information.

Many school districts and other governmental institutions, which lack the expertise to ward off attacks, are vulnerable. The state has an interest in preparing local governments for future attacks and provide training and resources to control the damage and potential public costs.

One education proposal that could receive bipartisan support is being floated by University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook. He’d like to see student teachers in Iowa paid a stipend for their work.

“Student teaching is the original internship in higher ed. It was the first internship. It’s always been an unpaid internship and more and more people are recognizing that internships really should be paid positions at some level,” Nook said last month, according to Radio Iowa. “So how can we do that with student teachers? Can we raise some funds to offset the expenses students incur as student teachers?”

It’s a good idea, especially considering rising student debt and the state’s teacher shortage. Paying student teachers could be one more tool in the effort to persuade more Iowa students to pursue a career in education.

Another idea we’d like to see gain traction at the Statehouse is potential legislation requiring the state’s large metropolitan counties to expand boards of supervisors to five members. Having seen Linn County go from three supervisors to five and then back to three again, we believe the five-member board provides better representation.

Republicans should be interested in the change, given that a five-member board provides a greater opportunity for rural representation in counties dominated by a large metro area.

Bills addressing distracted driving and aiming tougher punishments for public employee theft also have merit.

We also urge majority Republicans to choose openness, access and cooperation when it comes to dealing with journalists covering the Legislature.

This past week, Gov. Kim Reynolds and GOP legislative leaders broke with a 20-year tradition and declined invitations to a pre-session forum sponsored by the Iowa Capitol Press Association. Reynolds hasn’t held a formal news conference in several months. And reporters covering the Iowa Senate will once again be relegated to desks high above the Senate instead of returning to press row on the Senate floor where reporters worked for decades.

The losers in all of these steps to impede legislative coverage are Iowans, who rely on journalists to explain legislative actions and their implications. Efforts to deny media access denies Iowans’ access to vital information on legislation that affects their lives and their tax dollars.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com

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