Veterans visit State Capitol

Reichman's Remarks

The legislature reconvened on Tuesday after a three-day weekend to observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

On Jan. 13, I was proud to see Gov. Reynolds be sworn in as governor for another term. It was a great way to end a week full of speeches and ceremonies, and listen to her talk about her passion for Iowa and its people.

Gov. Reynolds has been a bold leader for our state, and I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes over the next four years.

Every year, veterans from all over Iowa come to the Capitol.

On Wednesday, this tradition continued. Many of these men and women gathered in the rotunda and listened to speeches from various officials, including Gov. Reynolds, Major General Benjamin Corell, retiring Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, Todd Jacobus, the Commandant of the Iowa Veterans Home, and the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chairs, discuss veterans issues.

Various veterans foundations were present to talk about their missions and the work they do to help veterans.

A number of bills have already been referred to the Veterans Affairs Committee for consideration. Senate Republicans recognize the sacrifice our veterans have made for the state of Iowa and want to ensure they all have a bright future after their years of service.

Less than 1% of Americans answer the call for uniformed service to defend our nation. It was an honor to address our states veterans during the ceremony.

Students First Act Advances

This week the Senate Education and Appropriations committees passed Senate File 94, commonly known as the Students First Act. Gov. Reynolds spoke at length about this bill in her Condition of the State speech last week.

The bill has been the primary topic in the Iowa Senate over the first two weeks. After passing both committees the bill is now eligible to be debated by the full Senate.

The Students First Act empowers all parents and students to choose the public or non-public school to best fit their educational needs.

It establishes an Educational Savings Account (ESA) for parents to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, or other non-public school related expenses. The plan phases-in over a three-year period. Once fully implemented all students will be eligible for an ESA.

Currently, only families with significant financial means are able to afford to pay their income, sales, and property taxes while also paying thousands of dollars per year in private school tuition. This bill opens school choice to low- and middle-income families as well.

Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. You can join the conversation by submitting a letter to the editor or guest column or by suggesting a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com