IW students eager to keep funding for domestic violence programs

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News

It was an easy decision for Joy Lapp?s Social Justice and Service class to decide what their next cause was going to be.

When the six Iowa Wesleyan students learned the governor?s proposed budget included plans to cut $3 million from victim-services funding, which helps fund programs that assist sexual assault and domestic violence victims, they knew they needed to do something.

?Sarah (Roe of the Domestic Violence Intervention Program) told us about the budget cuts and how they needed more support to get it stopped,? said sophomore Darby Massner.

To help, the class has started a petition, which they plan to present to legislators on Tuesday during a visit to the state capitol.

?That is a big portion of their budget,? said Lyndsey White, a junior studying criminal justice. ?It?s not like it?s a couple hundred thousand dollars, it?s $3 million. That?s 45 percent of (the Domestic Violence Intervention Program?s) entire budget.?

Unfortunately, it doesn?t stop there. ?The federal government matches what the state gives to (domestic violence programs), so they?re losing that as well,? explained Massner.

Why a petition drive?

?We?re going to show legislators the people are not all right with this budget cut,? said senior Samantha Seaba.

Classmate Maddison Hiland agreed. ?We really want to go up (to Des Moines) and show that it?s an issue for college students,? she said. ?I think if we show this is an issue that affects the youth, it?s going to resonate with them.?

During their trip to the capitol, the students will be speaking to state legislators.

One of the points Hiland hopes to make to legislators is a lack of funding for domestic violence victims could cause financial burdens in other parts of the budget.

?Domestic violence plays into other areas,? she said. In her example, the Iowa Wesleyan junior said some victims could lose their jobs due to domestic violence. That could lead to higher unemployment rates, which could result in higher welfare spending.

?Overall, I think it?s going to result in more spending elsewhere,? she said.

But it?s not just the financial aspect the students want the legislators to take into consideration. ?If there are not programs to help women or men who are in these violent relationships, they?re not going to get help. They are going to stay in these relationships and unfortunately, some result in their death,? said Seaba.

As the students circulate the petition, they hope to do a little more than just collect signatures ? they want to educate.

Senior Dalton Kinzler wants the public to be aware of the cuts and help his neighbors make the best, informed decision.

?Most people don?t even know there?s a domestic violence fund and that it?s being cut,? said Massner.

?We want them to know that if we don?t act now, there?s a lot of people who could get hurt without these resources available,? added Seaba.

The students have a hard-copy petition they are circulating as well as an online petition, which can be found at: https://www.change.org/p/iowa-state-house-stop-the-domestic-violence-budget-cut.