Washington Evening Journal
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Reynold’s plan: hypocrisy, plain and simple
By Betty Stiefel, Iowa County Democrats
Jan. 18, 2024 11:18 am
Gov. Kim Reynolds has been an outspoken proponent of parent choice in education. She believes parents should be able to choose which schools are best for their children.
Thus all parents will eventually have control of the $7,635 the state of Iowa places in a student’s education savings account.
Fast forward to Gov. Reynolds’ decision to decline approximately $29 million in federal food aid for low- income families this coming summer.
Reynold’s Health and Human Services spokesperson Sarah Ekstrand said, “a cash benefit card with very few limitations on purchases does not achieve direct access to healthy meals for school-age children.”
So parents can’t be trusted to make wise choices regarding what foods they buy for their children? Parents need more regulations in order to make good choices?
Gov. Reynolds, your decision to decline that $29 million of food aid for low- income families flies in the face of your supposed support for parent rights.
You are willing to let parents control $7,635 for school choice but not $40 per summer month per child for food? Do you just support parents’ rights when it fits with your conservative agenda?
Please consider putting the needs of Iowa’s children over politics.