DES MOINES, Iowa — The first piece of legislation reforming Area Education Agencies (AEA) has now passed one chamber and is onto the next.
House Republicans passed legislation Thursday afternoon that they crafted of their own, just two weeks after tabling Gov. Reynolds' legislation reforming AEA's.
The biggest difference between Reynolds' legislation and House Republicans' legislation is the timeline extension for reforms.
The House's version also requires schools to use AEA's for special education services, but allows the schools to search for private contractors for media and general education services. It also reinstates operational sharing amongst AEA's and school districts.
The majority of debate on the House floor came from Democrats against the legislation due to constituent concerns.
However, Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Sioux County, who sponsored this legislation, listed out all the changes made and highlighted the way he went about these changes.
"We had the conversations, we were transparent, we talked to everybody and we did the best we could to try to hear from superintendents that both liked the system, superintendents that want changes," Wheeler said. "We listened to the parents of students with disabilities, which is why we're not touching any of that."
With thousands of constituent emails in mind, the House's legislation is significantly different from Reynolds'.
"The rollout sucked," Wheeler said. "I wish we could go back, personally, I wish I could go back."
But the bill is still seeing pushback from Democratic lawmakers.
Within the legislation, the House created a task force to work with the Department of Education on oversight and making changes as needed.
The task force would be made up of:
- Two special education teachers
- Two superintendents
- A teacher employed by a district who does not give special education services
- A parent of an Individualized Education Program student
- A parent of a 504 plan, one president of a nonpublic school
- One member appointed by Reynolds
- One appointed by the Department of Education
- The Chief Administrator of Heartland AEA
- Legislators from both parties
Democrats want the task force to happen before legislative reforms do.
"I have not received one email, as I said earlier, in favor of this proposal, not one," said Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Cerro Gordo. "I have received countless emails in favor of the AEA's and praising the work that they do."
The largest concern though came from questioning the reasoning behind these reforms, those against, asking lawmakers to slow down.
"This bill is a solution in search of a problem, and if there is a problem, we already have a process for addressing it," said Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Johnson County.
The bill passed through the house with a vote of 25-41, with nine republicans joining the Democrats against the bill.
This legislation must pass through the Senate in order to become law. However, the Senate has already passed Reynolds' legislation out of committee.
Both chambers would have to come to one agreement in order for reforms to become law.