(Des Moines) On Monday, March 19, State Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City helped the Iowa Senate approve two pieces of legislation to support Iowa’s local schools, keep college tuition affordable and fill skilled job openings that currently can’t be filled.
“I voted to give kids learning to read more time with their teachers, to keep college tuition affordable, and to help Iowa’s community colleges fill local job shortages with Iowa workers who want to improve their lives,” said Ragan. “These issues will be at center of bipartisan negotiations for the rest of this legislative session.”
House File 2245, as amended by the Senate, includes a 4 percent increase in basic state aid to local K-12 schools for the 2013-2014 school year.
At Governor Branstad’s Monday news conference, Iowa business leaders said a shortage of skilled workers was the number one problem facing Iowa’s economy. That afternoon, the Senate approved Senate File 2321, the education budget bill. It expands successful community college projects that help unskilled or under-skilled workers earn industry-recognized certificates in welding, direct care, and other fields needed by local businesses.
“I’ve met unemployed Iowans who earned a certificate at their local community college and then got a job that a local business had been unable to fill for months,” Ragan said. “That is a ‘win-win’ for Iowa families and for hundreds of Iowa businesses.”
The legislation also increases state support to public universities by 34 million dollars, including funds helping launch and grow Iowa businesses.
I’d like to see a news item where Ragan takes a serious look at cutting a govt program for a change instead of touting all of her spending.
If Ragan is so concerned about employment opportunities, why didn’t she vote for e-verify?