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Budget revision helps Iowa's blind, deaf schools | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register
Iowa’s blind and deaf children would have gotten $303,000 less in state money for their schools if House Democrats had gotten their way because of political payback to a rural lawmaker who switched parties last year, she and a House Republican leader allege.
But the budget was revised and the money was allocated this week by the Senate after leaders determined there was enough money for the programs.
The Democratic representative who led discussion on the proposal said it has nothing to do with political vengeance.
“It really disappoints me that they would make this into a political battle,” said Rep. Cindy Winkler, a Democrat. from Davenport. “It has absolutely nothing to do with that. We know both schools have quality staff with quality services and we would do nothing to diminish that.”
Rep. Dawn Pettengill of Mount Auburn took the unusual step last year of switching parties: going from a Democrat and a member of the majority party to a Republican.
The move ruffled feathers among Democrats, who hold a slim majority – now 53 of 100 seats in the House -- and want to maintain every seat.
Pettengill, this year, asked for $302,914 more as part of a $1.2 billion education budget bill for schools for the deaf and blind, of which the school for the blind is in her district.
Other schools got a 4 percent increase in their budgets for the fiscal year that begins in July while the blind and deaf schools got 2 percent.
Pettengill’s proposal was shot down by the House, largely along party lines.
“I’m just taking every day as it comes. I just held my colleagues in higher regards than that. I was just really disappointed,” Pettengill said.
The budget bill, House File 2679, will be debated again today in the House and includes the $303,000 originally requested by Pettengill. The Senate this week added the $303,000 and Winckler said the House will likely agree with the increase, which means the schools will not be shortchanged.
“The Senate did the right thing, which shows how petty these guys can be over here,” House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, a Sioux City Republican. “It’s just crazy. If I were the Democrats, I’d be embarrassed.”
Don Boddicker, the business operations director of the Iowa Braile and Sight Saving School in Vinton, said he felt confident that lawmakers would ultimately allocate the same amount of increased spending for the school as other schools in the state, which is typically done.
“I was hoping the Legislature, especially on the House side, would consider the children’s needs and put partisan politics aside,” Boddicker said.
The school, which has about 20 resident students and more than 400 in classes across the state, was allocated a total of $15.7 million. The Iowa School for the Deaf will receive almost $10.1 million.
Iowa’s blind and deaf children would have gotten $303,000 less in state money for their schools if House Democrats had gotten their way because of political payback to a rural lawmaker who switched parties last year, she and a House Republican leader allege.
But the budget was revised and the money was allocated this week by the Senate after leaders determined there was enough money for the programs.
The Democratic representative who led discussion on the proposal said it has nothing to do with political vengeance.
“It really disappoints me that they would make this into a political battle,” said Rep. Cindy Winkler, a Democrat. from Davenport. “It has absolutely nothing to do with that. We know both schools have quality staff with quality services and we would do nothing to diminish that.”
Rep. Dawn Pettengill of Mount Auburn took the unusual step last year of switching parties: going from a Democrat and a member of the majority party to a Republican.
The move ruffled feathers among Democrats, who hold a slim majority – now 53 of 100 seats in the House -- and want to maintain every seat.
Pettengill, this year, asked for $302,914 more as part of a $1.2 billion education budget bill for schools for the deaf and blind, of which the school for the blind is in her district.
Other schools got a 4 percent increase in their budgets for the fiscal year that begins in July while the blind and deaf schools got 2 percent.
Pettengill’s proposal was shot down by the House, largely along party lines.
“I’m just taking every day as it comes. I just held my colleagues in higher regards than that. I was just really disappointed,” Pettengill said.
The budget bill, House File 2679, will be debated again today in the House and includes the $303,000 originally requested by Pettengill. The Senate this week added the $303,000 and Winckler said the House will likely agree with the increase, which means the schools will not be shortchanged.
“The Senate did the right thing, which shows how petty these guys can be over here,” House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, a Sioux City Republican. “It’s just crazy. If I were the Democrats, I’d be embarrassed.”
Don Boddicker, the business operations director of the Iowa Braile and Sight Saving School in Vinton, said he felt confident that lawmakers would ultimately allocate the same amount of increased spending for the school as other schools in the state, which is typically done.
“I was hoping the Legislature, especially on the House side, would consider the children’s needs and put partisan politics aside,” Boddicker said.
The school, which has about 20 resident students and more than 400 in classes across the state, was allocated a total of $15.7 million. The Iowa School for the Deaf will receive almost $10.1 million.