Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen earlier this week said he would reverse course, announcing the state will now accept $18 million in federal funding to help feed hungry children over the summer break. The office of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has told Siouxland Public she will not change her mind, so refusing the program’s money will stay in place.
The office of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem did not respond to an inquiry on whether Noem would stick with her plan to not accept the federal money.
At a news conference Monday, Pillen said he decided to accept money after meeting with a group of high school students from around Nebraska who visited the state Capitol this month. The federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children, or Summer EBT, program would give low-income families or those receiving reduced-price school lunches up to $120 for each child to buy food.
Pillen had previously announced in December the state would reject the money, stating, “I don’t believe in welfare.” He later came under intense pressure, including from some members of his party, to accept the money.
It was in late 2023 that Reynolds announced Iowa would not accept the federal food money, which originated as a new program during the coronavirus pandemic.
Regarding any possible change in Iowa, Kollin Crompton, a spokesman for Reynolds, in an email said, “The Governor’s decision is firm. Pandemic-era programs were not intended to be permanent.” Crompton added that Iowa already runs summer feeding programs that provide healthy meals for children with fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
Additionally, an important date in the Iowa Legislature comes on Friday, when bills have to have moved forward to committee level consideration, or they will be killed for the year.
Lots of high-profile bills are being watched, and a few remain alive on Wednesday, including one to update how teachers could have guns in schools. A bill that would restrict diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Iowa’s public universities is still alive in the Iowa House.
According to that bill, any diversity programs that are not required to meet federal or state laws would be eliminated.
Republican Representative Taylor Collins said public confidence in higher education has fallen nationally, and he said that is because college officials are, quote, “more distracted by issues like DEI.”
Democrats on the House Education Committee said they were concerned about overreach into the public university system.
Additionally, a bill creating standards for arming school employees with guns has made it past a legislative deadline this week. Iowa already has a mechanism in place for schools to arm staff, but the new tinkering is to flesh out details and address concerns by insurance companies who have threatened to drop coverage for districts that tried to arm teachers in the past.
The measure that passed Wednesday in the House Public Safety Committee creates a permit for school staff who volunteer to carry weapons in school buildings. They would have to pass an annual background check and go through training. The names of school staff issued a weapons permit would be kept confidential.
The bill also grants qualified immunity to school districts that allow teacher to carry guns, which Republican backers in the House say should address the concerns of insurers. Cherokee and Spirit Lake schools in Northwest Iowa both repealed armed teacher policies last year because their insurance carrier, EMC, said it would stop covering the districts.
Hannah Hayes of Students Demand Action is a senior at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, and on Monday Hayes told lawmakers more guns in schools will not make her feel safer.
