Gov. Reynolds offers support for other states passing laws like Iowa ESA program

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds gave the 2024 Condition of the State address in the Iowa House chambers Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

After winning her years-long battle to pass Iowa’s program providing public funding for private school education, Gov. Kim Reynolds is taking on a role to help promote “school choice” measures in other states.

The Iowa governor is now the co-chair of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)’s “Education Freedom Alliance,” an initiative launched by the think tank in January to encourage more states to enact measures similar to Iowa’s Educational Savings Account program. One of the main goals of the initiative is “25 by ’25” — aiming for 25 states to have laws with state education funds available to go to private schools by 2025.

According to the EFA website, 12 states have enacted so-called “school choice” laws by 2024, and 16 states may bring legislation on the issue forward in 2025.

Reynolds said every state is different, but encouraged advocates and lawmakers to continue pressing for these measures despite pushback and criticism from both sides of the aisle.

“It is hard, you know, but you just … stay strong, stay committed, have the resolve to follow it through — because really, it is the right thing to do,” Reynolds said Friday at the ALEC convention. “But it is an exciting organization. I am honored, beyond honored, to be a part of it. And I’m happy to talk to anybody, or come to your states or whatever I can do to be helpful. But it all starts with 25 by 2025 and the resources that you’re putting into it.”

Reynolds spoke about her years-long effort to pass the ESA program providing government funding for private school costs for Iowa K-12 students. The Republican governor said in a talk with Linda Nelson, the CEO of the conservative think tank, that she wants to work with ALEC and state lawmakers to encourage other states to be a part of what she called “education revolution that we’re seeing happening across this country” in encouraging state funding for private school scholarships.

The Iowa governor said she was “really proud” of the work done to pass the 2023 law, after it failed to advance in two previous legislative sessions.

There was not sufficient support among Republican majorities to pass a version of the ESA program prior to 2023, Reynolds said, as many lawmakers representing rural school districts were concerned about the impact it…