Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Quirmbach: GOP’s “tuition tax” will hurt students and weaken Iowa’s economy

    For Immediate Release: Sept. 7, 2017

    State Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames, the Ranking Member of the Senate Education Committee, released a statement in response to today’s meeting of Tuition Task Force with the Iowa Board of Regents:

    “In a series of meetings, Iowans overwhelmingly urged the Board of Regents not to impose years of sharp tuition increases on Iowa students and their families.

    “Let’s be clear.  During the 2017 session, Republicans balanced the state budget by cutting university funding, forcing a tuition increase this year of more than twice what the Board of Regents had proposed.  Now, instead of ending huge giveaways to out-of-state corporations, Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans hope a steep, multi-year ‘tuition tax’ on Iowa students will balance Iowa’s busted state budget.

    “However, making college much more costly for Iowa students will only make things worse.  Iowa is in a downward spiral.  Our state’s lack of skilled workers prevents strong economic growth.  The lack of economic growth creates a budget deficit.  Republicans cut education to balance the budget.  Those cuts worsen our skilled worker shortage.

    “The Republican plan to balance the budget through a ‘tuition tax’ on Iowa families will hurt Iowa’s economy and should be rejected.”

     

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  • Republican no-shows for Tuition Task Force meeting hamper efforts to make college more affordable for Iowa students

    July 25, 2017

    The Board of Regents Tuition Task Force has canceled its July 27th meeting due to a lack of participation by Republican legislators and members of the Reynolds Administration.

    According to the Board of Regents’ web site, the task force was “established to facilitate public discussion regarding the issue of tuition at Iowa’s public universities.  The task force will examine the core issues and strategies central to the process of setting tuition at the three Regent Universities and welcomes input from legislative and business stakeholders, university representatives, and the public.”

    The July 27th meeting would have been the first of four public meetings on future tuition policy.  The Board of Regents announced the meeting was canceled due to lack of participation.  Confirmed participants included the members of the taskforce, Iowa Workforce Development, and Democratic members of the Iowa House and Senate.

    “I’m disappointed that Republican legislators, Governor Reynolds’ office, and other Reynolds state agencies failed to indicate any interest in participating in tomorrow’s Regents’ Tuition Task Force meeting,” said Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee.  “Republican legislators especially need to participate because their budget cuts to the state universities this year have caused steep tuition increases, more than double what the Board of Regents had initially planned.  These late increases have slammed Iowa’s college students and their parents.”

    The remaining meetings on student tuition and fees are scheduled to be held at college campuses when the majority of students won’t be there:  August 7 at the University of Northern Iowa; August 9 at Iowa State University; and, August 14 at the University of Iowa.

    “All the meetings should be rescheduled to days when students are actually on campus,” said Quirmbach.  “That way we can hear from the people we are counting on to be the next generation of Iowa innovators and leaders.  Student voices need to be heard—and listened to!”

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