March 23 marked the one-year anniversary of the murders of correctional officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. We mourn their loss and continue to fight for better working conditions for the Iowans who do these jobs every day.

Iowa prisons are overcrowded, understaffed and dangerous. Violence in Iowa prisons has been on the rise for years and is now a regular occurrence.

According to a system-wide security and safety review of the Iowa Department of Corrections, inadequate staffing levels and recruitment and retention problems are straining Iowa’s prison system—and those struggles persist, despite the Legislature approving a long-overdue increase to the corrections budget in 2021.

We can honor the sacrifices of Robert McFarland and Lorena Schulte by passing a pair of bipartisan proposals to:

• Define prison health care staff as public safety employees.

• Restore collective bargaining rights that give employees a stronger voice in their workplace.

• Provide health insurance for the surviving spouse and children when a worker is killed in the line of duty.

• Strengthen penalties for assault against public safety personnel.

• Increase funding for contraband and surveillance screening at correctional facilities.

HF2404 and HF2405 would better protect workers, prevent future tragedies and send the message that we value and respect our fellow citizens who take on some of the toughest jobs.

Private school voucher bill is bad for rural communities

Constituents have been especially vocal this session about legislation to divert $50 million in taxpayer funds to private schools (SF 2369).

Most Iowans think that’s a bad idea. According to the latest Iowa Poll:

• Parents with kids are more likely to oppose the proposal than favor it.

• Independent voters have become more skeptical of private school voucher proposals.

The quality of our schools is a big consideration when families decide where to live, work and raise a family. Good public schools also attract businesses and entrepreneurs because they know they’ll find smart innovators and skilled workers.

The state’s failure to support our local schools in recent years has made it impossible for them to keep up with inflation, let alone make improvements. In fact, this year’s state funding is so meager that 81 school districts won’t get a dollar more than they got last year.

Now some legislators want to create a voucher program that will take money from our local schools—which educate nearly half-a-million students, and give it to private schools—which have only 34,000 students statewide. I’ve supported funding initiatives for Iowa’s private schools, but the voucher legislation goes too far.

The education reform Iowa really needs must start with investing in our public schools to make them better for all students.

State Senator Kevin Kinney works for the people of Iowa Senate District 46, which includes Iowa and Washington counties, and Oxford, Hills, Shueyville, Swisher and Tiffin in Johnson County. Contact him at 319-631-4667 or kevin.kinney@legis.iowa.gov.