Gov. Terry Branstad (R)
Date of Speech: Jan. 14
Gov. Branstad urged lawmakers in his Condition of the State address to pass legislation that would require schools to inform parents if their child is involved in a bullying incident and allow school personnel to intervene in any bullying that takes place off school grounds. He said such a move would help mitigate the impact of cyberbullying and other forms of harassment.
“Imagine being unable to escape, as the bully relentlessly pursues them online, in a form accessible 24/7. Imagine how bleak it must be. Imagine how lonely it must feel,” he said in his address.
On the higher education front, Mr. Branstad is planning to triple funding—to $1 million this year—for the Hawkeye State’s apprenticeship program, which allows students to earn a paycheck at a job site in their field while working toward a degree. He’s also hoping to freeze tuition at the state’s regent universities, continuing a policy Iowa put in place last year.
Separately, he would like to provide tax incentives to repurpose old school buildings and turn them into local centers for economic development.
