Tuesday, Iowa’s current governor, Kim Reynolds, announced that she will use $100 million to create he “Governor’s School Safety Bureau.” This bureau will be involved in distributing funds for a ‘School Safety Improvement Fund’ of up to $50,000 per school building for Iowa’s 1500 K-12 buildings.
In announcing the program, Reynolds made a statement that was incredible for its lack of understanding of what the problem is:
“Mass shootings and other violent acts committed against innocent people are difficult to understand,” said Gov. Reynolds “But work must be done to answer the question why they happen and what can be done to prevent this type of behavior.”
Well, Governor, let us start with the easy availability of guns and killing machines like the AK47 and the AR15. These are weapons of war. They should not be carried around in an open society casually threatening peaceful citizens. Reynolds apparently must believe in the myth of the “good guy with a gun.” Once the bullets start flying they do not make judgments on who they hit.
Good guys, bad guys, police, women, children, dogs and cats all die from bullets. The lucky ones may survive with permanent injuries including mental problems.
Experts in Iowa, in the US and across the world have proven that easy access to guns is the underlying cause to the country’s murder and suicide epidemic. When will people like Kim Reynolds quit sacrificing our lives in the altar of the gun lobby and finally face reality? I certainly hope their lives do not have to be altered by a gun for reality to set in.
Progress Iowa sent out an excellent email on Reynolds announcement:
STATEMENT: Reynolds’ school safety plan won’t keep kids safe
Des Moines, Iowa — Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to Governor Reynolds’ announcement that she’s using $100 million in ARPA and ESSER funds for a new school safety plan:
“Iowans are devastated by the gun violence taking place across our country and in our own communities. We’re frustrated with politicians passing the buck and want our leaders to take action and enact universal background checks and limit access to assault weapons in order to help save lives.
“But instead, Governor Reynolds continues to politicize the lives of children with her new school safety plan, that uses funding she opposed. This plan does nothing to actually keep guns out of schools.
“It’s time the Governor listens to students, educators and parents who are demanding common-sense gun laws to prevent violence in our schools and communities.”
This year when you vote, remember that Iowa’s governor can be very influential on state and notional gun policy. Replacing Kim Reynolds with a leader who will deal with guns in a realistic way would send a big message to the country that we are sick and tired of politicians who choose guns over people.
A vote for Diedre DeJear would send a loud and strong message for children and for common-sense gun laws. DeJear is realistic about the causes of gun violence.
Blog For Iowa 
Are there no restrictions on the use of American Recovery Act Funds? So far, Reynolds has spent them on tourism and now on ‘hardening’ security at our schools Is that what they were for?
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heck of a good question. I was wondering that myself. I wondered why the newspaper articles did not cover that because I am sure many readers were curious since this deems to be a real stretch from Covid.
My recollection was that the restrictions were very loose. Here is what I found on a website for the National Association of Counties:
https://www.naco.org/resources/featured/naco-recovery-fund-faqs
“Access NACo’s Full Analysis
Visit the NACo COVID-19 Recovery Clearinghouse
On January 6, the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) released the Final Rule and an Overview of the Final Rule document for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund), a portion of the $362 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) signed into law on March 11 by President Biden.
Key changes between the Final Rule and the Interim Final Rule included new flexibility to use Recovery Funds to invest in broadband infrastructure, services and programs to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including capital investments in public facilities, and investments in housing and neighborhoods, all of which counties advocated for. This specific interim rule and related guidance covers the $65.1 billion in direct federal aid to America’s counties. ”
Looks like “hardening” would slip in under the letter of the law, but probably not the spirit.
One last note. My recollection is that the National Association of Counties is a good solid non-partisan organization that among other things helps with guidance for county governments.
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It’s not that I don’t care about Iowans who work in and attend schools. But some of us would like to feel safer when going to a food store, outdoor festival, workplace, park, post office, mall, church parking lot, etc. etc. etc.
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