I thought it would be worthwhile to post and comment a bit on the May 26, 2023 episode of Iowa Press with Senate President Amy Sinclair (R – Allerton). It’s valuable to see in hindsight how Republicans were selling the worst of their terrible bills that passed this legislative session. Now that we’re already seeing actual lousy outcomes.

Sinclair was on the show in January when she said this in response to a question from Stephen Gruber-Miller: “And what about the question of if schools raise tuition?

“…I would tell you that the people who are paying tuition, the ones paying the bills are also the ones who govern those nonpublic schools. And I can’t imagine that they would make obscene increases in what they are having to pay just because some of the kids might have a scholarship.”

Well maybe she couldn’t or didn’t want to imagine it like the rest of us could, but it did sort of happen. On this program broadcast on May 26, after the 2023 session was over and private schools, oh excuse me, non-public schools as Rs like to call them to avoid saying private schools, did in fact raise tuition some obscenely, Sinclair was asked about it.  A good Republican she forgot what she said on the program in January and this time tried her best to make inflation the culprit.  She claimed she saw it coming and said she was not surprised that tuition was going up a little because that is to be expected with inflation.

No one on the panel said anything like, hey, that’s not what you said in January.  But Kay Henderson gets follow up points for asking,“So, 24% at one school. Does that seem reasonable?”  Watch this smooth talking Republican sputter over that one.  The exchange is around 4:36.

And just so you know if you are the voting kind and you live in Senate District 12 (Lucas, Wayne, Decatur, Clarke, Madison, Adair, and townships in Dallas, Union, and Appanoose County) Sinclair has a Democratic opponent, Nicole Loew. Check out her campaign website at loewforiowa.com

Nicole Loew for Iowa Senate District 14/ loewforiowa.com