Close Up: Gov. Reynolds discusses plans for AEA changes, school security and more in exclusive interview with KCCI

Close Up: Gov. Reynolds discusses plans for AEA changes, school security and more in exclusive interview with KCCI

Updated: 12:01 PM CST Jan 28, 2024

CLOSE UP. SITTING DOWN WITH IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS. IN MY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, I ASKED ABOUT HER PLAN TO OVERHAUL IOWA’S SPECIAL EDUCATION SYSTEM AND HER RESPONSE TO SOME IOWANS CONCERNS AND MAKING SCHOOL SAFER. WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAYS NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE WAKE OF THE DEADLY PERRY HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING AND REYNOLDS DID SOMETHING NO IOWA GOVERNOR HAD DONE IN DECADES ENDORSE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BEFORE THE IOWA CAUCUS. HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT HER ENDORSEMENT OF RON DESANTIS NOW THAT HE’S DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE. THIS IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. THIS IS KCCI EIGHT NEWS CLOSE UP. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO CLOSE UP. I’M CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER. WELL, ONE OF THE PROPOSALS STIRRING UP THE MOST CONVERSATIONS SO FAR THIS SESSION IS ONE FROM GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS. IT WOULD MAKE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE STATE’S NINE AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES. THOSE AGENCIES PROVIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES TO ALL IOWA CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. REYNOLDS TOLD ME WHY SHE SEES THIS AS A TOP PRIORITY AND HOW SHE’S ADDRESSING CONCERNS FROM SOME TEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS. ONE OF YOUR TOP PRIORITIES HAS BEEN OVERHAULING IOWA’S AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES. WHY IS THAT A TOP PRIORITY FOR YOU? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE’RE WE’RE LETTING THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES DOWN. WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT’S NOT, UM, PERFORMING AND HELPING OUR KIDS WITH DISABILITIES. IT’S NOT WORKING. AND DESPITE SPENDING MORE MONEY IN A SYSTEM WHERE WE’RE GETTING LESS POOR RESULTS THAN STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE SPEND $5,300 MORE ON AVERAGE, ON A NATIONAL AVERAGE, THAN OTHER STATES WHO HAVE HIGHER PERFORMANCE WITH THEIR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. WE NEED TO DO BETTER. AND WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE NAEP SCORES OR WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE STATE SCORES OR WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING AT A FEDERAL, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WHO HAS COME IN AND SAID THAT OUR KIDS ARE UNDERPERFORMING AND NOT PERFORMING WHERE THEY SHOULD BE. IF WE NEED TO CHANGE, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY. AND SO. WE PUT TOGETHER A BILL THAT WE BELIEVE WILL START TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NAPE SCORE OR THE RANKINGS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE’VE RANKED 30TH OR BELOW AND NINE OUT OF 12 ASSESSMENTS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I TALKED ABOUT THE. STATE ASSESSMENT IN THE SPRING OF 23. I BELIEVE IT WAS. THERE WAS A GAP OF A 41% PROFICIENCY GAP WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY VERSUS ALL OTHER STUDENTS FOR 20 YEARS, WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY UNDERPERFORMED WITH THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. THEY DESERVE BETTER THAN THAT. THEY DESERVE A SYSTEM THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CAN WORK WITH THEM AND HELP IMPROVE THEIR SCORES AND IMPROVE THEIR OUTCOMES. AND SO WE CAN’T KEEP DOING THINGS THE SAME WAY AND EXPECT TO GET SOME DIFFERENT RESULTS. AND I THINK THAT STARTS WITH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. WE ARE THE ONLY STATE IN THE COUNTRY THAT GIVES THE MONEY. IT GOES FLOWS RIGHT THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO THE EEA. SO THEY GET ALL OF THE FUNDING AND THEN WE MANDATE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS USE THEM FOR THE SERVICES. NO ACCOUNTABILITY, REGARDLESS IF THEY FEEL LIKE THEY’RE PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT THEIR CHILDREN NEED. AND THEN THERE’S NO OVERSIGHT OR ACCOUNTABILITY. IT’S ALL DONE WITH IN THE AEA SYSTEM. SO I THINK THE WAY THAT YOU CHANGE THAT IS YOU PULL OUT THE ACCOUNTABILITY, THE OVERSIGHT, AND TO REALLY AND THEN HELPING TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE, YOU GIVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE MONEY. SO ALL OF THE MONEY FOR STATE, FEDERAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES WILL NOW GO TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND, AND THEN WE’LL PROVIDE SOME OVERSIGHT TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE’VE GOT METRICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS PART OF A $529 MILLION APPROPRIATION, WHICH IS A LOT OF MONEY. AND OUR KIDS AREN’T PERFORMING WHERE THEY SHOULD BE. AND I JUST IT’S IT’S, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO BETTER TO TALKING ABOUT THAT PERFORMANCE. DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE ASSESSMENTS PROVIDE AN ACCURATE PICTURE ON HOW STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE PERFORMING? BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, DISABILITIES VARY, YOU KNOW, PRETTY PRETTY BROADLY. AND NOT ALL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES CAN TAKE STANDARDIZED OR TIME TESTS TO TO TO PROPOSE AN OVERHAUL BASED ON THAT DATA. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THAT DATA PROVIDES AN ACCURATE LISTEN, NATE BRANCH, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL REPORT CARD. IT IS THE ONLY APPLES TO APPLS COMPARISON. AND IT IS HOW WE ARE BEING COMPARED WITH EVERY OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY. SO IOWA IS NOT UNIQUE. AND WHAT PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS IT’S BASED ON THE FEDERAL DEFINITION. SO WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT CATEGORICALS, BUT IT DOESN’T TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT. IT IS BASED ON THE FEDERAL DEFINITION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. AND SO EVERY SINGLE STATE BASED ON THE SAME, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, GROUP OF STUDENTS ARE, ARE MEASURED BY THE SAME STANDARD. AND SO THAT IS THE ONLY APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON THAT WE HAVE. AND OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE’VE RANKED 30TH OR BELOW IN NINE OUT OF THE 12 ASSESSMENTS. SO OKAY, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ASIDE, THEN WE’LL DO THE STATE ASSESSMENTS. AND THAT’S WHAT I WAS SAYING EARLIER THAT ON THE STATE ASSESSMENTS IN THE SPRING OF 23, OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES HAD A 41% DEFICIENCY GAP COMPARED TO ALL OTHER STUDENTS, 41%. SO THAT’S NAPE, WHICH IS THE APPLE TO APPLE COMPARISON ACROSS ALL STATES. THAT’S WHAT EVERY GOVERNOR HAS TO, YOU KNOW, BENCHMARK THEMSELVES AGAINST. SO THEY SAID THEY’RE UNDERPERFORMING BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. OUR STATE ASSESSMENT SAYS WE’RE UNDERPERFORMING BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. AND THEN WE HAVE THE FEDERAL, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WHO HAS ALSO COME IN SINCE I THINK IT WAS 2017 OR 18 AND HAS TAGGED IOWA AS A NEEDS, NEED AND ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OUR KIDS ARE NOT PERFORMING WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AND BECAUSE WE HAVE NO OVERSIGHT, RIGHT. AND COMPLIANCE. AND IF WE GET TAGGED WITH THAT NEED OF ASSISTANCE ONE MORE YEAR, THEN THEY ACTUALLY CAN COME IN AND START TO DICTATE HOW WE PROVIDE. THESE SERVICES TO THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. SO YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MAYBE 1 OR 2 ARE, BUT EVERY SINGLE. ONE HAS REFLECTED WHERE WE’RE THAT WE’RE NOT PERFORMING WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOR THESE STUDENTS. AND SO SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. WE HAVE TO. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND I MEAN THERE, WE HAD A FACT CHECK AND I THINK THEY SAID 30 PLUS YEARS WE HAVE CONSISTS ACKLEY UNDERPERFORMED UH, WITH THE STUDENTS, WITH THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. AND SO AT EVERY SINGLE METRIC THAT WE HAVE TO MEASURE BY IS SAYING WE’RE NOT PROVIDING THESE STUDENTS WITH THE WITH THE EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE. IF SOME SCHOOLS CHOOSE TO CONTRACT WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY INSTEAD OF THEIR LOCAL AEA, DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT IMPACTS WHAT SERVICES THAT LOCAL AEA CAN PROVIDE TO THE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT DO CHOOSE TO CONTRACT? I REALLY TO BE QUITE HONEST, THIS ISN’T GOING TO FLIP OVERNIGHT. IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME. LIKE I SAID, 30 YEARS PLUS WE’VE BEEN UNDERPERFORMING. AND SO THIS WILL START TO PUT THE FRAMEWORK IN PLACE TO CHANGE THAT DYNAMICS. AND SO BY HELPING SCHOOL DISTRICTS GET THE MONEY, THE STATE, THE FEDERAL, THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICE FUNDING WILL ALL GO TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. A LOT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU PROBABLY FOR THE FIRST YEAR WON’T SEE A LOT OF CHANGES. YOU WILL WITH SOME THAT ARE READY TO. THEY’VE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT IT. THEY’VE THOUGHT ABOUT THE SYSTEM. THEY’VE NOT BEEN HAPPY. YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD SUPERINTENDENTS COME UP TO ME FOR YEARS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD GET THE FUNDING. SO HERE’S THE FUNDING. SO NOW YOU CAN DO WITH IT WHAT YOU WANT. BUT I WOULD GUESS FOR THE FIRST YEAR, THE MAJORITY OF THE OF THE SCHOOLS WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, CONTRACT WITH THE AEA TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. BUT THERE IS AN OPTION. OH, AND THE AND THE BILL SAYS THAT WHEN THEY CONTRACT WITH THE AEA, THE AEA SHALL PROVIDE CLYDE THE SERVICES FOR THE SCHOOL. SO THERE’S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE THAT SAYS, I WANTED TO DO AWAY WITH THE AEA. WE’RE GOING TO CUT THE THE AEA FUNDING AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE. THAT IS NOT HAPPENING WHATSOEVER. SO WE’RE BRINGING DOWN SOME OF THE OVERHEAD. WE’RE GIVING SCHOOLS THE THE FUNDING SO THAT THEY CAN HOLD THE AEA ACCOUNTABLE. NOW THEY’RE THE CUSTOMER. SO WE CAN IMPROVE THE SCORES, THE SERVICES. EXCUSE ME, IMPROVE THE SERVICES. IF THEY’RE NOT PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT THEY WANT, THEY HAVE SOME OPTIONS. AT THAT POINT. THEY CAN BRING SOMEBODY IN-HOUSE. THEY CAN HIRE A SPECIAL EDUCATION EDUCATOR OR A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST, OR THEY CAN SHARE WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OR THEY CAN GO TO ANOTHER AEA OR, OR THEY CAN BRING IN A PRIVATE COMPANY BASED ON CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO BE ACCREDITED TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. THEY CAN DO THAT. AND SO ALL OF THAT WILL I THINK, ENHANCE THE WAY THAT WE ARE DELIVERING SERVICES IN EDUCATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. SO THAT’S ALL IT’S YOU KNOW, THAT’S ALL IT’S DOING. I HAVE HEARD FROM SOME RURAL IOWANS WHO WHO HEAR THE IDEA THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL THAT ESE MAY CONSOLIDATE, MAYBE NOT. YOU KNOW, THE FIRST YEAR BUT BUT OVER, OVER TIME POTENTIALLY. HOW DO YOU ASSURE IOWANS IN RURAL AREAS THAT WORRY IF ESE CONSOLIDATE SERVICES TO SPECIAL FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN RURAL AREAS MAY BE IMPACTED? WELL REMEMBER WE’RE BRINGING MORE FUNDS INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS SO THEY’RE IN CONTROL OF THAT. WE’RE REDUCING THE OVERHEAD. IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TOMORROW. BUT JUST LIKE WE USED TO HAVE 15. AND THEN THEY, YOU KNOW THEY REALIGNED AND THEY WENT DOWN TO NINE. WE CONSTANTLY NEED TO BE LOOKING. AND I DON’T THINK THERE WAS ANY THEY DIDN’T SEE ANY REDUCTION OF SERVICES. NOTHING WENT AWAY. UM, SO WE’LL STILL HAVE PEOPLE OUT ON THE GROUND PROVIDING THESE. HOPEFULLY WE’LL BRING NEW PEOPLE INTO, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BRING ADDITIONAL COMPANIES OR ADDITIONAL PEOPLE THAT WILL BE WILLING AND ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SEE A HUGE SHIFT, AND WE’LL BE ABLE TO ADJUST WITH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. MOVING FORWARD. AND REYNOLDS PLAN, ORIGINALLY CALLED FOR ESE TO STOP PROVIDING GENERAL EDUCATION SERVICES THAT INCLUDES HELP WITH NEW CURRICULUM, TECHNOLOGY AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. AFTER A FLOOD OF FEEDBACK, REYNOLDS SAYS AGENCIES WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE PROGRAMS AMES IF THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUESTS IT AND IT’S APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. SPEAKER OF THE IOWA HOUSE PAT GRASSLEY SAYS REPUBLICANS ARE STILL WORKING WITH REYNOLDS ON THAT NEW VERSION OF THE BILL, AND STATE HOUSE DEMOCRATS SAY THEY WELCOME PLANS TO MAKE ESE MORE ACCOUNTABLE. BUT THEY’RE FRUSTRATED THAT THERE WASN’T MORE BIPARTISAN INVOLVEMENT OR MORE INPUT FROM THE ESE WHEN DRAFTING THAT ORIGINAL PLAN. AND MY ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNOR REYNOLDS CONTINUES ON CLOSE-UP. COMING UP, WHAT SHE SAYS COULD MAKE IOWA SCHOOLS SAFER IN THE WAKE OF THE DEADLY PERRY HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING. AND THE GOVERNOR BROKE WITH TRADITION WHEN SHE ENDORSED RON DESANTIS BEFORE THE IOWA CAUCUSES. WHAT IMPACT SHE THINKS THAT MAY HAVE ON IOWA AFTER DONALD TRUMP WON AND DESANTIS DROPPED OUT. SOME STUDENTS IN PERRY BEGAN RETURNING TO CLASS LAST WEEK. THAT’S THE FIRST TIME OF RETURNING SINCE A DEADLY SHOOTING AT THE PERRY HIGH SCHOOL. THE JANUARY FOURTH SHOOTING KILLED 11 YEAR OLD MIA JOLLIFF AND PRINCIPAL DAN MARBURGER. SOME PERRY STUDENTS AND PARENTS SAY SCHOOLS NEED TO DO MORE TO PREVENT ANOTHER ACT OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE, INCLUDING INSTALLING METAL DETECTORS OR OFFERING REMOTE LEARNING OPTIONS. I ASKED REYNOLDS WHAT SHE THINKS SHOULD BE DONE TO HELP PARENTS FEEL SAFE SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO CLASS. I WANT TO TURN NOW TO TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TRAGEDY IN PERRY. THE SHOOTING THERE. YOU HAVE SAID THAT NO GUN LAW WOULD HAVE PREVENTED WHAT HAPPENED IN PERRY. THAT’S WHAT YOU BELIEVE. I’M WONDERING, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU DID LEARN FROM THAT TRAGEDY THAT YOU COULD CHANGE OR APPLY TO HELP PARENTS WHO NOW ARE TERRIFIED TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL? WELL, WE TRIED TWO YEARS AGO. WE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT BECAUSE WE WEREN’T THE FIRST STATE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN. AND AS YOU SEE IT PLAY OUT IN STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID WAS TO STAND UP THE GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL SAFETY BUREAU AND NOT ONLY STOOD IT UP TWO YEARS AGO, BUT PUT $100 MILLION INTO THE PROGRAM SO THAT WE COULD WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS ALL ACROSS THE STATE TO REALLY DO AN ASSESSMENT ON EVERY ONE OF THE BUILDINGS TO START TO IDENTIFY WHERE SOME OF THE VULNERABILITIES MIGHT BE. BUT WE WANT THE STEP FURTHER. SO ALMOST ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE DONE THAT, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE APPLIED FOR THE GRANT. SO I ALSO PUT FUNDING INTO A GRANT PROGRAM. I THINK IT’S ABOUT 50,000 A BUILDING. SO WE’RE NOT JUST IDENTIFYING THESE VULNERABILITIES, BUT HERE IS AN APPROPRIATE A GRANT TO HELP CHANGE THOSE OR FIX WHAT THOSE VULNERABILITIES MIGHT BE. WE ALSO PROVIDED RADIOS FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. AND THEY THEY DID SUCH A PHENOMENAL JOB. I MEAN, OUR JUST OUR MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS CONTINUE TO GO OUT TO THE, UM, TO THE FAMILIES AND TO THE PERRY COMMUNITY. BUT I TELL YOU, IF THERE’S A BRIGHT SPOT AND THAT WHOLE THING, IT WAS THE UNBELIEVABLE RESPONSE NOT ONLY OF THE PRINCIPAL OF MARBURG, MARBURG, BUT JUST THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEY WERE THERE WITHIN MINUTES AND REALLY THEY HAD JUST BEEN TRAINED. SO THAT WAS ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE SCHOOL SAFETY BUREAU IS TO TRAIN THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND THEN THEY CAN TRAIN, THEY CAN BE TRAINED THE TRAINERS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY CAN CONTINUE TO TRAIN OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS. BUT THEY DID A GREAT JOB OF RESPONDING. SO RADIOS, ASSESSMENTS, UH, MONEY TO TO REALLY FIX THE VULNERABILITIES, THE RADIOS WE AND THEN SOMETHING I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL PARENTS TO MAKE SURE THE KIDS KNOW ABOUT IS WE STOOD UP A SAFE AND SOUND APP, WHICH IS AN ANONYMOUS REPORTING TOOL, BECAUSE ALMOST ALWAYS THERE’S SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT KIND OF ALLUDES TO WHAT’S HAPPENING. AND KIDS, IF THEY SEE THAT. THAT CAN GO ON TO THIS APP AND REPORT IT AND UH, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, GET IN FRONT OF IT. THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WATCHING IT 24 OVER SEVEN THAT CAN RESPOND OR LOOK INTO IT OR CHECK AND SEE IF IT’S NOT, YOU KNOW, IF IT’S REAL OR IF IT’S NOT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF COPYCAT, BUT THAT’S ANOTHER, UM, REALLY GOOD COMPONENT. I THINK OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STOOD UP FROM THE GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL SAFETY BUREAU JUST AND THEN JUST THE TRAINING, THE ONGOING, ONGOING TRAINING AS WELL. ON THE FIRST DAY OF SESSION, UM, LAWMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE SAID, WE WANT PARENTS TO FEEL SAFER SENDING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL THAN THEY DID ON THE FIRST DAY OF SESSION. SCHOOL SECURITY HAS TO BE A PRIORITY FOR US. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU COULD TELL LAWMAKERS? HEY, WHAT IF WE DID THIS THIS SESSION TO IMPROVE SCHOOL SECURITY? IS THERE ANY NEW MEASURES YOU COULD TAKE? I MEAN, WE’VE TRIED TO GET IN FRONT OF IT. WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, STATE THE RESOURCE OFFICERS. I MEAN, WE HAD A LOT OF SCHOOLS THAT KICKED THEM OUT, AND NOW I THINK YOU’RE STARTING TO SEE THAT THEY’VE CHANGED THE MINDSET HAS CHANGED ON THAT, AND THEY’RE BRINGING, UH, RESOURCE OFFICERS BACK INTO THE SCHOOL. I’VE HAD SCHOOLS ASK IF, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, ACCESS TO A GUN IN THE BUILDING. I MEAN, THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP OUTSIDE OF THIS LEGISLATURE BY DIFFERENT, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND INDIVIDUALS ASKING FOR DIFFERENT THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE’LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE IT. BUT IT’S JUST, YOU KNOW, EVIL IS EVIL SOMETIMES MENTAL HEALTH. I MEAN, WE HAVE SPENT IT HAS BEEN A PASSION OF MINE. I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT. YOU KNOW, SINCE TAKING OFFICE, I WAS THE FIRST GOVERNOR THAT STOOD UP A CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. THEY TALKED ABOUT IT FOR TWO DECADES. NOTHING HAD EVER BEEN DONE. I DID AN EXECUTIVE ORDER, BROUGHT STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER, THEN TOOK IT TO THE LEGISLATURE, AND IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. I’VE CONTINUED TO INVEST IN PROVIDERS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE REGIONS, UH, I AMBER RECOVERY, UM, CENTER CAMPUS. I TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE CONDITION OF THE STATE. THAT’S 70 NEW BEDS THAT COME THAT WILL COME ONLINE FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER AND CRISIS SERVICES, AS WELL AS ADDICTION, UM, RESOURCES. SO, YOU KNOW, WE AND THEN THE ALIGNMENT BILL THAT I’M DOING THIS YEAR TO REALLY LOOK AT THE SYSTEM AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S NOT DUPLICATIONS, THAT WE’RE STREAMLINING IT. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GETTING THOSE DOLLARS ON THE GROUND. AND TO SERVICES THAT WILL SUPPORT THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED THEM. SO WE CONSTANTLY HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT THAT COMPONENT OF IT AS WELL. JUST TO BE CLEAR, UH, YOU KNOW, ARMING TEACHERS OR OR, UH, THOSE AREN’T PROPOSALS THAT YOU’RE RECOMMENDING. THOSE ARE JUST CONVERSATIONS. YOU’RE LISTENING. AND I MADE THAT CLEAR. I SAID, JUST I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING THROUGH THEIR LEGISLATIVE LEADERS THAT ARE ASKING FOR DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTIONS. OR HERE’S SOME OF THE THINGS WE’RE LOOKING AT. AND THAT’S HOW THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS WORKS. STILL TO COME ON, CLOSE UP, MORE OF MY ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNOR REYNOLDS AFTER DESANTIS LOST BIG TO TRUMP IN IOWA AND DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE, I ASKED REYNOLDS WHETHER IT WAS WORTH IT TO BREAK TRADITION AND ENDORSE THE FLORIDA GOVERNOR. WELCOME. BACK TO CLOSE UP. IN NOVEMBER, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS BROKE A LONG STANDING IOWA TRADITION AHEAD OF THE CAUCUSES. SHE ENDORSED FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT. REYNOLDS SAID DESANTIS WAS THE BETTER CANDIDATE TO BEAT JOE BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT. IN NOVEMBER, TRUMP TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA, SAYING THIS ENDORSEMENT WOULD BE THE END OF REYNOLDS POLITICAL CAREER. DESANTIS FINISHED A DISTANT SECOND ON CAUCUS NIGHT AND DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE SIX DAYS LATER. I ASKED REYNOLDS IF THAT ENDORSEMENT WAS WORTH IT, AND WHETHER SHE THINKS SHE COULD SALVAGE A RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP IF HE BECOMES THE NEXT PRESIDENT. YOU TOOK A BIG RISK ENDORSING RON DESANTIS. YOU BROKE WITH THE TRADITION OF IOWA GOVERNORS NOT USUALLY SUPPORTING A CERTAIN CAMPAIGN. NOW THAT YOU’VE WATCHED HOW EVERYTHING PLAYED OUT, NOW THAT DESANTIS DROPPED OUT AFTER IOWA, DO YOU FEEL THAT ENDORSEMENT WAS WORTH IT? OH, ABSOLUTELY. I HAVE NO REGRETS. I REALLY JUST APPRECIATE RON AND CASEY’S LEADERSHIP AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEIR FRIENDSHIP. I GOT TO KNOW RON DURING COVID, AND I HAD SO MUCH RESPECT FOR HOW HE HANDLED COVID. IT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID IN THE STATE OF IOWA. AND THEN AFTER THAT, I KIND OF JUST WATCHED HIS RECORD AND WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE BIG ISSUES THAT HE TOOK ON AND WON, MOST IMPORTANTLY. SO, YOU KNOW, I’M PROUD. I THINK THEY’VE MADE AN IMPACT ON THIS COUNTRY. I THINK LEADERSHIP MATTERS, AND HE’S KIND OF SET THE PACE FOR THE COUNTRY. SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS HAVE NO REGRETS IN ENDORSING HIM AT ALL. GOING OUT ON A LIMB FOR HIM. UH, DESPITE KIND OF WHAT THE OUTCOME WAS. DO YOU WORRY AT ALL ABOUT THAT IMPACTING YOUR POLITICAL POWER? WELL, NO, IT WAS NEVER ABOUT IT WASN’T ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP OR ANY OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES. AND IT CERTAINLY WASN’T ABOUT ME. AGAIN, I BASED IT ON A RECORD, A CONSERVATIVE RECORD, SOMEBODY THAT I THOUGHT WAS COULD, YOU KNOW, WAS A GREAT LEADER AND REALLY TOOK ON BIG ISSUES. AND WAS ABLE TO GET 100% OF THE RESULTS THAT HE PROMISED, UH, THE CONSTITUENTS THAT HE WOULD, YOU KNOW, THE RECORD THAT HE WOULD PROVIDE FOR THEM. AND SO I APPRECIATED THAT. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAD SOMEBODY THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, SERVE FOR TWO TERMS AND HE COULD SERVE FOR TWO TERMS. BUT I’VE SAID ALL ALONG AS WELL THAT WHOEVER OUR NOMINEE IS, THAT IS WHO I’M GOING TO GET BEHIND, BECAUSE AS ANY ONE OF THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES WILL BE BETTER THAN PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE CHAOS, CRISIS AND OVERREACH THAT WE’VE SEEN FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION, OUR COUNTRY IS IN TROUBLE. I TALK ABOUT THAT A LOT. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER. IT’S UNCONSCIONABLE. THE DERELICTION OF DUTIES FROM THIS PRESIDENT TO NOT ONLY SECURE THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THIS COUNTRY, BUT TO PROTECT HIS CITIZENS. AND THEN YOU PUT ON TOP OF THAT THE INFLATION AND THE INCREASED MISMANAGEMENT OVER SPENDING FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATION AS WELL. AS JUST A WEAKNESS ON THE WORLD STAGE AND HOW THAT’S GOING TO IMPACT OUR COUNTRY AS WELL. SO, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATIVE LEADER REPUBLICAN WILL STEP IN THERE, APPLY MY POLICIES. I BELIEVE THAT WILL START TO REVERSE THE MADNESS THAT WE SEE FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION. NOW THAT DESANTIS HAS THROWN HIS SUPPORT BEHIND TRUMP, DO YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY? WELL, LISTEN, I’VE SAID I’VE SAID THAT MULTIPLE TIMES. PEOPLE ASK, WELL, IF TRUMP IS THE NOMINEE AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S THE PRESUMPTIVE. YES, ABSOLUTELY. I’VE SAID SUPPORT HIM OVER NIKKI HALEY. WELL, LISTEN, I DON’T NEED TO ENDORSE ANYBODY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CAUCUS IS OVER. THAT WAS MY ROLE FOR THE STATE, I BELIEVE. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT’S WHY I THINK. RON STEPPED OUT AT AND THREW HIS SUPPORT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, BECAUSE HE BELIEVES FROM THE INDICATIONS THAT WE SEE THAT HE WILL LIKELY BE THE NOMINEE. I AGREE WITH THAT. AND SO I’VE SAID, THOUGH, THAT I WILL, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, WHOEVER THAT IS. BUT IT’S IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, I DO BELIEVE IT WILL BE PRESIDENT TRUMP. SO IF IF TRUMP IS BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE, HE WAS PRETTY UPSET BY THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN’T ENDORSE HIM. I MEAN, HE CRITICIZED YOU PRETTY CONSISTENTLY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. HE CALLED YOU DISLOYAL. SO IF HE IS THE NEXT PRESIDENT, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SEVER THAT RELATIONSHIP? CAN YOU HAVE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM NOW? YOU KNOW, I HOPE SO. AGAIN, IT’S IT WASN’T ABOUT HIM. I SUPPORTED HIM IN 2016. I SUPPORTED HIM IN 2020. UH, REALLY DID A LOT OF WORK IN BOTH ELECTION CYCLES. I WISHED SHE WOULD HAVE WON. HE DIDN’T. UM, I TOOK A DIFFERENT PATH ON THIS ONE. BUT AGAIN, I’VE TOLD HIM AND I’VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WE’LL SUPPORT WHOEVER THE NOMINEE IS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, HE’LL SEE THAT. LAST SEPTEMBER, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS ANNOUNCED HER HUSBAND, KEVIN, HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER. I ASKED THE GOVERNOR HOW HER HUSBAND IS DOING NOW AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF TREATMENT. I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU ONE LAST THING ABOUT HOW YOUR HUSBAND IS DOING. I KNOW IN OCTOBER YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT HE HAD STARTED TREATMENT TO TREAT HIS LUNG CANCER. YOU KNOW, HOW IS HE DOING NOW? THANK YOU FOR ASKING. IOWANS ARE AMAZING PEOPLE. WE STILL GET NOTES OF ENCOURAGEMENT, A LOT OF PEOPLE REACHING OUT AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR KEVIN AND YOU, AND HE’S DOING REALLY WELL. WE HAVE A GREAT, UM, UH, WE’RE AT JOHN STODDARD. THAT’S WHERE WE’RE RECEIVING OUR CARE AND JUST EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT DOCTORS THAT PROVIDING THAT ARE PROVIDING CARE FOR KEVIN AND TO IOWANS. AND SO IT’S NOT CURABLE BUT IT’S MANAGEABLE. AND WE’RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE. SO PRAYERS ARE WORKING. HE’S DOING WELL. AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING. WE’RE GLAD TO HEAR THAT. THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR KCCI EIGHT NEWS CLOSE-UP. WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT SUNDAY. HAVE A GREAT

Close Up: Gov. Reynolds discusses plans for AEA changes, school security and more in exclusive interview with KCCI

Updated: 12:01 PM CST Jan 28, 2024

On this week’s episode of Close Up, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds sits down for an exclusive interview with KCCI chief political reporter Amanda Rooker. In the wide-ranging conversation, Reynolds talks about her plan to overhaul Iowa’s special education system and her response to some Iowans’ concerns about potential cuts to the state’s Area Education Agencies, what she says could make Iowa schools safer in the wake of the deadly Perry school shooting, and what’s next after Ron DeSantis, who she endorsed in the Iowa caucuses, dropped out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination. She also shares an update on her husband, Kevin, who is being treated for lung cancer.Watch more episodes of Close Up here. » Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

DES MOINES, Iowa —

On this week’s episode of Close Up, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds sits down for an exclusive interview with KCCI chief political reporter Amanda Rooker.

In the wide-ranging conversation, Reynolds talks about her plan to overhaul Iowa’s special education system and her response to some Iowans’ concerns about potential cuts to the state’s Area Education Agencies, what she says could make Iowa schools safer in the wake of the deadly Perry school shooting, and what’s next after Ron DeSantis, who she endorsed in the Iowa caucuses, dropped out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

She also shares an update on her husband, Kevin, who is being treated for lung cancer.

Watch more episodes of Close Up here.

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