School 'voucher' bill giving public money to private education passes Iowa Senate. KCRG.com

DUBUQUE, Iowa. (KWWL) --" A new bill has passed through the Iowa Senate that would take taxpayer money set aside for public schools and give it directly to parents who want to send their child to private schools as a 'scholarship'."

"After an hours-long debate, the bill passed Thursday evening by a vote of 26-21.

The fast-moving legislation is the end-result of a priority set by Governor Reynolds in this month's Condition of the State address.

The bill would make official her plan to provide $5,200 in state money directly to parents who want to send their kids to private or charter schools instead."
State Auditor Rob Sand issued a statement Thursday (the day the bill was to be brought to the Senate) which reads:
(A bill requiring oversight of the voucher money was rejected by Republican majority Senate.)
"Iowans should be alarmed that the proposal for vouchers contains no independent audit provision, and in fact no audit requirement whatsoever."

"The public will have little ability to see what is happening with their tax dollars, and less protection from fraud and abuse. The charter school proposal, by contrast, maintains audit provisions consistent with today’s rigorous requirements for public schools."

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand
"We would have no oversight into how that money is spent," Sand told KWWL."