Iowa senator receives hateful messages after reading opening prayer by Muslim constituent Ian Richardson, Des Moines Register
What will the Iowa Legislature focus on in 2021?
Replay Video UP NEXT
When the Iowa Senate gaveled in Feb. 8, Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Windsor Heights, stood to offer an opening prayer asking God for inspiration, guidance and peace.
The prayer was written by one of her constituents, a young Muslim woman. A few days later, Trone Garriott said, she began receiving hateful messages on social media. Some of the people who were making comments, they were saying just horrible things about our Muslim neighbors that they hate freedom and that they re trying to take over the country and they want to hurt Christians and all of these terrible things that aren t true, she said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on education in Iowa, and many families have decided to homeschool their children. State Senator Amy Sinclair is the Chair of the senate’s Education Committee, and says she anticipates those families returning to traditional school soon, and that a high number of homeschooled students could have adverse budgetary consequences.
“We anticipate those families moving back into a public school setting, so we have a lapse in what certified enrollment looks like. If the legislature doesn’t do something to deal with that, there will be several districts that are on a budget guarantee, and a budget guarantee would have property tax implications. We need to manage that certified enrollment number that is unusual with about 6,000 families choosing to keep their kids home. That will have a real impact if we don’t do something from the state level.”
Iowa News Headlines Thursday, December 31, 2020 southernminn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from southernminn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.