IOWA HOUSE PASSES EDUCATION PLAN

House lawmakers have approved an education plan that scales back Governor Terry Branstad's education proposals.

Legislators approved the bill Wednesday morning on a 52-44 vote. The plan aims to improve Iowa schools by boosting minimum teacher pay and offering bonuses to senior teachers who take on tasks like mentoring. Under the revisions, school districts could opt-out of the reform.

Republican Representative Ron Jorgensen of Sioux City heads the House Education committee which settled on 32-thousand dollars as the minimum salary for new teachers:



Jorgensen says maintaining the status quo is unacceptable:



Republicans and Democrats did agree on one component of the bill -- a proposal to boost general state taxpayer support of schools by two percent in the academic year that begins this fall and by another two percent the following year.

The vote followed 5 and a half hours of debate Tuesday night that ended just before midnight.

Radio Iowa and Associated Press contributed to this story