Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds focuses on education, health care in annual address

By HANNAH FINGERHUT
Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds focused on education and health care in an expansive agenda laid out for legislators Tuesday evening, calling for substantial revisions to how special education is provided in schools and how mental health and substance use are treated across the state. The proposals may bring systematic changes to services across Iowa but are drawing early concerns about disparities in care in the state, especially for rural communities. Reynolds began her annual Condition of the State address reflecting on last week’s high school shooting in Perry, about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines and thanking first responders, some of whom were in the audience.