House GOPers Attack Collective Bargaining Rights on Iowa Teachers // Meanwhile, My Tweet Makes the Washington Post!

Earlier this past week when I was back near Boston, I learned that House Republicans back here in Iowa were working on a funding bill that under-funded our public schools and introduced an amendment that would negatively affect the collective bargaining rights of Iowa's teachers in the process. I watched as the House of Representatives debated and defended these amendments and could do much more than send an email to my own representative and urge her to support our schools and our teachers.

One of the things that frustrated me while I watched was the level of bored inattention to these concerns by various House Republicans. For example, Rep. Clel Baudler spent the debate watching programs on Netflix.

But the one who really got my goat was Rep. Ross Paustian, who got caught by the Des Moines Register kicking back with a copy of Sex After Sixty during the legislative discussion. Progress Iowa posted some commentary on Facebook, and I ended up posting a screen-grab of that on Twitter.

My Twitter post was fairly popular, compared to other tweets that I've made over the years. Several have favorited it and several more retweeted that image. But then people moved on to bigger and better things.

I learned this morning that my Rep. Paustian/Sex After Sixty tweetgot used in Washington Post piece on this latest attack on collective bargaining rights. That puffed up my ego for a few moments. But then I realized that this was more of a win for the Des Moines Register and Progress Iowa, so serious props to them both.

By the way, did you ever wonder why Rep. Paustian was reading Sex After Sixty while the Iowa House was working hard to disenfranchise Iowa's teachers?:

The Des Moines Register reported that Rep. Ross Paustian (R-Walcott) opened the book when Democratic lawmakers were introducing amendments to the bill and quoted him as saying that the book had been passed around among members. It also quoted him as saying: “We could all use a laugh around here.” Meanwhile, other lawmakers engaged in other activities, and teachers were unamused.

The Iowa House ultimately approved these changes on a 56-41 party line vote, but it's unclear if Iowa's Senate will go along with them.