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BLOOMFIELD, IOWA -- On Saturday, State Representative Curt Hanson of Fairfield met with residents in Bloomfield to discuss what bills are being passed and proposed at the state capitol ahead of the first funnel week.

This past week, the house passed their version of the education reform package. The package had a much lower starting salary for first-time teachers and also allowed school districts only 2 percent allowable growth; two issues that Hanson disagreed with, and told KTVO were not acceptable.

“The bill that we passed is very much under what the governor proposed. It short-changes Iowa schools and does nothing really to implement better education for our children; but it does limit Iowa school growth. It also limits the ability to improve our schools, so I am very critical of the bill that finally passed the Iowa house,” said Hanson. “I am hoping that the Iowa senate will send back a bill and it will end up in conference committee where we can get to something that is real reform for Iowa schools, Iowa educators, Iowa children and Iowa parents.”