A bill that would eliminate the ability of divorce courts to order parents to pay postsecondary subsidies passed out of the Iowa House Monday. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
The Iowa House has sent a bill to Gov. Kim Reynolds性视界传媒檚 desk that would do away with divorce court orders to pay a subsidy for higher education.
would bar courts from ordering either party involved in the dissolution of a marriage to pay a postsecondary education subsidy, through a temporary order or final judgment made on or after July 1.
The legislation passed out of the House with a vote of 85-6.
Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, said she性视界传媒檚 seen this bill many times during her tenure as a lawmaker, and current law allowing courts to order payment for postsecondary education is not equitable. Married parents and parents who never married get to have the choice of how their child性视界传媒檚 college will be paid for, but right now those going through a divorce have no choice.
性视界传媒淚 am concerned about the rising cost of an education for our young people and taking away one option for them to get paid, but it needs to be done equitably, and therefore I support the bill and recommend a yes vote,性视界传媒 Wessel-Kroeschell said.
Floor manager Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, agreed with Wessel-Kroeschell in his closing comments, saying it is 性视界传媒渘ot acceptable性视界传媒 that a judge gets to decide if a parent will help pay for college instead of the parents themselves if they性视界传媒檙e going through a divorce.
性视界传媒淚 would also mention that different parents have different philosophies regarding what should be paid for once their children become young adults, and how that is handled,性视界传媒 Holt said. 性视界传媒淪o I don性视界传媒檛 think it性视界传媒檚 appropriate that a court put that upon parents going through a divorce.性视界传媒
