The 2021 Iowa Legislative Session begins next week, and lawmakers are preparing to set an agenda ahead of their arrival in Des Moines. State Representative Dustin Hite enters his second term in Iowa District 79, covering the Pella area, western half of Mahaska County, and Oskaloosa. Hite will assume leadership of one of the largest committees in the Iowa House as he will chair the Education Committee, and he says there are several topics for discussion beyond budgeting that will be addressed in the coming months.

“Some of the things that we’re going to look at are the ways we can address the learning gap that’s been created by COVID-19 — there are students that haven’t been in class or in class a lot since last March, and that’s certainly going to have an effect on their learning ability,” he says. Additionally, he expects there to be a review of open enrollment policies and other parental choice policies after many students and families were left with little options when their respective districts went online-only.

Hear more from Hite about the 2021 Legislative Session on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.