The 2001 Iowa Legislature wrapped up its session earlier this month, and while some forward steps were taken, both parties disappointed us by failing to make compromises over the past year.

The dove hunting bill, eventually vetoed by Governor Vilsack, distracted our lawmakers from more important issues like education.

At times, we were left asking ourselves, where were their priorities? And is threatening to sue a college newspaper for indecent photos a legitimate use of our lawmakers’ time?

Passing the 24-hour abortion waiting period from the “woman’s right to know bill” was a wise decision. This will give pregnant women contemplating abortion time to think about this decision while still allowing them to make their own choices.

Although eliminating utility taxes may have benefited many Iowans, it’s not fiscally responsible to have cut taxes across the board during the middle of a state budget crisis.

The legislature finished this session by passing a $40 million teacher pay reform plan. Hopefully this will encourage educators to improve their teaching skills, and not hurt students’ learning.

Basing pay raises on performance, which is hard to gauge, could create difficulties. Standardized test scores are a poor way to judge an educator’s performance.

We hope that the 2002 Iowa Legislature will work together more on important issues, so students around the state aren’t the ones being hurt by increasing partisan tensions.

editorialboard: Michelle Kann, Tim Paluch, Jocelyn Marcus, Zach Calef, Ruth Spangler, Cavan Reagan