Cedar Falls Lawmakers Outline Reasons to Reverse Regents' Price Lab Closure Decision

Iowa Senate News Release:

Black Hawk County legislators lay out legal reasoning to reverse Board of Regents’ decision to close Price Lab

DES MOINES – Democratic legislators from Black Hawk County are laying out the legal reasoning why the Board of Regents was wrong to support UNI President Ben Allen’s recommendation to close Malcolm Price Laboratory School. 

“Unlike previous requests, we have both asked the Iowa Attorney General for an opinion and laid out the legal reasoning as to why the Board of Regents’ decision was not legal,” said Senator Jeff Danielson of Cedar Falls.

Read the full Faculty Senate statement, and for comprehensive coverage of the Price Lab closure and other budget cuts, including the UNI students' "study-in" on campus this week, visit the Cedar Falls Patch topic page. Get notified of the latest on Price Lab and other UNI news by signing up to the Cedar Falls Patch newsletter. 

Danielson is joined by Representative Bob Kressig, Senator Bill Dotzler and Representatives Deborah Berry and Anesa Kajtazovic in seeking the opinion of the Iowa Attorney General on whether the Board of Regents has the authority to close Price Lab at the University of Northern Iowa. The legislators’ request includes arguments describing how the Iowa Board of Regents overstepped its authority in deciding to close Price Lab.

“We believe the policy and the appropriations authority in this matter lie exclusively with the Legislature,” Danielson said.

“There was no plan in place and little discussion. The parents, students and teachers of Price Lab deserved more than five days to make their case to other Iowans and the Board of Regents,” said State Representative Bob Kressig of Cedar Falls. “This formal request is the next step in our efforts to determine what options are available for Price Lab School. I will work with my colleagues in the House and Senate to provide more support for UNI next year.”