A major sticking point in the final days of the Iowa Legislature’s 2021 session was on whether to change the way Iowa’s mental health system is paid for.  The Legislature eventually did vote to have the state pay for mental health services, rather than having counties pay for it.  The No Coast Network asked State Senator Ken Rozenboom of Oskaloosa if the mental health legislation was a factor in the session taking as long as it did.

“It was, it was, because that was major change, right?  We’ve been doing it this way forever.  And when you change something that’s been around that long, you have to make sure you have to do it right.  And doing it right means a lot of conversations, a lot of conversations, a lot of late nights.  You put your finger on it, that’s why the session went so long.”

Rozenboom spoke Saturday (5/22) at a meeting with US Senator Joni Ernst in Oskaloosa.