Davenport Rejects Plan to Pay for College for Everyone

Voters in Davenport, Iowa, on Tuesday rejected a proposal that would pay $20,000 – an award based on the cost of attending a local community college for two years and a state university for two more -- to new high school graduates for use at any college, in- or out-of-state, private or public. Quad Cities Online reported that the measure was supported by only 39 percent of voters. Proponents saw the plan as a way to encourage higher education and attract people to Davenport, but critics questioned whether the city could afford the commitment and whether it would change the decisions people make about where to live.