Bills, Bills, Bills: What Legislation Survived Funnel Week In Iowa?

As funnel week comes to a close in the Iowa Legislature, a number of high-profile bills still have a chance to become law including Gov. Kim Reynolds’ education bill, book-banning bills, and a good number of the 20 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced.

Here’s the status of some of those bills:

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Alive

Gov. Kim Reynolds Education Bill (SSB 1145/HSB22): Republicans have promised amendments, but the original version of this extensive bill includes book censorship, prohibits calling students by their nicknames, fines schools up to $5,000 for violating “parental rights,” and removes teaching about AIDS, HPV, and the HPV vaccine.

Banning Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI (HSB 218): This bill removes all funding for DEI positions and offices at Iowa’s three regent universities. While much of the anti-DEI focus is centered on ending “wokeness,” DEI work also focuses on people with disabilities. 

Government Restructure (HSB 126): Gov. Kim Reynolds paid an out-of-state firm nearly $1 million to create this almost 1,600-page bill which she says will shrink government and save hundreds of millions of dollars. Critics and Democrats say the bill consolidates power to her office and does harm to a number of long-standing entities including agencies for Iowans with disabilities.

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“Bathroom Bill” (HSB 208): Prevents trans students from using the restroom/locker room they identify with at school.

Child labor law rollback (HSB 134/SF 167): This law rollbacks decades of precedent and allows kids to work in hazardous conditions without any liability toward the employer if the child laborer is injured or killed. 

Book banning bill (HF 597, which was formerly HSB 219): Changes the qualifications of what books can be placed in school libraries.

Gender-affirming care ban (HSB 214): This bill prohibits gender-affirming care for anyone under age 18. Reminder, gender-affirming can’t be done without parental consent but this bill would strip away those parents’ rights.

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Dead

Gay marriage bans (HJR 8 and HF 508): Sure the bills are dead, but the lead sponsor thinks it was unfair of people to call him a bigot for introducing bigoted legislation.

Ban anyone from under 18 from using social media (HF 526): The TikTok Teens can dance on the grave of this bill (for now).

Total abortion ban (HF 510): A majority of Iowa Republican officials including Gov. Kim Reynolds are waiting on a decision from the Iowa Supreme Court before they decide their next steps on abortion restrictions, but these 20 House Reps are not as patient.

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Slavery bill (SSB 1144): A bill to remove slavery as a form of punishment from the Iowa Constitution in the year 2023 made it past subcommittee and that’s about it.

Free lunch bills (SF 303 and HF 575): The Iowa Senate version of the bill to give Iowa school kids free lunch and breakfast never made it past subcommittee state and the House version was assigned to that chamber’s Education Committee.

Banning Drag Shows/WWE/Theater for minors (SF 348): Iowans under 18 can still smell what The Rock is cookin’. This bill did a lot more than the author intended for it to do and went nowhere.

by Ty Rushing
03/03/23

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