House Higher Education Committee to consider bills on academic offerings, DEI changes
Higher education bills slated for subcommittee meetings touch on reviewing and changing public university courses and course requirements. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
The Iowa House of Representatives' new higher education committee is considering various bills aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion at public, private and community colleges, as well as legislation to review and change academic programs and requirements.
Legislation would review academic offerings, make changes in courses or propose new ones, as well as further limit diversity, equity and inclusion programming in higher education. Many introduced bills have subcommittee meetings scheduled for this and next week.
House Study Bill 50 would require the Iowa Board of Regents review every undergraduate and graduate academic program at each of the three state universities to 'determine whether and to what extent each academic program aligns with current and future workforce needs in Iowa,' according to the legislation.
The review, done with the aid of the Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Workforce Development, must be completed by the board's November meeting this year. The board must make recommendations in the report for whether or how each reviewed program should be changed or if it should be eliminated.
The legislation stated the report and its recommendations would need to go to Gov. Kim Reynolds and the General Assembly by Nov. 30. A subcommittee meeting for the bill is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Jan. 29.
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House Study Bill 52 would create and set staffing and programming standards for a 'school of intellectual freedom' at the University of Iowa. The legislation would place this new school in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and require at least five faculty members be hired to teach within it.
Teaching and research through the school would focus on 'the historical ideas, traditions and texts that have shaped the American constitutional order and society,' according to the legislation. The school would also develop campus-wide programming on free speech and civil discourse, foster intellectual diversity and encourage civic engagement.
An academic council formed by the Iowa Board of Regents would assist in selecting a dean, who would be required to submit an annual report on the school to the governor and the Legislature. A subcommittee meeting on the bill will take place at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 28.
Labeled the 'Core Curriculum Act,' House Study Bill 63 would require the board of regents to develop a policy for general education requirements and provide the board with the contents of that policy. It would also stop universities from implementing any general education requirements not listed in the bill.
In addition to the requirements of English and composition, math and statistics, natural and social sciences, the policy would also include courses in a world language, the humanities, Western heritage and American heritage. Exceptions to these course requirements would include those enrolled in a program lasting three years or less and students determined by the board to be in a 'complex field' or in need of additional focus on their main courses.
According to the bill, these general education courses cannot 'distort significant historical events or include any curriculum or other material that teaches identity politics or is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States of America or the state of Iowa.' The legislation states teachers' academic freedoms will not be limited by these policies.
A subcommittee meeting has been scheduled for the bill at 8 a.m. Jan. 28.
A separate new course would be created and required for graduation through House Study Bill 56.
Students earning their bachelor's degree at a state university would need to take a course in American history and civil government, according to the bill, which would include instruction on the United States Constitution and other founding documents, the development and principles of the U.S. government, how the U.S. government compares to others and 'the study of and devotion to American institutions and ideals.'
A subcommittee will discuss the bill at 4 p.m. on Jan. 28.
House Study Bill 60 would bar private universities from starting or maintaining DEI offices, with the risk of becoming ineligible for the Iowa Tuition Grant program if they do not comply.
Like the legislation that prohibits state universities from keeping their own DEI offices, exemptions to the new bill include departments and programs required for accreditation or to comply with state or federal law. House Study Bill 61, which will be brought up in subcommittee at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, would add community colleges to the legislation passed last year on DEI offices for public universities.
Perceived violations of the law would be directed to the Iowa attorney general, according to the bill. If the university hasn't either corrected itself or proven there was no violation within 30 days of receiving notice, it would stop qualifying for the Iowa Tuition Grant program starting the next school year. Eligibility would be restored the next school year as well if a correction is made.
A subcommittee will discuss the bill at 12:15 p.m. Feb. 4.
House Study Bill 62 would require that at least half of funding for the Iowa Tuition Grant program go to students enrolling in degree programs relating to 'high-wage and high-demand jobs.'
The Workforce Development Board would work with the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to form a list of eligible job fields, according to the bill. A subcommittee will discuss the legislation at noon on Jan. 30.
Iowa private higher education officials have previously expressed concerns about how changes to the Iowa Tuition Grant program could affect their institutions and students, but have indicated that they're willing to work with the higher education committee and provide them with the information and answers they require.
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He said he does not believe the same people who were genuinely protesting immigration policy were involved in the violence. Newsom warned that violent protesters would be arrested and prosecuted. He also kept up his social media attack on Trump, saying California "didn't have a problem until Trump got involved" and that unrest is "exactly" what Trump wanted. "Let's get this straight: 1) Local law enforcement didn't need help. 2) Trump sent troops anyway — to manufacture chaos and violence. 3) Trump succeeded," Newsom wrote. "4) Now things are destabilized and we need to send in more law enforcement just to clean up Trump's mess." Family members of several people detained last week in an ICE sweep pleaded for the release of their loved ones at a press conference Monday. Elaina Jung Hee Vermeulen, with the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, said she attempted on Sunday to meet with some of the detained warehouse workers. 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On CBS News' Face the Nation Sunday, Noem explained her reversal by saying, "Governor Newsom has proven that he makes bad decisions." Read more here. − Josh Meyer A California sheriff running for governor isn't pleased with former Vice President Kamala Harris' reaction to the explosive protests. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a June 8 post on X that Trump is "not out there lighting cars on fire, hurling projectiles at law enforcement or blocking freeways.' The sheriff, whose county is just north of San Diego and the fourth-most populous county in the state, was responding to Harris' earlier statement where she said the deployment of the National Guard was "meant to provoke chaos.' Harris, who is mulling a bid for California governor next year, put much of the blame on the Trump administration's ICE raids and a "cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division." Bianco, who is also running for governor in 2026, is a long-standing Trump supporter who gained a bit of attention in 2021 for vowing not to enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates in his office. He said Sunday the former VP's comments were 'an embarrassment." 'The Democrats and their 'leaders' own this,' Bianco added. − Phillip M. Bailey Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia, who co-founded the group Latinas for Trump, criticized his administration's recent immigration enforcement actions as 'unacceptable and inhumane' in a post on X. Her remarks come as federal agents have arrested immigrants in courthouses across the U.S., including Florida, stripping them of due process protections, as NBC News reported. 'I understand the importance of deporting criminal aliens, but what we are witnessing are arbitrary measures to hunt down people who are complying with their immigration hearings − in many cases, with credible fear of persecution claims − all driven by a Miller-like desire to satisfy a self-fabricated deportation goal,' she wrote in her post, referring to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. She said she stands with Florida Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, who wrote in a statement June 6 that 'anyone with a pending asylum case, status-adjustment petition, or similar claim deserves to go through the legal process.' − Sudiksha Kochi Trump border czar Tom Homan on Monday denied ever calling for the arrest of Newsom. Homan told Fox News that he was asked if Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could be arrested and Homan responded that, if they commit a crime, they could be arrested. 'There was no discussion about arresting Newsom,' Homan said. Newsom had addressed the issue on social media, saying that "Trump's border czar is threatening to arrest me for speaking out. Come and get me, tough guy. I don't give a damn. It won't stop me from standing up for California." At 8 p.m. local time on Sunday, authorities declared the protest to be an unlawful assembly and moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades. That sent hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers. According to preliminary information, police said at least 10 people have been arrested and three officers were injured during protests on Sunday. California Highway Patrol arrested 17 people on the 101 Freeway, police said. On Saturday, police arrested 29 people. The protests began Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps in the area resulted in more than 40 arrests. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, defended the raids and said those arrested by ICE included a Vietnamese man convicted of second-degree murder, an Ecuadoran man convicted of possession of five kilograms of cocaine, and a Filipino man convicted of sexual offenses. "These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets," McLaughlin said in a statement. "Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer." Protests against immigration enforcement policies were not limited to the Los Angeles area. In San Francisco, a demonstration that drew hundreds ended with violence and about 60 arrests, police said. "Individuals in the group became violent and began to commit crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism and causing property damage," San Francisco police said in a statement. An unlawful assembly was declared and many left the scene while others vandalized buildings and police cars. Two officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries. "Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco but violence especially against SFPD officers - will never be tolerated," the statement said. Videos show Waymo cars on fire amid LA protests; service reportedly suspended Photos and videos show several Waymo self-driving cars being torched during the protests. The LAPD said one street had been closed indefinitely after "multiple autonomous vehicles" had been set on fire. Footage shared on social media captured several of Waymo driverless taxis engulfed in flames in the June 8 protests. Others were vandalized with messages against Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, videos show. Waymo suspended service in downtown Los Angeles and "will not be serving any rides in the protest area until it is deemed safe," a company spokesperson told NBC News. − Melina Khan This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marines heading to LA; Newsom says move is Trump's 'deranged fantasy'
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Fetterman calls out 'anarchy' in LA, noting that Dems forfeit 'moral high ground' by failing to decry violence
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., spoke out against the "anarchy and true chaos" in Los Angeles, declaring that Democrats forfeit "moral high ground" if they do not decry the violence. "I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that. This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement," Fetterman declared in a post on X. Elon Musk replied to Fetterman's post with an American flag emoji. Marines Being Deployed To Los Angeles Amid Riots As California Moves To Sue Trump Over Response Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy noted, "It's hard to preach hard truths to your own side. I respect this." Deputy White House chief of staff and Cabinet secretary Taylor Budowich responded to Fetterman in a post, writing: "This is a wake up call for many Democrats: there is no room for you in the party of @GavinNewsom and @KamalaHarris. Their self-obsessed pursuits of power are blind to you and your concerns. They defend chaos, reject biology, and are unbothered by the invasion of our nation." Read On The Fox News App Fetterman Disses Dems For Suddenly Embracing Musk Amid Trump Fallout Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has spoken out against violence, declaring in a post on X, "Dr. King defeated racist government officials & ended segregation through disciplined non-violent resistance. Defeating Trumpism, oligarchy & authoritarianism requires that same level of discipline. Violent protests are counterproductive and play right into Trump's playbook." President Donald Trump has deployed National Guard troops in response to the unrest in LA. "We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated," the president asserted on Monday in a Truth Social post. Fetterman Defies 'Punitive' Punishment For Breaking With Democratic Party During Bipartisan Discussion Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted in a tweet on Monday evening that U.S. Marines were being deployed to the city "to restore order."Original article source: Fetterman calls out 'anarchy' in LA, noting that Dems forfeit 'moral high ground' by failing to decry violence
