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Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa Senate subcommittee passes bill to set general education requirements at state universities
An Iowa Senate subcommittee passed a bill Wednesday that would set general education requirements for public universities. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Despite concerns about vague language and potential impacts reaching beyond targets of the bill, an Iowa Senate subcommittee on Wednesday advanced legislation to establish statewide general education requirements for public universities. House File 401, which passed out of the Iowa House of Representatives in mid-March, would require state universities to develop new general education standards for students, requiring study in English, math and statistics, natural and social sciences, the humanities, western and American heritage. According to the legislation, these 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.' However, language directly after this section states course instructors' academic freedoms and the free discussion of ideas in class will not be limited. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Keenan Crow, director of policy and advocacy at One Iowa, asked the subcommittee during public comment to strike the section of the bill including 'identity politics,' due to the lack of a definition of the term and its vagueness. Under his interpretation of the bill language, Crow said instructors would not be able to teach students about the civil rights and women's liberation movements or the Stonewall uprising. 'I understand that a lot of this leaves room for interpretation, and maybe folks don't agree with my interpretation, but that's kind of my point,' Crow said. 'My interpretation is just as valid as yours. Since there's no specificity, I don't think that's a positive thing for educational institutions.' Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, agreed with Crow's comments and added that with the current language stating instruction cannot be based on ideas that systemic oppression is inherent to U.S. institutions, teachers would also be prohibited from teaching about slavery or the time when women could not vote. 'The hypocrisy of this bill is blatant,' Quirmbach said. These two sentences are side by side … you have freedom of speech, you have academic freedom to talk about anything you want, as long as you don't talk about things we don't want you to talk about.' Subcommittee chair Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, said he doesn't see anything in the legislation that would stop the teaching of the facts of U.S. history, including slavery and segregation. Since the bill puts its restrictions in the present tense, he said it only prohibits teaching the idea that systemic oppression is still inherent to U.S. institutions. He concurred that the term 'identity politics' should either be defined or removed from the bill, since it is broad. 'I know what it is, I know when I see it, but that's different than putting it into Iowa code and specifying what it is,' Taylor said. 'I think we have to have better guidance for the institutions.' Representatives of community colleges and the Iowa Board of Regents shared concerns during the meeting that articulation agreements between colleges and universities would need to be reworked, as new standards would change what courses community colleges need to offer to ensure students are completing their general education before going to a four-year school. Community Colleges for Iowa is registered as unopposed to the bill, and Iowa Board of Regents State Relations Officer Jillian Carlson said the board has changed its stance from 'undecided' to 'in favor,' as the House took many of the board's suggestions in refining the bill. Another concern Carlson reiterated from previous meetings was the different definitions of diversity, equity and inclusion listed in different pieces of legislation. Carlson asked for clarity on the issue. Taylor said he understood the articulation agreements would need work if the legislation passes, which could pose problems, adding that he appreciated the addition of American and western history as general education requirements. He and Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola, signed the bill to move it to the full Iowa Senate Education Committee. 'It's possible that the bill may need to be tweaked a little bit before it reaches the floor, but I would like to see the bill continue to move forward,' Taylor said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa House Black Caucus responds to DEI legislation passed by House Republicans
DES MOINES, Iowa — On Tuesday, Iowa House Republicans passed three bills that take restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion in the state even further. Three bills passed: House File 269 that bans Iowa's public universities from requiring a course that has topics or instruction of items related to DEI or critical race theory; House File 401 that states required courses cannot include materials that teach identity politics, systemic racism, oppression or distort historical events; and House File 856 that bans DEI offices at all Iowa community and private colleges in the Iowa Tuition Grant. It also bans local governments and state agencies from spending money on DEI offices or staff. 'Almost half of surveyed college students agree that some speech can be so offensive in certain cases that it merits such harsh penalties or punishment, like the death penalty,' said State Representative Henry Stone (R) District 9 from Forest City. 'DEI ideology that is being taught to our kids and it is destroying, in my opinion, our country.' On Wednesday morning, the Iowa House Black Caucus wanted to respond to remarks made during debate and the bills that were passed on Tuesday. How to watch Iowa teams in NCAA basketball tournament 'The fact that diversity is the reason that there are accessible elevators in this building. It's the reason that we take the act of including and being inclusive of people. It's the reason why the Republicans put forward in the bill in support of service animals. That's inclusion,' said State Representative Ross Wilburn (D) District 50, from Ames. 'They chose to talk about race.' 'It didn't just happen. It came about because this was a solution to an issue and a problem that was facing, not just Iowa, but an issue that was facing us here in America, and so, dismantling that dismantles the progress Iowa has pushed for,' said State Representative Rob Johnson (D) District 34, from Des Moines. while referencing members of the 55th General Assembly where 90 plus House Republicans voted to move for equality and end segregation in schools before Brown v. Board of Education was taken up in the United States Supreme Court. Another member of the Black Caucus spoke about comments made about how its members did not reach out to any House Republicans during the last two months when these bills were moving through the process. 'I feel like there were comments made yesterday about the Black Legislative Caucus and how we are not reaching out to individuals on the other side of the aisle,' said State Representative Jerome Amos Jr. (D) District 62, from Waterloo. 'That is not correct. I call it political fodder, is what I call it. And for me, we reach out, we talk to folks. You have to understand that we are not communicating as much as we probably could. But also the other side was not reaching out to us. And I firmly believe that we have to, as a body, start communicating with each other.' Members of the caucus asked Iowans to reach out to their representatives and senators, republicans or democrats, to urge them not to advance these three bills. Also calling on the governor to not sign these bills into law if they make it out of the Iowa Senate chamber this session. Iowa News: Iowa House Black Caucus responds to DEI legislation passed by House Republicans How to watch Iowa teams in NCAA basketball tournament WHO 13 Farm Report: Wednesday, March 19th Fort Dodge police investigating death, apartment fire Attempted murder arrest in Ames shooting Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
