Des Moines, Iowa — Republicans in the House and Senate have agreed on a final version of legislation originally proposed by Governor Kim Reynolds.
It bans instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in elementary schools and parents must be notified if their child asks to be known by a different name or pronoun at school. Republican Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull led debate as House members considered the GOP compromise.
Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, voted against the bill.
The bill, SF 496, passed the House Thursday with the support of 57 Republicans. Four Republicans, including Representative Megan Jones from Sioux Rapids, representing the 6th State House district, which does include the City of Spencer voted against the bill. 34 Democrats also opposed it. The Senate passed the plan Wednesday on a party line vote. Senator Ken Rozenboom, a Republican from Oskaloosa, says the bill provides reasonable guardrails.
The bill calls for removing books that describe or depict sex acts, however the Bible, the Quran and the Torah could stay on the shelves. Senator Janice Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, says it means literary classics must be removed.
The bill outlines sanctions for educators who do not follow the policies in the bill.
Representative Wheeler represents Iowa’s 4th State House district, which encompasses all of Lyon County, and most of the northern half of Sioux County, including the city of Sioux Center.
