A bill to remove the term “gender identity” from the Iowa Civil Rights Code passed both the Iowa House and Senate yesterday (Thursday) and has been signed into law by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds this (Friday) afternoon. The floor managers for the bill both come from the listening area. In the Senate, District 6 Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig and District 12 Rep. Steven Holt of Denison for the House. In addition to removing gender identity as a protected class in Iowa, the bill also defines terms like male and female and prohibits gender theory instruction in Iowa schools. In his opening comments, Schultz said, “In the last few years, this legislature has passed bills protecting women and children. We have a law prohibiting biological boys from competing in women’s sports. We have required restrooms and changing facilities like locker rooms to be used based on biology. We have also forbidden puberty blockers and sex-change operations for minor children. All these legal protections are at risk due to the inclusion of the words “gender identity” in our Code.” Debate lasted through most of Thursday afternoon as protestors filled the Iowa Capitol. The bill, Senate File 418, passed the Senate 33-15 and was approved by the House 60-36. Included in the ayes were Schultz, Holt, and District 11 Rep. Craig Williams of Manning. The legislation’s full text is included with this story below.
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https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=SF418&ga=91
