Education 3/14
- Mariah Tang
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Several key opposition bills have moved out of committee and are now eligible for debate and voting in both chambers. You are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CALL to protest these bills before an official floor vote!
GUN CONTROL ON SCHOOL GROUNDS
The bill would allow a person, with a valid permit to carry, to have a gun in their vehicle in the driveways and parking lots of school grounds. Click on the bill for more details. This bill is eligible for debate in both chambers.
Any legislation that allows for guns on school grounds only puts students and staff at risk.
(Formerly SF2063/HSB542)
An anti diversity, equity, and inclusion, and critical race theory prohibition. The board of regents is required to complete a review of all undergraduate course requirements and if related to the above, may eliminate those requirements.
Also, HF2487 authorizes the attorney general to conduct an investigation regarding a violation of current law prohibiting regents universities, community colleges, and state entities, which would include local governments, from engaging in certain practices regarding DEI.
These bills are eligible for debate in their respective chambers.
Many of the bills detailed last week remain in subcommittee with the same status and are denoted with the indicator (unchanged).
HF2622 (OPPOSE) (unchanged)
This bill covers restriction of minors accessing materials deemed not “age-appropriate” and transferring authority over public libraries from independent boards and committees to city councils.
The bill is eligible for consideration by the House.
SF2231 (OPPOSE) (unchanged)
This bill removes religious limitations on public funding.
Read Senator Art Staed’s extended explanation and condemnation of this bill.
The bill has passed in the Senate and is currently in the House Education Committee.
Public Education Bills:
An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the protected speech and expression rights of students enrolled in school districts, charter school, and innovation zone schools and the duties of the department of education, and providing civil penalties.
While this bill respects the right of free speech, including prayer and discussion of religious ideas, it seems to expand protections for proselytizing or trying to convert students who are considered a captive audience in schools.
HF2336 has passed in the House, while SF2300 is in the Senate and eligible for debate. Senate Education Committee.
HF2510 (OPPOSE) (unchanged)
This bill mandates specific curriculum requirements that public schools must include for social studies in grades one through twelve and educational programs of the regents universities. The legislature is overreaching by mandating specific curriculum requirements.
The bill was passed by the House and is in the Senate Education Committee
Higher Education:
SF2405 (OPPOSE) (unchanged)
(Formerly HF2116/SF2174)
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are already prohibited in public schools and state universities, but this bill goes even further. It allows anyone, regardless of “standing”, to go to court and force an action against a district only because that person doesn’t like something happening in a district. This could cause a useless but detrimental financial burden for districts.
Writer's Note: Apparently, the Federal Dept. of Education is no longer pursuing enforcement of DEI "Offenses." It would be worthwhile to remind our state legislators of that.
This is eligible for debate in the Senate.
HF2488 (OPPOSE) (unchanged)
(Formerly HSB537)
The bill prohibits a private college from having a diversity, equity, and inclusion office. The institution would not be eligible to receive funding from the Iowa Tuition Grant program if it is in violation.
The bill has passed the House and is now in the Senate Education Committee
HF2539 (OPPOSE) (unchanged)
(Formerly HSB607)
A bill for an act repealing the board of regents' minority and women educators’ enhancement program.
The bill has passed in the House and is in the Senate Education Committee
HF2489 (OPPOSE) (unchanged)
(formerly HSB548)
The bill mandates that the three state universities sign the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” created by the Trump Administration.
There are several highly concerning issues with this bill;
Requires standardized tests for admission,
Mandates "ideologically neutral" campuses while exclusively protecting conservative ideas, and
Allows “lawful force” as a means of maintaining order on campus.
The bill is in the House
Property Taxes:
Currently there are three Republican bills being evaluated. Each bill below includes an article with an assessment of the bill as a resource to help with citizens’ understanding.
This is the Senate Version. According to Iowa Starting Line: "The proposed Iowa SSB3001 bill aims to significantly impact property taxes for homeowners by shifting the responsibility for basic school costs from local property taxes to the state. This change would result in a reduction of the school property tax rate from $5.40 to $4.49 per $1,000 of property value. While this proposal would limit the size of property tax bills, it also means that the most important funding decisions for districts would be made in Des Moines by the Legislature and governor, rather than by the districts themselves. This could lead to fewer options for homeowners to offset the costs of property taxes."
This is the House Version. According to Iowa Public Radio, The bill (HSB 596) would prevent city and county revenue from growing more than 2% each year. The limit would not apply to new construction, school funding or revenue that’s required to repay debt.
Alan Kemp, executive director of the Iowa League of Cities (nonprofit serving as a unified voice of cities, providing advocacy training and guidance to strengthen Iowa’s communities), said he appreciates property tax bills being released early in the legislative session because that gives cities time to evaluate the impact before taking formal positions on the proposals.
He said cities agree that reducing the burden on taxpayers is a worthy objective, and they share the goal of making property taxes more affordable and predictable.
“Cities do have concerns about proposals that place strict limits on local revenue growth, which over time can slow service delivery, delay replacement of aging infrastructure, weaken economic development efforts and reduce communities’ ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters — especially as costs for materials, equipment, labor and insurance continue to rise,” Kemp said.
These are the governor’s versions. Please check out an article written by Robin Opsahl, March 3, 2026 for iowacapitaldispatch.com titled “Senate panel advances property tax bill that also indexes gas tax to inflation”.
